An example search has returned 100 entries
achachadaliek
adj. tempestuous at sea
bookmarkahpeto
v. taro; yams
bookmarkdapanan ja jai et lok sto em̃ikope stoi lok
ehlili
v. to burn ground for planting
bookmarkhogelcou
n. royal albatross
bookmarkindawoc
inhujum
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinjivij
n. Titan triggerfish
Example: Photo by Leonard Low, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkink
n. vine, growing in coastal forest. Fruits purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3556)
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.
bookmarkinlah
n. light
bookmarkinlahlah
n. daylight
bookmarkinlop̃otjap
inmauwad ahi
n. a convolvulus with white flowers; also "inmauwad picad"
bookmarkinmohtan nohos
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinp̃al apogen
intekes ~ inrowod
inyje
n. tree to 15 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4914)
Example: Use the leaves to make compost to be placed at the bottom of the hole where taro is to be planted, cover with soil and grow the taro in that hole. Serves as a fertilizer.
bookmarklakasia
lopot lopot
n. Oriental sweetlips
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkmak
adj. smooth, applied to sugarcane-leaf thatch
bookmarknaevas
n. sparsely to moderately branched tree, 6-8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3220)
Example: 1. Wood is used for carving as it is a nice black wood. 2. Also used for house posts. 3. Use sapwood – cut a piece of wood, long one 1-2 m. Put it in front of the house or take a smaller piece on top of the entrance door – protects against bad spirits.
bookmarknagedauyag
n. kind of taro
bookmarknaha
n. herb to 1 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #5003)
Example: The leaves are used to wrap fish for cooking in an open fire. If you eat a bad fish and begin to feel the effects of it a few hours later, such as with Ciguatera illness, cut the base of the stem of this plant and let the sap drip into a half coconut shell with coconut water in it, drink the shell and it will make the person vomit out the bad food. It does not taste good but is very effective in making a person vomit as it contains a toxic compound.
bookmarknahoij
n. kind of tree
bookmarknaiji elcau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknakoaha
n. kind of taro
bookmarknalvimtinjap
n. a light wind; the beginning of a wind
bookmarknamlau
n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3490)
Example: 1. The larger stems of this plant can be used to build houses, for rafters. 2. It is also a good source of firewood. 3. Ancestors, before go to chief’s canal and want to talk about a complicated issue – a person would cut a branch and bring it to the sea and tap the water surface and would say what he wants, ask that he would want that issue to be solved and that others would follow his ideas and then go back to the meeting place and take stick, keep wind at his back, moving stick in all directions and then he will convince the people of his ideas. This is done by the chief’s spokesman. Helps convince the opposition. Helps keep power in hands of parent(??) chief rather than subchiefs who might have other ideas.
bookmarknamop
n. kind of tree
bookmarknanad
nanad cop̃ou
n. small shrub, 0. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3219)
Example: 1. A stimulant plant. If a person is going to their garden early in the morning before the sun come up, break 2 top young leaves and chew and swallow the liquid, spitting out the fiber. This makes the person able to work harder and not feel tired while in the fields. It was noted that "a person can do the work of many people if they chew this." 2. The leaves are used for fertilizer for taro--put a bunch of leaves in a hole were taro is to be planted as a compost/antibiotic. This practice is said to kill all of the bad organisms such as bacttively impact the health of the taro plant. 3. This species is collected in the coastal areas, and is different from the one that looks similar to it, that grows in the forested areas. People take 4 leaves, chew leaves, swallow juice, gives energy to work hard the entire day. For fishing, take lots of ripe fruits and put in pocket, you will be able to catch a lot of fish. It brings good fortune when fishing. Roots – take one root, wash where a woman is giving birth to a newborn baby, give a drop of the juice from the root to clear the mucus in the throat.
bookmarknathat
nautahos
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".
bookmarkneaig cap
n. a red coconut
bookmarknehgan
n. a stock; a bunch, as of fruit; also "negan" or "nigan"
bookmarknehivaing
nejev
netehmu
n. kind of banana
bookmarknetethae
n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3604)
Example: The fruits are edible when ripe--eating them turns the tongue purple. 1. To cure headaches - Someone other than the woman must prepare this. Break the top branch of netethae and remove leaves for use. Combine with the top leaves of the top branch of nelmaha. Chew the leaves and drink the juice. Do this when the sun is setting on the horizon. The woman gives the leftover fibers to the person who prepared the medicine and that person goes and throws the fibers in the direction of the setting sun. 2. Ancestors 4 top branches and chew and spit out remaining fiber will destroy the effects of a love potion that is too strong – meaning that the husband or wife will miss the other person too much so that they become mentally ill. 3. Edible fruits: eating them turns tongue black/purple.
bookmarknethopdecraeñ
netjeñ
niditau
n. tree. Found in the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #14)
Example: The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree growing, it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.
bookmarknidwunitei
n. tree fern, trunk 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4102)
Example: 1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the white one. See GMP #4100, Cyathea sp., which is considered the black one.
bookmarknijinga
n. shrub to 2 m, flowers blue-purple. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4878)
Example: A stem of this shrub is sharpened and used to dig a hole for planting kava. When a person plants kava in a hole made from this stick, there is the belief that it will make kava root stems strong and large. The fruits are edible when ripe and said to be sweet.
bookmarknilpudou
n. herb to 70 cm, florets yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4998)
Example: To treat a headache, especially from the flu, boil a handful of leaves in 1 liter of water for a few minutes, let cool and drink 1 cup of liquid per day . Also can treat this type of headache by using the plant in a steam bath, by boiling 4 handfuls of leaves in a pot of water, covering the head with a towel and breathing in the steam from the pot.
bookmarknitato naretou
nititidei
nohmun wai
n. bank (of a river)
bookmarknokoko
n. large well branched tree, 18-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3216)
Example: 1. The trunk of this plant is used to make canoes. 2. It is also a good timber for the inside part of houses. 3. Mix the sap from the stem with other unspecified leaves and rub them into dreadlocks. 4. To attract shells in the sea, scrape a branch and drop in the sea where shells are attracted to the branches and they can be collected for sale to the Island’s visitors. 5. Seeds are used to make beautiful black necklaces. Said to be a lot of work as it is difficult to remove the seed. Rub with sandpaper or soak in water and then make the hole in the seed. 6. Fruit is a children’s toy – used as a whistle to make a nice sound.
bookmarknopwag
nowyeyang
n. shrub to 2 m tall, flowers pink (collection: Michael J. Balick #4955)
Example: The tubers of this variety are sweet, not bitter and are eaten after cooking. The young leaves are eaten after boiling in water until they are soft, either plain or cooked in soup. It is important to only harvest and prepare the young leaves in this way, as the older leaves will not get soft even after cooking. The young leaves are used to cover the top layer of the earth oven, on top of the stones that comprise the upper layer of the earth oven.
bookmarknoyeiwow
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.
bookmarknucja
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknumnyac
n. a kind of bulbous root
bookmarknusjau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarkwai meteuc
wukau
n. kind of taro
bookmark


