Aneityum

adj. sun just down

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 48

v. remove skin of coconut using a stick

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

baby crawling

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

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

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 56

adj. sweet; shady

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 57

conj. and

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. sunset

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. to weed; to clear land

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 70

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

[dowaŋ nadimi] phr. six men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. to fish (by torchlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. fish poison tree (RPV #57)

Scientific name: Barringtonia asiatica, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. landward

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

n. seaward

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

n. plastic bailer, bottle to get water out of canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1. 5-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3580)

Example: This plant is gathered for firewood. It is said that the fragrance of the flowers is not nice.

Scientific name: Geniostoma rupestre, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a coconut with a sweet husk

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[inŋa] n. Purple Swamphen

Example: Photo by Bernard Spragg, License: Public domain via Flickr

Scientific name: Porphyrio porphyrio, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. shrub to 1 m, flowers yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4960)

Scientific name: Abutilon indicum, Speaker: Tony Keith

[inhɛlɛk] n. my penis

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[inhuleɣ] n. Fan tailed gerygone

Example: Photo by Roger Le Guen, License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Gerygone flavolateralis, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. first fruits

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

[iɲe taθwaɪn anholwas] n. crown of leaves of a particular plant; "tadwain" to put around head; "anholwas" name of particular plant

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. epiphyte on a fallen branch, growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3287)

Scientific name: Huperzia phlegmaria, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. treelet, 1. 75 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4077)

Scientific name: Ixora aneityensis

n. fog or mist

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub. Growing in the village. Cultivated. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #26)

Example: 1a. To stay healthy while pregnant - grate 1 coconut with nekei leaves, about a handfull (8). And 8 inpa leaves and 8 niditau leaves. Pound all of this together and squeeze juice out and bath in this then jump into a clear river to wash it off. 1b. Handful of leaves mashed with grated coconut and put in a shell, heat stones and put in shell, then take hot liquid to rub on body of woman who have just delivered to make their bodies healthy again, back to normal – when they deliver they are in huts, then wash with this and then come out of the huts and rejoin family. 2. Symbolic plant for peace (name means peace). 3. Message plant – put small tips of leaves in hair or make hat out of it and people know you come in peace. 4. When giving a gift, put this leaf on the gift, as in a basket – people wear them they are happy and peaceful – it is symbolic of Aneityumese people – so even when the people leave the island they will grow this plant. 5. People bathe with this leaf, mixed with grated coconut and cover body and hair to smell good and be strong. 6. Mosquito repellant, build fire, put green leaves on top, smoke and aroma chases mosquito away. 7. Take top of leaf with 3 young leaves and put in hair as there is the belief that this plant symbolizes the trinity. So it protects people. If a person from the island goes elsewhere and is faced with black magic they bathe with a handful of leaves, boil them and bathe with the liquid to remove the spell. 8. Decorate people with this leaf day feasts, weddings, and other events – very sacred.

Scientific name: Euodia hortensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. today

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 88

n. unbranched treelet, 1. 25 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3526)

Example: People use the leaves for cooking any ground up food that is cooked on a fire such as manioc or bananas, roasted or boiled in water. Fish can be cooked this way. The roots of this plant can be cooked in an earth oven. These need to be cooked for 2 days or 2 nights, lke a yam. The plant has large roots that are good to eat. Chew like a piece of surgarcane, the taste is sweet like honey. Swallow the juice and spit out the fiber. The roots, once cooked, can be stored for 6 months. In ancient times they were eaten during times when there was no food. This food is said to be able to sustain a person for one day, if eaten in the morning, the person not be hungry until sunset. Today, people eat this plant at festivals, as it is no longer a famine food.

Scientific name: Cordyline fruticosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. Samoan tropical-almond (RPV #29)

Scientific name: Terminalia samoensis, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Spathoglottis petri (RPV #166)

Scientific name: Spathoglottis petri, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the sweet potato

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. liana climbing on large Dillenia tree, growing in primary forest at edge of river. flower white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3677)

Example: If a person is building a temporary house and has no other way of attaching the poles, collect the vine of this species, roll it a bit to break the fiber, heat it in a figure 8 form and then use for tying poles while warm.

Scientific name: Jasminum didymum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[kidibop] n. Grey fantail

Example: Photo by Bernard Spragg, License: Public Domain via Flickr

Scientific name: Rhipidura fuliginosa, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[kuri] n. dog (general)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4767)

Scientific name: Leucaena leucocephala, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[lawoñ] n. Vanuatu Scrubfowl (Used to live here, died out, now only live up north)

Example: Photo by Dubi Shapiro, IBC1406511. Photo of Vanuatu Scrubfowl Megapodius layardi at Palikulo Point, Vanuatu. Accessible on Internet Bird Collection

Scientific name: Megapodius layardi, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. cloth (related to nelmai)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. sparsely to moderately branched tree, 6-8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3220)

Example: 1. Wood is used for carving as it is a nice black wood. 2. Also used for house posts. 3. Use sapwood – cut a piece of wood, long one 1-2 m. Put it in front of the house or take a smaller piece on top of the entrance door – protects against bad spirits.

