Aneityum

baby crawling

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. second growth of taro

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. go back into shore; go further up into the bush; go inland

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. go after

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to plant taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3520)

Example: Children sometimes eat this fruit but it smells bad. Adults do not eat it. An introduced species so there is no local name.

Scientific name: Annona glabra

adj. a second growth as of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 72

v.n. go before

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

v.a. to climb

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 78

[eroʊ] num. two

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[iɲara] n. Honeyeater, grey and orange (Vanuatu Honeyeater)

Example: Photo by Olivier Boissier, IBC973343. Photo of Vanuatu Honeyeater Gliciphila notabilis at Sola, Vanuatu. License: All rights reserved. Accessible on Internet Bird Collection

Scientific name: Gliciphila notabilis, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. native rose; rosa chinensis; the hibiscus; also "inpul"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85, 88

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3548)

Example: The forked stick of this plant is used as a pole to hold the outrigger on a canoe. Children blow the small fruits of this plant through the hollow petioles of the papaya leaf or a hollowed bamboo stem as a game. As an aphrodisiac, two handfuls of the leaves of this species are boiled in fresh water and men drink these for 7 days. The next week they will be "strong." People cannot have sex while they are drinking this remedy, but then the next week when they have finished the treatment, they will be "very strong."

Scientific name: Vitex trifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. basket handle

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[indraʊ] n. pandanus leaf wrapping for the preparation of fish

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. night; quite dark

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. light

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. belt

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphyte on a fallen branch, growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3287)

Scientific name: Huperzia phlegmaria, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. croton plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 139

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3621)

Example: Good for covering laplap or stone oven. Remove hot stones, put leaves down, then food, then hot stones, then put the leaves down again to cover everything.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a convolvulus

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. breadfruit crop in October

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 87

[inmohoɣ la] n. September (lit. clear month)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. vine climbing on Geissois denhamii (GMP #3522), growing in open (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3524)

Example: The word itougo means from a different country or place outside of Aneityum. The plant was introduced by the first missionaries who came to Port Patrick. Calendar plant – sea cost people see this flower in the forest and they know it is time to go into garden and harvest taro or make new gardens– see GMP 3263. This is also good firewood.

Scientific name: Operculina turpethum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. coconut leaves for a net

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 88

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4782)

Scientific name: Euodia hortensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

v. to fish (with a net)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the cool of the evening

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3497)

Example: The milky sap of this plant is poisonous. Fruit is very poisonous! If a child accidentally consumes this sap it causes them to vomit and they must drink water. Leaves are part of an unspecified spirit medicine.

Scientific name: Cerbera manghas, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[kitlel] n. teapot (probably loanword from "kettle")

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[kuri] n. dog (general)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4767)

Scientific name: Leucaena leucocephala, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[maja] phr. yes

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[maja gaʔo] phr. yes or no

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[nadimi itij] phr. one man

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4771)

Scientific name: Dianella ensifolia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. species of palm tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3217)

Example: 1a. When traveling past a community you can place these leaves in a basket or walk with it in your hand. In this way people in the community know that you are traveling in peace and will cause no harm to people in that village. 1b. Message plant – if you go to visit someone and they are not there, you leave a branch of this on the door or somewhere they can see it and they know that some relatives have come and tried to visit them.

Scientific name: Dendrolobium umbellatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. terrestrial orchid, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4116)

Scientific name: Macodes sanderiana, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. vine, growing on rocks at end of strand near coastal forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3690)

Example: As a medicine to treat toothache, the latex from this vine is put into the tooth as soon as the person feels pain. Use 3x daily until the pain has subsided. The flower is used as a decoration behind the ear. When there are rough seas because someone has trespassed in a tabu area you can take 12 leaves from the napalhat and put them in a pond for about 1 week until they start to stink. Then use we leaves from the naojapdak and drown those leaves in either a fresh water pond or salty water. (No further information given). Can also take an armful of napalhat and place on top of a stone in the tabu area with a smaller stone on top of the napaphat. The stone must be a large permanent stone. Has also heard people say it can be used for toothache if you put the leaf on the tooth.

Scientific name: Hoya australis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. a small water-plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

[neɣeɣ] n. crab

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3534)

Example: This tree has very hard wood. 1. Use the small stems to plant dry land or swamp taro, sharpening the end and pushing it into the ground to make a hole. 2. It also is useful for fence, posts for houses. 3. Small stems are also used to make a comb for the hair. 4. Plant pole for taro kava. 5. A branch is shaped and used to husk coconut. 6. The wood is hard and in ancient times people would take a forked piece and put string on one side of it, sharpen the other side and use with the string as a fish hook – need to keep rope tight until it is in the canoe. Do not give it slack – strong use AAM 17.

