Aneityum

v. cut

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[aɣes noraŋitei] phr. sing a song

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. beat coconut fiber

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

v.n. go though, as the land

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

v. to plant weeds; to make a wilderness or a waste

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 56

[ala] num. five

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. island of breadfruit

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. sunset

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

adj. made of branches

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. unripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 196

v.a. to spread abroad; to go everywhere

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 73

v. to fish (by torchlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to peel off bark

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 75

phr. I am quite useless

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. last quarter of moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 78

[eseʧ] num. three

Speaker: David Nasauman

[et at̚pu an] phr. he is hiding

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et emθan] phr. he is strong

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to grow again, as hair, feathers, plants; to come out, as teeth

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

v.n. to sail

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

phr. on that side

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

n. an old coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

n. the name of a native plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

[inhɛlɛk] n. my penis

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. a rainbow

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. the afternoon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. pendent lithophyte, growing on rock in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4036)

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus carinatus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Foxface

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

Scientific name: Siganus vulpinus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Euodia hortensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. species of banyan

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. traditional broom

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[intas] language

n. Longspine emperor

Example: Photo by Museum of New Zealand / Te Papa Tongarewa, License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

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

n. a flower

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. herb, growing on roadside in open disturbed area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3605)

Example: 1a. This is an invasive weed that was brought to Aneityum by aircraft. Name means "aircraft mess". 1b. Means “planes waste” refers to white trails as this has lots of white seeds that fly.

Scientific name: Crassocephalum crepidioides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[intohoɣ] n. shell (for making music)

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016. see more on Youtube

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. terrestrial orchid, growing in dense rainforest. buds greenish. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4112)

Example: 1. The name means "white hair". It is not known why that is the case.

Scientific name: Calanthe chrysantha, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. the day before yesterday

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. seed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 182

n. Synedrella nodiflora

Example: leaf rubbed in hands for toothache

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

[kijamoʊ] n. Aneityum island (Polynesian loanword)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. grass to 1 m, flowers purplish (collection: Michael J. Balick #4935)

Example: This grass is planted to protect a person’s farm from being affected by evil spirits.

Scientific name: Chrysopogon aciculatus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

adj. yes, good

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

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. mid-day, noon

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[naɣai milmat] n. before sun comes up, just light enough to see green toward the east looking down from a hill, "green place"

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Orange-spotted emperor, yellowtail emperor

Example: Photo by FAO / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

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

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. chicken feathers

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Glochidion ramiflorum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nanaθ] n. shrub, 2-3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3455)

Example: Fertilizer, take fresh leaves and put in area where plant taro.

Scientific name: Psychotria milnei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. well branched tree, 14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3651)

Example: Poles made from this plant are used for house rafters and burned for firewood. To plant taro in a swampy area, collect the leaves of this species and put them in the hole where the taro is to be planted, mix with a bit of soil and then plant the taro on top of that. Leaves are a type of fertilizer. Used when baking with the earth oven. Hot stones cover the food and then the leaves from this plant cover the stones. The leaves stay on the branch.

Scientific name: Polyscias cissodendron, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. shrub to 3 m, flowers yellow with red outer coverings (appearing red when closed) (collection: Michael J. Balick #4957)

Example: This plant is used to fertilize fields, especially by growing it in fields that have been used for other crops for a very long time. The seeds can be cooked when dry and hard, boiled in water, or eaten directly without preparation when green and soft.

Scientific name: Cajanus cajun, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. the north-east wind; also "nathau an jap"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. bamboo to 5 m, sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4940)

Example: Used to build walls of local houses. The outer skin is stripped off, stems cut in half then smashed flat, the inside is stripped clean and woven into walls. The cut pieces of entire stems can be filled with food and used for cooking that food. Cover both ends with leaves and cook. If a person has skin that becomes infected, use sharpened stem as a local knife to remove the infected area of skin. Use as a local water pipe to move water from one place to another (nobol). Either split the stem in half or punch the nodes out throughout the entire tube and use as a pipe.

Scientific name: Bambusa vulgaris, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. treelet, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3622)

Example: People use the leaf of this plant to tie over grated banana, taro or other foods for cooking in an earth oven or boiling in a pot. The root of this species is edible. Cook it for 2-3 nights in an earth oven and then chew and squeeze the juice into your mouth, spitting out the fiber. It is a survival food.

Scientific name: Cordyline fruticosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 5-6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3449)

Example: 1. Wood used for roof rafters. 2. Leaves of this plant can be used to cover an earth oven while baking food. 3. Name means bird footprint.

Scientific name: Plerandra actinostigma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nɛθoʊn] n. mountain

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[nɛlʝo] n. canoe

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. traditional canoe

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island. see more on Youtube

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nenes] n. fiber for kava

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. trees, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3473)

Example: 1. This species is excellent for firewood as it gives off less smoke than other types of wood. 2. The wood is good for making roof rafters on which to tie thatch. 3. Use this for planting pole, for taro, cane, and kava.

Scientific name: Alstonia vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. coconuts used for sea fermentation

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. sap

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 182

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[nija] n. cup for bait

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. the castor-oil plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. the holes in a coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

n. wooden dish

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[niriθ] n. gills

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. terrestrial fern on forest floor, growing in disturbed forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3482)

Example: People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill." For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nap̃at) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

Scientific name: Schizaea dichotoma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial fern, growing in primary rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3614)

Example: People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill."

Scientific name: Schizaea dichotoma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3627)

Scientific name: Polyalthia nitidissima, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

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

[noporo pora] n. coconut basket

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of edible root

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. plain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 172

n. meadow

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 165

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4762)

Scientific name: Melodinus glaber, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a bunch of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. inland

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 159

adv. down here; also "sime"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

adj. ripe early in the season

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

adv. after

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi