An example search has returned 100 entries
-ko
affix yonder; away from
bookmarkinceimu
n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3464)
Example: This is a sacred plant. The wood is used for rafters in house building. To plant taro, take an 8 cm diameter stick, sharpen it and use to make holes for planting. The stick is as long as needed for a person to stand while making the hole.
bookmarkincet edwa
incetceianalañ
incowos
n. herb to 1. 5 m, flowers white with pink tips. Growing on sandy path along coastal walk to ute. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4989)
Example: The leaves of this plant are used to finish the ridge of the house roof. Lay the leaves horzontally on top of the roof, and the sides of the roof are thatched with palms or grass. Layer 10 leaves on top of each other to enable this part of the roof (known as nitjintiniom) to last for a long time--perhaps up to 6 years. If this is used on the top of a roof where there is a fire burning, such as a kitchen, and this leaf gets a lot of smoke, it can last much longer a the top of the roof--perhaps 10 years or more.
bookmarkinhosumeljag ~ nu inhosumeljag
inlepei u inpoded
inmayinepad
n. Squaretail coralgrouper
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinmoijeuv adpoig
inta
intaig apig
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintal has
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinvid
n. two days ago or two days hence
bookmarkinwaj
n. Hound needlefish, crocodile long-tom
Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinwoapeñ
leyei cap
n. kind of taro
bookmarknagagnit
n. Harlequin sweetlips, many-spotted sweetlips
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknahar
n. species of pine
bookmarknaheñ
namaka
namlau
n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3485)
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.
bookmarknapojev
n. sparsely branched tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3493)
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.
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napudve
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknasjiñao
natutahut
n. grass to 10 cm, seeds brown. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4945)
Example: To make a baby strong, burn the leaves and rhizome, take the ashes and rub on the baby’s arms, knees, legs. Makes them strong, healthy and able to walk. Use after the child is given a bath. 1-4 years old, and it will help. Can use every day after bathing.
bookmarknau hos
n. a kind of bamboo (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #25)
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. To make house walls cut to length desired break stems into straps and weave ??. 3. Use stem to cook foods. 4. Container for carrying water. 5. Take tips and tie together and make a torch to go fishing on the reef, walk with the torch – this is a current practice in the East side. 6. Can cut a piece about 1’ long and sharpen edge and use to skin a green banana. 7. Traditional medicine – can use a small segment as a sort of container to carry the traditional medicine to the patient – for example when prepare a sea snake for remedy, or any medicine – to carry it. 8. Used as a container to preserve seeds such as corn, cucumber, beans and is covered with coconut fiber and put near (above?) the fire where it is dry, and the smoke from the fire will keep insects from attacking the seeds.
bookmarknauhwa
n. kind of tree
bookmarknauwau
n. a bulrush; a flag
bookmark
neaig ahi
n. a white coconut
bookmarknecemas
n. terrestrial plant, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3509)
Example: This is a "message plant" that signifies that there has been a death. The person holds it or puts it on their head, goes to another person’s house and hands it to the person they wish to convey the message to, without saying anything and that person knows that someone has died. It can also be handed to that person. The person receiving the message then asks "who" and is told the deceased person’s name.
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necñanpaeñ
necñap̃it cei
nedjap
n. kind of tree
bookmarknedwonomo
nefelelicai
n. grass; weeds; thistle
bookmarknejeg tau
nejomti
nepekhau
nese uinman
n. tree to 3 m tall, 20 cm dbh (collection: Michael J. Balick #4869)
Example: To treat toothaches, take a handful of leaves, boil them in 1 cup of water, take the warm liquid and leaves and wash or rinse the affected area as needed until pain resolves. The wood is used for carving and is yellowish in color. The stems are used to secure the outrigger to a traditional canoe.
bookmarknethokin
n. a poisonous plant used to stupefy fish; also "netokin"
bookmarkniditau
n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4867)
Example: Fruits are sweet and edible when ripe. This plant is an indicator of rich soil, a good place to plant one’s garden. The leaves of this species are mixed in with other leaves for an unspecified local medicine that helps to remove spiritual sickness
bookmarknidnaiñ
niducai
n. kind of tree
bookmarknijcel
n. tree, 10-12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4061)
Example: 1. When cooking "Naura" (freshwater prawns), the leaves are used to wrap them before they are roasted in a fire. 2. When making lap-lap (a traditional dish made of grated root crops), and the lap-lap leaf is unavailable (Heliconia sp.), use the large leaf of this species to wrap the taro.
bookmarknimra an napau
n. the Magellanic Clouds
bookmarknipʧinite
nisasin
n. ray of light in the morning
bookmarknitatel (a nelco)
nohwai vaine mese
n. raisin
bookmarknomotmot ijis
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknugnyin jap
n. the ebbing tide
bookmarknuka
n. leaves for an oven
bookmarknumnava
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknumrinhou
n. Humpback red snapper, paddletail
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknup̃ut
nädoiatmas
nähiväing
n. Macaranga dioca
Example: Inner bark: bathe in cold infusion, wounds. Mix heated over fire and taken out during sunset. Healer clenches the package in his fist, then gently punches the patients left, then right knee, then his forehead and finally squeezes over his head, migraine a
bookmarknäüsärop
n. unidentified species
Example: Fresh leaves: special Kastom ceremony used to treat severe abdominal pain during pregnancy
bookmark
ucsalad tiklai cai
v.a. to lop off small branches
bookmarkuriicai
adj. made of branches
bookmarkyasua
n. kind of taro
bookmarkThere are currently 2431 entries, 1543 audio files, and 860 images.
All content copyright © Aneityum community. (2015)
Talking Dictionary produced by K. David Harrison, Gregory D. S. Anderson and Jeremy Fahringer. Botanical consultants: Michael J. Balick, Gregory M. Plunkett and Sean Thackurdeen. (2015-2018)
Aneityum language contributors include Kirk Keitadi, Tony Keith, Titiya Lalep, David Nasauman, Osiani Nerian, Ruben Nerian, Chris Nevehev, Romario Yaufati and others as credited within the dictionary entries. Based in part on materials from Inglis, John (1882) A Dictionary of the Aneityumese Language: In Two Parts. I. Aneityumese and English. II. English.
The Aneityum-English Talking Dictionary was made possible by award no. 1555675 from National Science Foundation for “Collaborative Research: Plant, Fungal and Linguistic Diversity of Tafea Province, Vanuatu.” This support is gratefully acknowledged.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
All rights reserved. Do not distribute or reproduce without permission.
how to cite:
K. David Harrison. 2015.
Aneityum Talking Dictionary.
Swarthmore College.
http://www.talkingdictionary.org/aneityum
Interface and database design under the direction of Jeremy Fahringer and Swarthmore College ITS.
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