Scientific name: Halfordia kendack, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3512)

Example: This plant is used as fertilzer to place on bottom of the taro patch in the same way as GMP #3456 to help "feed the ground" for next year. The leaves are used to wrap food. When a person is chewing kava, pile the chewed kava roots on the young leaves of this species. Also, an unspecified medicinal use.

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tall shrub. Growing uncultivated near Unames outside the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #30)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. bunch of bananas; also "nigainohos"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3667)

Example: Children suck the nectar from the young flowers just as they open. Wood from this plant is used for poles for rafters as well as for firewood. Flying foxes drink juice from the flowers.

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Metrosideros collina (RPV #81)

Scientific name: Metrosideros collina, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

[nɛlna] n. fish sp.

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. sugarcane

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Humpback unicornfish

Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Naso brachycentron via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. new coconut leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 101

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3479)

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. The young stems of this plant are used in home construction but as they are small and thin, they are not used for posts.

Scientific name: Cleidion javanicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. branch (tender)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 130

[niprij ~ nipriʧ] n. Buff-banded Rail

Example: Photo by David Cook, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Gallirallus philippensis, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[niriθ] n. gills

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[nitaʔtel] n. stool

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

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. knots where rope is tying pieces of canoe together

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Cordyline fruticosa L.

Example: Leaf: chew (leprosy in mouth). Whole plant: planted for several Kastom purposes; many important Kastom-bound uses as magical or ornamental plant throughout Melanesia.

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442

n. grass. Found in disturbed area behind the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #12)

Example: 1. To cure the sea snake (nispev) curse that causes missed periods. First the husband must combine 4 young leaves of incispev and 4 young leaves of nafanu and mash and squeeze the juice into a small bamboo (1-1.5 inch diameter) The nafanu is important because it is a plant that connects to the sea. Use wildcane leaves cover the bamboo closed. Go to the sick person and unwrap the snake from her. Start from the top and let the woman drink a small part of the potion then wash her with the mixture, making sure to wash head, elbows, knees, feet, and belly. Then take a leaf of naha and break it over the woman’s belly button to break the snake off. Smash the bamboo vessel to pieces. Leave the woman there until the wash dries on her. This takes one whole day and the ceremony in the evening so she can sleep and she must not eat. This ritual is performed by men. 2. Main plant to thatch roof of local houses. 3. Collect the dry stems, tie together, use as a torch at night for walking or walking along the reef when fishing. 4. Take 1 cane and tie the leaves together and tie on a tree to indicate tabu – e.g. a citrus tree that will be ripe soon to tell people not to pick it. 5. To catch crabs just before sunset, burn the torch and shake the ashes on the rocks; come back an hour or so later and the crabs are attracted by the ashes and you can collect them. 6. Can also use to weave walls of house. 7. Women clean the leaves of the stem and use the hard part of the stem to strip pandanus leaf before weaving a basket. 8. Cut wild cane in half and sharpen the end, use this to cut the dried pandanus leaves into small strips. 9. Tie leaves into a knot and stick the knot on the kava stem; t is means that this kava goes “express” so the carrier goes to one border of a village and passes it to another person who knows it cannot stop in this village but goes to the next border and is passed on 10. This plant is a “message plant” to say “don’t stop,” referring to something being delivered.

Scientific name: Saccharum maximum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a species of seaweed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. breadfruit; also "nohwanma"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. Morinda citrifolia L.

Example: Fruit: eaten raw, constipation

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 444

n. meadow

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 165

n. a bunch of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. terrestrial fern, 0. 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3577)

Example: Join two of the inrolled fronds together at the part where the frond is opening (the tip that is curled) such that the leaves are held together by their unfolding growing tips. Place this along the path that is frequented by a wild pig (they travel along paths) and when the pig passes these two leaves, and is chased by a hunter’s dogs, these leaves in this formation are said to sap some of the pig’s energy and thus allow the dogs to catch up with it. This was explained to Tony by another person who mentioned it as a sort of magical power possessed by this type of fern.

Scientific name: Blechnopsis orientalis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. tree to 20 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4976). Loanword for introduced species.

Example: This tree was introduced as a source of timber and has been widely planted on this part of the island. The cone is used to throw on a fire as it is said that the smoke will keep away mosquitoes.

Scientific name: Pinus caribaea, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

adv. downwards or westwards

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. an open blossom

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

adj. sour, applied to the water in coconuts

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

n. the seed of breadfruit that is not firm

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111

n. sweet potato

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

adj. done; cooked

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi