Aneityum

[aθ tasvi] v. break strong things (like a branch, etc.)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. fly

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. go in and out among

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.a. to go up, or go east

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. sunset

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. walk

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. Lattice soldierfish, violet soldierfish

Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Myripristis violacea via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

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

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. to come out, as banana fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 72

v.a. to spread abroad; to go everywhere

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 73

n. dried colored grass

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

conj. and

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[inɣej] n. tree

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. herb to 1 m, flowers blue. In transitional zone from pine forest to ’primary’ forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4982)

Example: This is used to treat Ciguatera disease when a person eats fish that is contaminated. Squeeze juice from a handful of leaves of this herb into a cup, add a small amount of water, and drink 1 cup once a day for 3 days, or continue until the person feels better. This illness is a problem on Aneityum with the reef fish. It is better to eat fish that are farther out to sea. This treatment is also used for dogs who eat contaminated fish. Make the same preparation and forcibly pour this in their mouth as they will not drink it willingly. Do this treatment once daily until the dog feels better. The dogs get this illness because they are fed the scraps, especially the bones of the fish, and this is thought to be where the disease is found. This is considered to be a dangerous illness and dogs who get it frequently die.

Scientific name: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. small tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4021)

Scientific name: Astronidium aneityense, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3547)

Example: This plant is for medicine to treat a spiritual condition related to the coral snake that is the seawater spirit. When a woman is pregnant, some times she gets sick, so use this leaf with 2-3 other unspecified leaves and mash them together, squeeze the juice into a small cup (bamboo), wave around the woman’s body, and then put a few drops onto her head and body, then she drinks the rest. This will help heal her sickness. This treatment can be used for men who have a toothache from eating too much fish--the seawater spirit of the coral snake makes the tooth hurt. It is used in the same way as for a pregnant woman. If the pain from the toothache is really from the seawater spirit, then this will cure it; if not, it will not help.

Scientific name: Sophora tomentosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a bamboo flute

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. epiphyte on main trunk (near base) of large tree, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4060)

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus squarrosus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub to 1 m, flower white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4866)

Example: When making a taro patch, and removing soil, add the leaves of this plant to the soil to fertilize the taro, and prevent the bottom part of the taro from rotting. Put a layer of leaves on the bottom of the patch before planting taro and covering with soil.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a convolvulus with white flowers; also "inmauwad ahi"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[inmopon] n. liver

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. rudder for back of canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[intaʧi] n. notches carved into a tree, used as footholds for climbing tree to harvest coconut

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. a hedge; a shelter

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. tree. Growing in village garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #22)

Example: 1. Timber for houses, hard wood. 2. Fruits have a highly desirable nut that is edible when fresh after cracking the fruit. 3. Medicine – 5 young tips, boiled in 3 cups of water, and steam eyes when have conjunctivitis. 1x. 3. Calendar plant – When the leaves turn red and are ready to fall off from the tree – the lobsters are ready to be harvested – best time to harvest lobsters. Firm tasty meat. This was a traditional population management so that lobsters were not harvested year around but only during this season, Oct–Nov, for a month or 1.5 months.

Scientific name: Terminalia catappa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the wicker-work bed (constellation?)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. a flower

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. shrub to 2 m tall, dbh 2 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4996)

Example: This is an ornamental plant, grown around the home. People crush the leaves to enjoy the fragrance released. When bathing, grate coconut meat and crush the leaves of this plant and rub all over the body, before bathing and afterwards your body will smell very nice. To repel mosquitoes, crush these leaves and put them in the house.

Scientific name: Melicope bonwickii, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. herb. Grows on the coast. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #18)

Example: 1. For painful urination - The first way to prepare this it to take four big leaves and pound them with some water to get out the juices and squeeze this into a cup and drink. This can also be given to babies and children. The second way is to take two small leaf tops and two that are slightly larger tops. Chew these leaves and try to swallow all of it, if you can’t swallow the leaves then spit out the fibers and only drink the juice. 2. Calendar plant – when it flowers, turtle has fat in them, hang turtle to dry, fat melts, and can collect and eat it. Past practice – not eaten now. 3. Young parts of leaves can be cooked as a cabbage with coconut milk. 4. Wrap fish, especially those from the sea, with this leaf – first take lap lap leaf, then layer with this leaf, then wrap fish tie with pandanus for cooking on charcoals. Also with reef fish can wrap and cook directly on charcoal. Then eat leaf with the fish. 5. Medicine – top unrolled leaf tips, – new baby put this in his mouth and then take it out again – believe that it will make the baby talkative – 1x only when 1-2 days old. Put tip on tongue – shut mouth for a few seconds then pull it out. 6. Tips of leaves for diarrhea – remove old leaves, take 1 tip for baby, adults 2-3 tips, chew it, swallow juice and spit out fiber. 1x day, 3 days.

