Aneityum

[aɣes noraŋitei] phr. sing a song

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. tempestuous at sea

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 48

n. white (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

pro. you

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[amai neto] phr. chew sugarcane

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[amŋi kava] phr. drink kava

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. time; weather; day; morning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 61

v. cover up

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. sail without making headway

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

adj. afar

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

v. to fish (by torchlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[et atut] phr. is running

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. beat coconut fiber

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

v. to sharpen the point of a reed like a spear

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

v.n. to go

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4108)

Scientific name: Cupaniopsis leptobotrys, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. tree. Growing in village garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #19)

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.

Scientific name: Sophora tomentosa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. wild ginger (RPV #180)

Scientific name: Hornstedtia scottiana, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. first fruits

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[inmejcop] n. Swamp Harrier

Example: Photo by birdsaspoetry / Flickr, License: CC BY-SA-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Circus approximans, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[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. 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. 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

[inwerijweɪ] n. boards (pl)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. Bluespine unicornfish

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

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

n. mouth of a river

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 167

n. pungent scrub, island musk (RPV #101)

Scientific name: Evodia hortensis, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

conj. but

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. herb growing to 2 m tall, flower white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4974)

Example: Put the leaf in seawater for two months, this will rett t he fibers. Then collect the fibrous strings and dry them in the sun, and use them for weaving. In the past this plant fiber was used to make rope but not at present.

Scientific name: Agave sisalana, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. tree to 5 m, fdby 35 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4979)

Example: The fruits are edible and ripen during November-December. The leaves can be boiled as a medicine. If a person has a hoarse voice, boil 4 or or a few more leaves in 1 liter of water. Cool the mixture and drink once daily until the voice returns to normal. The trunk of this tree is good for timber, as it is a very hard wood. But a productive tree is not cut for timber--only the wild mangos that have flowers and small fruits that do not ripen; these trees are cut for timber. This particular tree, "Mango Amgie" bears fruit with a great deal of fiber, so the name refers to the "mango that you drink." Amgie means "drink" in the Aneityum language. There is another variety of mango, "Mango Cig" that means the mango that you eat. It has a little fiber but good fleshy fruits. This species is introduced from outside of Aneityum.

Scientific name: Mangifera indica, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. herb to 1 m, fruits green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4915)

Example: This plant was said to have been brought in by the early missionaries, used to starch their clothes and grown as a crop for export to England. Used as a food crop as well, the root is mashed, dried in the sun and kept until needed. To process, put the roots in a bowl, add water and soak for 1 day and night, pour off the water and keep the starch. Prepare this food like lap-lap that is cooked on a fire in a pan.

Scientific name: Tacca leontopetaloides, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

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. a blossom; the spathe of a coconut used as light; also "nafaketa"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 94

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4066)

Example: 1. Young saplings are used to prepare a fishing spear. First a straight sapling is chosen and sized. Then it is heated over a fire to render it pliable. After the length is straightened, it is decorticated. Once cooled, a portion of wire can be affixed to an end to aid in spearing fish.

Scientific name: Pavetta opulina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. low-growing, creeping vine growing in grassy area just inland from coastal strand. Flowers purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3224)

Example: Long time ago used seeds to make necklaces, don’t last long.

Scientific name: Canavalia rosea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. isle, island

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 160

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. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3538)

Example: The straight young stems of this plant are used to make bows and arrows. The larger stems are used to make house posts. Excellent for coastal areas as the wood is strong. Firewood.

Scientific name: Premna corymbosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. bean

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

n. the juice of the breadfruit tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. grass; little bushes

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. a reed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

[naʊintin] n. bowels

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. shrub, somewhat scandent (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3443)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[neθeɣ] n. Collared Kingfisher

Example: Photo by JJ Harrison, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific name: Todiramphus chloris, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. a small gray berry used as beads

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3271)

Example: Used as a leaf compost for planting taro, layered on the bottom of the hole and covering the taro as well.

Scientific name: Melicope triphylla, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a bone, a foot

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

[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. Bluespot mullet

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

Scientific name: Moolgarda seheli via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. a species of poisonous tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3514)

Example: 1. The wood is strong and good to make house posts. People use these for this purpose on the coast as salt water does not bother this wood. 2. People eat fruit, split fruit in half, carefully scrape the inner part into a pot of water, keep over night – next day rinse, fry or cook with coconut milk and can add tinned tuna for example, very hard work.

Scientific name: Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial fern, growing on rocky area in secondary forest above the river. Leaves c. 3 m long. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3654)

Example: The leaf is wrapped around the head as an adornment by both men and women. If a person gets burned by a fire, scrape the petiole of this plant and squeeze juice on the wound to cool and heal it. Use as long as needed. The ancestors are said to have cooked the stump of this plant in an earth oven, over 2-3 nights, and then ate it. It is said to have no taste but was more of a famine food during periods of drought.

Scientific name: Angiopteris evecta, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to 4 m, fruits green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4987)

Example: This leaf is used as the upper layer of leaves on the earth oven. If the leaves of #4986 are in short supply, people cover the first layer of stones in the earth oven with these. The stems of this plant are used as tinder to light fires. The seeds are poisonous.

Scientific name: Ricinus communis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nepiŋ upni] phr. Good night. (greeting after sundown, last time to walk on the beach)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. strangler tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3694)

Scientific name: Ficus obliqua, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. green pandanus leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 170

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. a fresh coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. the name of a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. balsam; resin

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127, 178

n. tree to 4 m, dbh 6 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4992)

Example: The stems of this plant are good for making temporary houses in the bush. When used as firewood, the stems are said to "hold the fire," meaning they burn a long time, even all night so in the morning the fire can be restarted by adding kindling. This wood is said to be good when a person has no matches, as the fire can be restarted easily. Young leaves of this species can be wrapped around ground coconut and eaten raw. The young leaves can also be boiled in water for 15 minutes, coconut milk added, and eaten with tubers such as cassava. The young leaves can be wrapped around beef or pork, tied with a string from Pandanus and cooked in the earth oven.

Scientific name: Ficus storckii (or wassa), Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree fern, 2-3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4100)

Example: 1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the black one. See GMP #4102, Cyathea sp, which is considered the white one.

Scientific name: Cyathea decurrens, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 1-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3555)

Example: This plant is an aphrodisiac. Eat with coconut meat to make the body strong. Take 1/2 handful of leaves and mix with coconut leaves, use as needed. Mostly men eat this combination. It is best to eat with dry coconut that has no water in it. Eat it any time you wish.

Scientific name: Pemphis acidula, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

[niʧɛn asŋa] n. teeth (all)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

[nikmesej] n. blue sky

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. branch (tender)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 130

n. kind of seashell

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Blue-spotted stingray

Example: Photo by Richard Ling / Flickr.com, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Neotrygon kuhlii, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. epiphytic fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4043)

Scientific name: Microsorum grossum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Blue-lined large-eye bream

Example: Photo by Jean-Lou Justine / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

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

n. kind of palm

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. the early morning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. shoots of taro for planting

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

n. non-fish creatures in the sea

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nʊpsiʤman] n. finger (gen.)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. new moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

adj. angry

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[ritastas ara] phr. they are talking

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. cry

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. Marattia smithii

Example: Frond: bathe in infusion, neurodermatitis and infantile eczema

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442