Aneityum

v. bite, sing

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[ahe] v. prepare soil for taro planting, by removing the topsoil, putting down special leaves, and replacing topsoil

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. second growth of taro

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.a. pass over or through a country

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[alpos] adj. big

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. to bud; to put forth leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 59

v. sleep

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[amŋi kava] phr. drink kava

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. sleep

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. walk

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. red (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. tendrils; small branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 71

[deseiʧ nadimi] phr. three men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. to begin to form, as fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

[et amai kava] phr. he chews kava

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et puarapuanan par lei] phr. he went there and he took it

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. at a distance; on the other side of the road.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 79

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

prep. up

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. the Pleiades, the seven stars

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[inɣaitisian] n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3543)

Example: Red, dried fruits are fed to small chicks as food.

Scientific name: Rivina humilis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. wood

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. Sabre squirrelfish

Example: Photo by Andy A. Lewis / Lizard Island Research Station, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Sargocentron spiniferum via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. the stem of a bunch of bananas, coconuts, etc.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[inʤa] n. blood

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. vine, growing in disturbed forest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3470)

Example: A man named Johnnie (Reuben’s grandfather) brought this vine to Aneityum to use it as a rope to tie objects. The ripe fruits are used to paint the face and hands and children make drawings from this dye.

Scientific name: Passiflora suberosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a convolvulus with blue or reddish flowers

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of palm

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. grass to 3 m, flowers brown. Growing in degraded secondary forest along trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4969)

Example: The stem of this plant is used to make walls of houses. Collect the stem and remove the leaves, and then take one of the bush vines (any of them) and tie the stems into bundles for making house walls or fences for chicken pens. Children make a whistle from a hollow piece of stem from this plant.

Scientific name: Miscanthus sinensis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. the wicker-work bed (constellation?)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. stoloniferous herb, 15 cm tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3561)

Example: In the past the ancestors learned to cook the leaves of this species with fish in an earth over and then eat the leaves as well as the fish. Today, fish are wrapped with small leaves and then covered with lap-lap leaf (Polyscias) and cooked in an earth oven.

Scientific name: Wedelia uniflora, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. brook

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 131

n. Hound needlefish, crocodile long-tom

Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. vine to 1 m, flowers purple. (kudzu plant). (collection: Michael J. Balick #4920)

Example: Roast the tuber of this vine on an open fire for 20-40 minutes, peel off the skin and eat like cassava or taro. Chew it and drink the "juice" while spitting out the fiber. It grows wild, season of harvesting is in May. Very tasty food for people, considered "numba wan" food for this island.

Scientific name: Pueraria lobata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[inʧataheɪjn] n. hen

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. back of canoe

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Elattostachys falcata (RPV #112)

Scientific name: Elattostachys falcata, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the cool of the evening

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

adj. long, applied to time

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. ripe, as arrowroot; also "murre"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 93

n. tree to 5 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4924)

Example: Tree is a good source of firewood. Children use the "Y" of a branch to make sling shot for hunting birds and flying fox.

Scientific name: Ochrosia elliptica, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nadimi ditij] phr. one man (there is)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. saplings, 3-6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3715)

Example: Small poles from this plant are used to make fishing spears, and larger stems used for house rafters.

Scientific name: Tarenna efatensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. thorn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 193

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree to 30 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4911)

Example: Stems of this tree are used to make canoes as they are always straight. Tree can also be used to for timber and as firewood.

Scientific name: Serianthes ebudarum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. species of palm tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. treelet to 1 m, sterile. In transition zone from pine forest to scrub forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4981)

Example: The wood is used to make a fishing spear. Cut the straight stems, heat it in fire, straighten it as much as needed, cool the stem, peel the bark off of the stem and let it cure for 1 month. In the past, the end of the spear was carved into a sharp point and used for fishing. Now steel rods are placed on the tip to catch the fish. This is used in shallow water (fresh water or sea water) as the wood is heavy and can sink. People making these spears go to older forests that are higher up to collect the wood.

Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphytic liana climbing up main trunk of garcinia pseudoguttifera, growing in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4014)

Scientific name: Freycinetia impavida, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb to 3 m tall, fruits black. Secondary forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4905)

Example: Leaves used to wrap around cassava that is being baked in the earth oven.