Scientific name: Wollastonia biflora, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #5)

Example: 1. To cure spirit sickness of the niteitau. Use plants that also end with "au" : niditau, intoutau, naoyerop. Go to the top of the plant to get the soft leaves of the plants niditau, intoutau, naoyerop, also take the bark. The person making the medicine should be holding the these leaves with a piece of nelmaha. Nelmaha means go away. The sick person chews the leaves and bark and swallows the juice spitting out the fiber into the nelmaha the medicine maker is holding. The medicine person then takes the spit out fiber in the nalmaha leaf and throws it into the sea in front of the village. 2. For a baby that is not doing well, as with malnourished, take 4-5 leaves, put in warm water and wash baby – 1x day for 3 days. 6. Use to make temporary house.

Scientific name: Trema cannabina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3645)

Example: The ripe fruits of this plant are edible and said to be delicious as well as smell very good. When the fruits turn brown and soft you can open it and there will be a shell like an upsidedown turtle shell. You can eat the fruit out. As the fruit smells good, people put a basket of ripe fruits in their homes to give it a good smell. The unripe fruits can be eaten, but only when cooked in an earth oven so it is not sticky. The tree can be used for sawn timber. Can be used for building house, specifically the house posts. Number one timber.

Scientific name: Burckella obovata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. prickly shrub

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 184

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3576)

Example: This plant is used to make a temporary house along the coast. It is considered "namba one" for shade. It is also an unspecified "message plant.

Scientific name: Leucaena forsteri, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. a thistle

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 94

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[nakajaŋ] n. palm of hand

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. shrub, 1. 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3442)

Scientific name: Maesa aneiteensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[napat ireɣpo] n. round clouds that bring rain

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. the skin or rind of food

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

[narasɛn] n. skin

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. native cabbage

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 132

n. shrub, 1. 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3469)

Example: The wood of this species is used to make a spear for fishing. The wood can also be used to make spears for hunting wild pigs.

Scientific name: Tarenna efatensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. herb, growing among stones and rocks at edge of river in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3674)

Example: People say it can remove the power of a love potion.

Scientific name: Hemigraphis reptans, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub to 2 m, flowers greenish white turning to brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4886)

Example: In taller forest, this plant is higher so can use it to make a spear. Sharpen the end or use wires as the tip. Unspecified medicinal use.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus myrianthus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. terrestrial fern, growing in secondary forest along the river. Leaves c. 2. 25 m long. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3656)

Example: Put several leaves of this species together to wrap food, especially the fresh water eel, and to carry plants of taro, kava, holding the leaves over one’s shoulder to carry these crops.

Scientific name: Pronephrium rubrinerve, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3505)

Example: The young leaves are edible, after boiling for 5 minutes. A piece of coconut and a pinch of salt is wrapped in the leaves and eaten. The mature leaves are used to wrap food such as pig or cow meat and cooked in an earth oven. Tie this bundle with a piece of Pandanus fiber to secure it before putting in the earth oven. Both the green and ripe fruits are edible.

Scientific name: Ficus storckii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. sparsely branched small tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3209)

Example: The fruit is edible when ripe and when it is younger can be eaten with salt. The young leaves are eaten raw, after being rubbed with coconut meat and salt. Cover pork to be cooked in the oven with the leaves of this plant, tie them on with a rope made from Pandanus leaf and put taro on the fire as well. The oily part of the pig will mix with the taro and enhance its flavor.

Scientific name: Ficus scabra, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3487)

Example: 1. To cure spirit sickness of the niteitau. Use plants that also end with "au" : niditau, intoutau, naoyerop. Go to the top of the plant to get the soft leaves of the plants niditau, intoutau, naoyerop, also take the bark. The person making the medicine should be holding the these leaves with a piece of nelmaha. Nelmaha means go away. The sick person chews the leaves and bark and swallows the juice spitting out the fiber into the nelmaha the medicine maker is holding. The medicine person then takes the spit out fiber in the nalmaha leaf and throws it into the sea in front of the village. 2. Edible fruits, when ripe or green, does not taste when green, but sweet when ripe. 3a. Leaves (young) are edible, for example wrap around coconut meat and eat or cook with island cabbage and other leaves, boil and add coconut milk and eat. 3b. The young leaves are edible, after boiling for 5 minutes. A piece of coconut and a pinch of salt is wrapped in the leaves and eaten. The mature leaves are used to wrap food such as pig or cow meat and cooked in an earth oven. Tie this bundle with a piece of Pandanus fiber to secure it before putting in the earth oven. 4. During big feast, use this a lot – circumcison or wedding feast, harvest leaves and wrap around meat and bake on earth oven – sometimes we cut down a whole tree to gather leaves. 5. To make men’s custom belt – split stem, peel outer bark off to take inner bark and peel it, tear end to make strap that can be tied. Dry in sun but not direct sunlight. 6. Older large trunks were burned by ancestors to keep fire going – did not need matches (lefre(?) matches) because embers would stay for days and when make a fire add smaller branches to make a flame.

