An example search has returned 100 entries
aiyu
adj. sweet; shady
bookmarkaj
[aj] v. fly
bookmarkared numta
v. to plant taro
bookmarkaridjai
v.a. to ascend, to go up
bookmarkeceliek
adj. a second growth as of taro
bookmarkemilmat
adj. green, blue
bookmarketti
v. to split leaves
bookmarkigcapahai
adj. inland
bookmarkinceslum
n. vegetables; herbs, as taro, bananas; every vegetable planted for food
bookmarkincispev
n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3547)
Example: This plant is for medicine to treat a spiritual condition related to the coral snake that is the seawater spirit. When a woman is pregnant, some times she gets sick, so use this leaf with 2-3 other unspecified leaves and mash them together, squeeze the juice into a small cup (bamboo), wave around the woman’s body, and then put a few drops onto her head and body, then she drinks the rest. This will help heal her sickness. This treatment can be used for men who have a toothache from eating too much fish--the seawater spirit of the coral snake makes the tooth hurt. It is used in the same way as for a pregnant woman. If the pain from the toothache is really from the seawater spirit, then this will cure it; if not, it will not help.
bookmarkincri u injanowancei cap
inloptiri
n. shrub. Found in the village Unames. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #32)
Example: 1. To cure when the anus falls out - Pound together 1 braches worth of inpalcapnesgin leaves and of both inloptiri (2-4 leaves, any age), also take the inner bark of nekeaitimi and nakhe. Put this into your hand, or another leaf and give it to the person to use it. This should be applied to the anus whenever the anus comes out. USed to use a clam shell to extract the bark but not anymore.
bookmarkinmejcop
inmeraducai
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinpig
n. today
bookmarkinta
intaig um has
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintelecha
n. terrestrial orchid, growing in open area at edge of forest (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3480)
Example: This plant is a "message flower." If a person puts this flower behind their ear or in their hat, and looks at another person, it is an invitation to that person to go with you to the nakamal. Or a man invites a woman to go somewhere with him. Alternatively, you can leave the flower on a table and this is also a message to go with a person. Leaves also used to wrap foods. Decorate yard around the house.
bookmarkintinan mese
n. dry land planted
bookmarkinwah
n. food or seed of all sorts; the juice of any plant
bookmarkitu acen
adv. a long time ago
bookmarklelceije
v.n. to walk abroad
bookmarkleucen
adj. ripe, as taro
bookmarkna elmai
n. cloth (related to nelmai)
bookmarknacigaces
nala
nalgaj
nalmupeñ
nalvimtinjap
n. a light wind; the beginning of a wind
bookmarknamlau
namop
n. kind of tree
bookmarknapleaig
n. kind of tree
bookmarknarasitai
n. chaff
bookmarknarpomyiv
narutu arari
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarknasjiñaho
nau
n a plant, with upright clumping. (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 4young leaves of nafanu and mash and squueze 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
bookmarknecna p̃a
n. Largescale mullet
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknecsap̃
n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3534)
Example: This tree has very hard wood. 1. Use the small stems to plant dry land or swamp taro, sharpening the end and pushing it into the ground to make a hole. 2. It also is useful for fence, posts for houses. 3. Small stems are also used to make a comb for the hair. 4. Plant pole for taro kava. 5. A branch is shaped and used to husk coconut. 6. The wood is hard and in ancient times people would take a forked piece and put string on one side of it, sharpen the other side and use with the string as a fish hook – need to keep rope tight until it is in the canoe. Do not give it slack – strong use AAM 17.
bookmarknepjenepjen
n. epiphytic vine climbing on trees, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4091)
Example: 1. When a child is between 1 mos. and 1 yr. if the father persists too soon in resuming sexual relations with the mother, the child can become sick. In preparation for the sickness, green leaves are collected. When the sickness occurs, the leaves (now dry) are burned and the baby is washed with the charcoal. 2. After visitors leaves one’s house, one must not hurry to return to their gardens. One waits a few days, then swims with the rachis of this fern tied about their waist. If this practice is not followed, it is believed that the plants in one’s gardens will grow weak.