Scientific name: Joinvillea plicata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub. Growing near the beach. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #4)

Example: 1. Dried branches from this plant can be used to roast vegetable crops that women eat if they have problems becoming pregnant. 2. Firewood, burns well. 3. Some people will eat the green fruit for protection against black magic. Eat 5 fruits for this. Eat it only once – will last for a year.

Scientific name: Scaevola taccada, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. sparsely branched tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3493)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food.

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dwarf cloud-forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3268)

Example: For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nirid u numu) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

Scientific name: Trichomanes, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a small water-plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. a crop; fruit which grows spontaneously

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. shrub to 1 m, flowers greenish-white. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4932)

Example: The roots are used to treat toothache. Take the roots, strip off the outer bark and chew the root. Stops pain from the toothache. Use 3x daily until the pain is gone.

Scientific name: Breynia disticha, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. herb, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3280)

Example: A "message plant". In ancient times, this plant was used for communicating. If you go to a person who composes songs and give this to them, they will know to compose a song for you. Name means "flowers on the ground".

Scientific name: Isachne comata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a stem

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. a bulrush; a flag

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. rush growing to 1-2 meters tall, round (collection: Michael J. Balick #4975)

Example: Split the stem of this plant on one side, open up the entire stem and make a roll of the stem. Use to weave baskets.

Scientific name: Schoenoplectus validus, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. Humpnose big-eye bream

Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Monotaxis grandoculis via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[neŋeʧwaj] n. Island imperial pigeon

Example: Photo by Tony Morris, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Ducula pistrinaria, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. a stock; a bunch, as of fruit; also "negan" or "nigan"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

[nɛjsindiɛn] n. fish anus

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. shrub to 2 m, flowers pale green-white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4899)

Example: If a person chews the branches of this tree, their teeth will not grow or will fall out. Common name refers to "bad teeth.

Scientific name: Psychotria aneityensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. hard outer shell of crab

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the pith

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. current of air

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 140

[niɣɛn nʊmʊ] n. fish tail

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. new coconut leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 101

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4867)

Example: Fruits are sweet and edible when ripe. This plant is an indicator of rich soil, a good place to plant one’s garden. The leaves of this species are mixed in with other leaves for an unspecified local medicine that helps to remove spiritual sickness

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 7 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4902)

Example: Leaves used to wrap fresh water fish before roasting on the fire.

Scientific name: Dillenia biflora, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. orange

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 169

n. type of seashell

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. fruit; also "nohwan"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. kind of banana

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. berry

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 128

n. vine to 2 m, aerial tubers and lobed leaves. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4946)

Example: This is a root crop. It is harvested in April-June. The leaves turn yellow and indicate that the crop is ready to harvest. If planted in the old days the root would get much larger. It is a good cyclone disaster food. Grows wild now. Boil the tuber in fresh water, when it is cooked add a bit of sea water to give it a salty taste. Chew the starchy root and spit out the fiber. Another variety is like sweet potato and a person can eat the entire root without spitting out the fiber. Can mix with coconut milk as well to eat.

Scientific name: Dioscorea pentaphylla, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. Spangled emperor

Example: Photo by Richard Ling, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Lethrinus nebulosus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. vine to 4 m, cultivated (collection: Michael J. Balick #5013)

Example: This is a cultivated, edible tuber. If a cyclone comes and blows the vines, the tuber will still be intact. The vines of this type of Dioscorea are very strong. Normal yam vine tears in high winds and the tuber will not grow for food but will die; this one will not. It is very good for places with strong winds and storms.

Scientific name: Dioscorea alata, Speaker: Tony Keith

[nuhialeɣ upni] phr. Good morning. (greeting in early morning, 6 o’clock to 9:30-10 o’clock)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Macaranga dioca

Example: Inner bark: bathe in cold infusion, wounds. Mix heated over fire and taken out during sunset. Healer clenches the package in his fist, then gently punches the patients left, then right knee, then his forehead and finally squeezes over his head, migraine a

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 441

adj. unripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 196

adv. down here

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. blossom (open)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 129