Scientific name: Thespesia populnea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. lily. Cultivated grows in village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #3)

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. Wrap leaf around fish to cook it on fire, tie with pandanus or any bush, vine. Also used to bake Cyrtosperma merkusii in same way as AAM 1 because it has thick watery leaves. 3. For a person who has been burned by the fire, cut the leaf and drip the sap on the burn to cool it – stops burning feeling. 4. If your joints – elbow, wrist, knee, ankle – feel so cold that they are painful, then heat the leaf on both sides and lay it on painful area. It will take the cold and pain away.

Scientific name: Furcraea gigantea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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. scrambling vine, growing in coastal strand vegetation. Flowers purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3436)

Scientific name: Canavalia rosea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. cotton

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3613)

Example: Used to make small poles for house rafters.

Scientific name: Myristica fatua, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3684)

Example: People on Anietyum carve a kava bowl from the wood of this species, that is unique to this island. It is oblong in shape and has a handle on each side.

Scientific name: Glochidion ramiflorum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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

Scientific name: Maesa aneiteensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 4-5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3542)

Example: Some people use the dried leaves of this plant when there is no tobacco. Roll the leaves and smoke them. This is a good plant to lay under as a shade along the coast. Good firewood. The leaves are used with other leaves as part of a ceremony to calm the sea.* Burn leaves in a special place and toss ashes in the sea – sea will be calm.* When you are paddling to another island. Carry them with you and toss in sea as you go. Also goes with fasting and cleansing when traveling in this way.

Scientific name: Argusia argentea, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. grass. Found along intra village path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #35)

Example: 1. Bath for babies to make them healthy and walk faster, mix with plants WAKAS (AAB 34), NITIDEI (GMP 3658 or 4043), and a grass NATUTAHUT (MJB 4945). Put all in a kettle filled of water and wash them with it – use 1 handful of each leaf.

Scientific name: Digitaria sp., Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. herb, growing on roadside in open disturbed area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3607)

Scientific name: Ischaemum muticum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. grass; little bushes

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

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.

Scientific name: Ficus aspera, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[neɣeɣ] n. crab

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4129)

Scientific name: Semecarpus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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

n. a small gray berry used as beads

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. a bundle of reeds for a torch; a torch

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. the canoe (constellation), or Orion

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. terrestrial, rare (collection: Tom A. Ranker #2486)

Scientific name: Histiopteris incisa

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4127)

Example: 1. This wood can be used to start a fire, where there are no matches. Two dried pieces of wood are rubbed vigorously together to create tinder. The tinder is then added to dried material in order to start a fire. 2. The wood of this plant is used as rafters in traditional houses.

Scientific name: Melochia odorata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nenesanej neijaŋ] n. coconut fiber for kava

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. orange (fruit)

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the pith

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3687)

Scientific name: Meryta neo-ebudica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte on branch of Syzygium tree, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. dry fruits. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3661)

Scientific name: Phreatia hypsorrhynchos, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nijaʊ] n. March (lit. a kind of plant like bamboo but smaller)

Speaker: David Nasauman

[niɣɛn nʊmʊ] n. fish tail

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 4 m tall, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4942)

Example: Wood is strong and light so used to build houses.

Scientific name: Melicope latifolia, 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. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. leaves to put food on

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4776)

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[ninɛhɛn] n. scales

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[nipʧinɛtŋaŋ] n. belly

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. another name for "masoa"; arrowroot

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. coconut leaf

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nitaʔtel] n. stool

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

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. banana (gen.)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. raisin

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 176

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

[nuhialeɣ upni] phr. Good morning. (greeting in early morning, 6 o’clock to 9:30-10 o’clock)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. Grewia inmac

Example: Leaf: infusion taken internally against pain

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442

adj. inland

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 159

n. liana climbing on broken mango tree, growing in forest at edge of wide tidal stream (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3515)

Example: 1. The ripe fruit of this plant is edible. It was introduced to the island and is considered a foreign vine. 2. 4 leaves of this and 4 leaves of Annona muricata and boil in water and let get warm and wash children when they have measles and fever. Edible fruit – very sweet.

Scientific name: Passiflora maliformis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[talpos] adj. very big

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. white sweet potato

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Lined surgeonfish

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

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