bookmarknerid u uncat
n. the tow of flax
bookmarknethopdecraeñ
netvo
n. a species of fruit
bookmarknigiti
nihivaeñ aeyec
n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3213)
Example: 1. When a person has a headache from being out in the sun too long, scrape the outer bark off of the stem of this tree, take scrapings of the inner bark, wrap with a leaf of breadfruit and put in a fire for 15-20 minutes. Not a hot fire, but only in the flame. Squeeze the water out of the bark when it is warm and rub all over the forehead and face to help the headache go away. 2. Use the stems of this tree as a stick to carry taro from the field, as the stick is strong but not too heavy. The taro is tied to each end to balance on a person’s shoulders. 3. Leaf used for wrapping local medicines. This is the best leaf and put it on the charcoal to heat it. 4. Good firewood.
bookmarknijcel
n. tree, 7-8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3587)
Example: 1. If the preferred banana leaves are not available to wrap food for cooking, then use young leaves of this species and tie taro and fish for cooking. 2. Use leaves to wrap fresh water prawns and fresh water fish and cook them on charcoal. Use as a cup by making funnel out of leaf and drink from it. 3. Used for unspecified ritual activities.
bookmarknimtac
n. kind of tree
bookmarkninja
nispeheñ
n. sparsely branched tree, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3628)
Example: This plant is used to make a grass skirt for women. There are two different methods decribed. In the first, collect the leaves, tear off 1/2 of the leaf and pleat the halves. Then dry these in the sun by hanging them from the midrib. After they are dry, weave them into a skirt. In the second, take one leaf at a time, tear the leaf down the center and throw away the midrib. The soft part is used in making the skirt by holding a piece of twine between your toes and under your armpit. Weave the length of the twine with the leaf. The let the pieces to dry in the sun for 2-3 days. The skirt can be thrown in the sea before drying to make the skirt white. Bark of inhao is usually used as twine. Retted strips of leaves, later sun dried, can be used to make pillows. When dogs or humans have fish poisoning this plant can help. Take 2 leaves and pound them (use 1 leaf for dogs) and mix with 1/4 cup of water. no further instructions given. (OR - Leaves to cure ciguatera, chew 1 leaf and swallow juice and spit out fiber. Or extract juice into a cup to drink 1x. Give juice + water in cup for dog that is sick.) There is also a belief that you can use the whole stem of this plant as a digging spade to plant sugarcane so the sugarcane is soft and sweet.
bookmarknisʧi
niʧin neiang
nomotan
n. Spangled emperor
Example: Photo by Richard Ling, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknopugei
nowyeyang
n. shrub to 2 m tall, flowers pink (collection: Michael J. Balick #4955)
Example: The tubers of this variety are sweet, not bitter and are eaten after cooking. The young leaves are eaten after boiling in water until they are soft, either plain or cooked in soup. It is important to only harvest and prepare the young leaves in this way, as the older leaves will not get soft even after cooking. The young leaves are used to cover the top layer of the earth oven, on top of the stones that comprise the upper layer of the earth oven.
bookmarknuhialeg upni
nuhujcei
n. liana, climbing on Garcinia tree (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3585)
Example: 1. When the stems of this plant are older, and it is a vine, is used to tie thatch on roof rafters as it bends well. 2. Burned leaves and rubbed on fishing line and spear to increase catch – used with other unspecified leaves, that are forageable. When you are fishing and if you set a basket or mat it means danger and you have to return to shore – the spirit is telling you that it is enough fishing.
bookmarknupsinhodaeñ
näüsärop
n. unidentified species
Example: Fresh leaves: special Kastom ceremony used to treat severe abdominal pain during pregnancy
bookmarkucsalad tiklai cai
v.a. to lop off small branches
bookmarkunasuandan
upuhas
v.n. to sprout
bookmark


