An example search has returned 100 entries
apig
adj. black
bookmarkcustard apple
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.
bookmarkehyiyihi
v. to teaze, as cotton; also "ehyeiyihi"
bookmarkesei cai
n. forest trees
bookmarkevehel
n. light winds
bookmarkfetofeto
idi
adj. stringy, watery, as taro; also "ede"
bookmarkigcapok
n. seaward
bookmarkimehei
n. pandanus leaf
bookmarkincet edwa
incoujahao
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."
bookmarkinhau
n. kind of tree
bookmarkinhupau
injuki
n. the afternoon
bookmarkinlepei
n. native petticoat
bookmarkinmadidi
n. tree to 7 m, dbh 30 com (collection: Michael J. Balick #4870)
Example: This plant is used for spiritual purposes. When fruits are young, the children take the fruit, cut it open and take coconut leaf midribs, impaling the seeds on the midribs and painting themselves with the fruit.
bookmarkinmahim nakowai
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinpa
n. shrub, 1. 25 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3525)
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. This plant is used in kastom ceremonies. For a peace ceremony, if there is an argument, then this leaf is used to make peace between the parties. For many ceremonies, put on top of taro, kava or food pile, . For peace ceremony, when a person has food in an offering, give a branch of this plant to the other party to symbolize that the conflict is over. It is a "message plant" that conveys a meaning that people do not have to say out loud. When a stranger walks through a village with this plant in his or her hand, people know there is no threat or problem. When a young man first shaves, people give him a necklace of this plant. In the old days, hair was pulled out of young men, now people use razor blades.
bookmarkinran
n. a branch
bookmarkinranwai
n. a brook that is dry in summer
bookmarkinrokdania
n. epiphyte on trees, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4093)
Example: 1. Sickness blo namya. When a man accidentally has intercourse with a woman during her menstrual cycle, he can become sick. The leaves are squeezed, along with others, to produce an extraction. The dose and duration varies according to the degree of the symptoms. Further information about the preparation withheld.
bookmarkintesjao
intijgejei
n. Whitespotted surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkintinan nopoi
n. the wicker-work bed (constellation?)
bookmarkinwaj
Reef needlefish, Reef longtoms
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinyapwit
n. kind of tree
bookmarkinyehec
n. tree to 7 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4968)
Example: The fruits are edible when they are red. If a person has been drinking kava and the next morning feels hung over, they can take a handful of the leaves of this plant, crush them in cool water, and wash their face with this. This treatment will help the kava feeling to disappear. At the same time, if a person eats the fruit of this tree a few hours in advance of planning to drink kava, they cannot drink kava as it will reduce the effects of the kava. The trunk of this tree can be used to build temporary houses and also it is good for firewood. When the plant is in flower, flying foxes and birds come to drink the nectar and hunters know this so they hunt near this tree.
bookmarkkorari
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.
bookmarkkumnyumoi ilpu hal u
n. the seven stars; the children of Kumnyumoi
bookmarklaknu
masoa
n. arrowroot
bookmarknaceijo
n. half tide when rising
bookmarknahraren nepig
n. dawn of day
bookmarknaiji elcau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknalvara
n. the beginning of cold wind
bookmarknalvimtinjap
n. a light wind; the beginning of a wind
bookmarknarineom
n. hedge
bookmarknarutu arari
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarknauwai
n. kind of banana
bookmarknauyerop
n. tree. Village home garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #9)
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 – this was during the time when people did not have matches and did not need them as the embers of this tree would stay hot for days and when it was time to make a stronger fire, people would add smaller branches to make a flame appear.
bookmarkneaig milmat
n. a green coconut
bookmarknecyak
n. herb to 20 cm, flowers blue. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4922)
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.
bookmarknelm̃ae
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.
bookmarknemdaj
n. Little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish
Example: Photo by Kathleen Kresner-Reyes / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknepahas
n. kind of tree
bookmarknepek cat
netopdecraiñ
n. herb to 45 cm, seeds brown. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4888)
Example: The name of this plant means "division" -- if someone wants to help to destroy your business or home, they put this plant in front of your business or your home and this will help to scatter out your family from where they are living.
bookmarknetumtehi
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknicasau
n. the castor-oil plant
bookmarknidi yebeg
n. Humpback unicornfish
Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknigyi neto
n. the chewed fiber of sugarcane
bookmarknijiga
n. a branch of red coral
bookmarknijom arahed
nijom̃kan
n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3491)
Example: Name means smash tooth. 1. This is part of an unspecified mixture that can be used as a spell to give another person a toothache. 2. Toothache – chew leaves on the sore tooth and leave it there for a while and spit it out – it will break the tooth and you can take it out, leave on 20 minutes.
bookmarknillum
n. a species of seaweed
bookmarknirinat erefera ran
niriyau
n. Goldspotted spinefoot
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkniseuc
n. kind of taro
bookmarknisjau
n. kind of tree
bookmarkniskes
n. Harry hotlips, blubberlip
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknispak
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknitato naretou
noducnas
n. a bunch of taro
bookmarknomotmot mese
n. hay
bookmarknopan
n. a season
bookmarknouraju
n. shrub to 1 m, flowers green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4895)
Example: To make bush ropes, remove outer bark, use to tie things when other ropes are not available. This plant is sour and toxic if the fruits or leaves are eaten. Animals will not eat this plant. The elders teach us not to eat this plant.
bookmarknugnas iran
n. a bunch of taro
bookmarknuhialeg upni
numnava
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknyihivac
n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3263)
Example: 1. A "calendar plant". When this flowers in the bush, and people are making their gardens in that area, it means the garden is ready to harvest. 2. Firewood, calendar, and message plant – for people who live up in the forest can see this coastal plant and when it flowers it is a good time to go fishing or to move to the coastal area for a few weeks to relax. July-August. Tide is low so everything is exposed so it is a good time to fish for there, 2 months. 3. Flowers have a nice nectar, sweet, kids drink.
bookmarkpehpahai
v.n. sail inside of reef
bookmark