Scientific name: Ficus scabra, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. canoe rudder

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a light wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #21)

Example: 1. To cure spirit sickness of the niteitau. Use plants that also end with "au" : niditau, intoutau, naoyerop. Go to the top of the plant to get the soft leaves of the plants niditau, intoutau, naoyerop, also take the bark. The person making the medicine should be holding the these leaves with a piece of nelmaha. Nelmaha means go away. The sick person chews the leaves and bark and swallows the juice spitting out the fiber into the nelmaha the medicine maker is holding. The medicine person then takes the spit out fiber in the nalmaha leaf and throws it into the sea in front of the village. 2. To cure headaches casued by bad spirit - Take one top from Nelmaha and one from inrowod (white stripe variety) Combine and chew these then spit them out and apply to the sick persons forehead. 3. 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. 4. To cure toothache when pregnant - Take the inner bark from Intejed and boil it in a pot of seawater (about 1 liter) along with 2 leaves from each of inpounatmas, narayag, nahayag, and nelmaha. Boil until juice is visibly leaving the plants. Put this water into your mouth and hold it there for 2-3 minutes. Do this this with one cup in the morning, 1 cup in the afternoon, and 1 cup in the evening. 5. Used to fight against black magic in an unspecified way. 6. Roll leaf and put in pocket for protection when walk in a new area. 7. Message plant if a land dispute – if a person puts this stem or leaf in another’s garden whom they are angry with it means go away!! 8. To treat sick people, especially who fall ill from black magic to save their life. Symptoms vary, for example a person with small boils over body,* a person chews the leaf and spits it on the sick person, 1x and then puts the branch with leaves near the sick person when they sleep – 3x (1x day) branch is ca. 25cm long. (*headache, severe)

Scientific name: Ficus littoralis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. small tree. Found in the village, but not cultivated. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #17)

Example: 1. Ancestors used this plant to make fish line – cut young branches, remove outer bark and tie together, put in salt water or fresh water for a week, it is now strong, dry in sun, take fibers and twist them together to make a very long fishing line. 2. Leaves are used to feed pigs. 3. Take inner bark, scrape it and put on boils. Attach with any leaf and it takes out the boil. 4. Trunk for temporary bush house.

Scientific name: Pipturus argenteus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb to 1 m, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4892)

Example: If a person is coming to a "new" village, e.g. not their own, and they have a branch in their hand, it means that they are coming in peace and not trying to harm anyone else in the new village. Or if they are asking for something that might be found in the new village, they hold the branch of this species and pass it to a person from that village so they will accept you.

Scientific name: Sida cordifolia, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3666)

Scientific name: Dysoxylum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. liana, on Polyscias cissodendron (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3457)

Example: 1. Macerate the young stems, remove the outer "skin" to release the odor of the stem and weave into a head garland for decoration. 2. People use it as a headdress. This is a male plant, ancestors used both male and female wrapped together for the headdress. Man would put this on head to attract a woman that he liked. Be careful when you are passing other women who will be attracted to the wearer – so the person can’t speak to them so he can focus on the one he is attracted to.

Scientific name: Alyxia stellata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. tree, 8-10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4141)

Scientific name: Ficus obliqua, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Brassy chub, lowfin drummer

Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Kyphosus vaigiensis via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. Bluefin trevally (male) (reef fish)

Example: Photo by Jan Messersmith, License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Caranx melampygus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. black palm (RPV #216)

Scientific name: Cyathea lunulata, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. a species of fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

[niaŋa ra ʊpsiʤman] n. fingernails (many)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. frankincense

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 152

[nija] n. cup for bait

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. the holes in a coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

n. terrestrial fern, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4121)

Example: 1. The name means "fish gill". When one acquires a culture-bound illness, caused by possesion of the sea devil, this plant is used to prepare a remedy. Further information about the illness and remedy withheld.

Scientific name: Schizaea dichotoma, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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, textit{Cyathea sp}, which is considered the black one.

Scientific name: Cyathea

n. fern to 0. 75 m, sori brown. growing along trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4972)

Example: The fronds of this fern are used to wrap sting ray and shark meat, which have a great deal of moisture in them, for cooking on the earth overn. Wrap the fronds (leaves) around the meat and tie with a Pandanus string. Because they are not thick, broad, entire leaves, but rather have many places in them where water can drain out during the cooking process, it is said that these leaves are much better for preparing these two types of fish, as well as any other meat that contains a great deal of moisture. For cooking on the earth over, put these wrapped foods on top of any other leaves so that they do not touch the hot stones directly, and then cover with other leaves as well. Then place the hot stones on top of these wrapped meats.

Scientific name: Pneumatopteris, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a bunch of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. orchard

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 169

n. grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. Thumbprint emperor, blackspot emperor

Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

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

n. species of vine runner; a basket net

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. Convict surgeonfish, convict tang

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

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4753)

Scientific name: Arytera neoebudensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. cliff

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 135

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3532)

Example: This is a foreign tree, rare on Aneityum

Scientific name: Chrysobalanus icaco, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the south-south-west wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

[ovan] adj. strong

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. maize

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 164

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. Pickhandle barracuda

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

Scientific name: Sphyraena jello via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. first quarter of the moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

v.a. to take off sprouts of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110