An example search has returned 100 entries

a’oh

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[aʔo] phr. no

acrac

baby crawling

alp̃as

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[alk͡pas] adj. big

amjeng

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v. sleep

amlep

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conj. and

anah

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v. to fish (with a net)

apuhod pan nathut an nadiat

n. near morning

aspii

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v. apply (as in oil to skin); paint

atit

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v. tie

custard apple

Children sometimes eat this fruit but it smells bad. Adults do not eat it. An introduced species so there is no local name.

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.

eblaamnem

adj. adjacent

ehtele cei nai

n. full moon

ek amjengina

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[ek amʤeŋina] phr. I am sleeping

gras

n. Oplismenus hirtellus L.

Example: shoot: chewed against cough

ijiñis

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prep. up

inceila

Planchonella
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n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4033)

incelas

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n. kind of crab

incetceianalañ

Children pull up the new young shoots and eat them. You eat the white soft part at the base of the part that comes off when you pull it. See photo.
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n. sedge to 1 m, flowers brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4883)

Example: Children pull up the new young shoots and eat them. You eat the white soft part at the base of the part that comes off when you pull it. See photo.

incilpunehei

Neuburgia corynocarpa
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n. scandent shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3277)

ingejei wou

1. The straight poles of this plant are sharpened and used to plant kava, and only for kava. Not used for planting other crops. 2. Special for catching eels in fresh water, poke stick with leaves into hole where eel lives and they don’t like it so they come out and you catch them, by cutting with knife.
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n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3647)

Example: 1. The straight poles of this plant are sharpened and used to plant kava, and only for kava. Not used for planting other crops. 2. Special for catching eels in fresh water, poke stick with leaves into hole where eel lives and they don’t like it so they come out and you catch them, by cutting with knife.

inhakli kwori

Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.
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n. puppy, dog

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

inhat auinyit

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[inhat auɪɲet] n. a drawing on stones

ink

A man named Johnnie (Reuben’s grandfather) brought this vine to Aneityum to use it as a rope to tie objects. The ripe fruits are  used to paint the face and hands and children make drawings from this dye.
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n. vine, growing in coastal forest. Fruits purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3556)

Example: A man named Johnnie (Reuben’s grandfather) brought this vine to Aneityum to use it as a rope to tie objects. The ripe fruits are used to paint the face and hands and children make drawings from this dye.

inlidija

n. summer, autumn

inmora

Siganus vulpinus http://fishbase.org/summary/Siganus-vulpinus.html
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n. Foxface

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

inmorancai

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n. kind of fish

inm̃ada

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n. kind of fish

inm̃adiatooga

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n. kind of fish

inrowod

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n. good luck plant (RPV #14)

intapin

n. a hedge; a shelter

intekes ~ inrowod

1. The green leaves of this plant are used to cover fish, when cooking them in a fire.
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n. treelet, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4085)

Example: 1. The green leaves of this plant are used to cover fish, when cooking them in a fire.

intelecha

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n. Spathoglottis petri (RPV #166)

intisianmop

n. kind of sugarcane

inwouse

Stictocardia campanulata
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n. creeping and decumbent vine, growing at edge of strand (near airstrip terminal). (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3575)

inyade

n. kind of banana

inyat

The ripe fruits of this plant are edible and said to be delicious as well as smell very good. When the fruits turn brown and soft you can open it and there will be a shell like an upsidedown turtle shell. You can eat the fruit out.  As the fruit smells good, people put a basket of ripe fruits in their homes to give it a good smell. The unripe fruits can be eaten, but only when cooked in an earth oven so it is not sticky. The tree can be used for sawn timber. Can be used for building house, specifically the house posts. Number one timber.
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n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3645)

Example: The ripe fruits of this plant are edible and said to be delicious as well as smell very good. When the fruits turn brown and soft you can open it and there will be a shell like an upsidedown turtle shell. You can eat the fruit out. As the fruit smells good, people put a basket of ripe fruits in their homes to give it a good smell. The unripe fruits can be eaten, but only when cooked in an earth oven so it is not sticky. The tree can be used for sawn timber. Can be used for building house, specifically the house posts. Number one timber.

inyidjighos

n. the center rib of the coconut leaf

itaho

adj. inland

kidie ~ kithi

1. Plant this tree at each of the four corners of a fence to keep your pigs in and protect against a type of bad luck. If a man sleeps with his wife who is having her period, and then the man goes to see the pig, the pig will suffer and not grow strong and not have many piglets. So the presence of this plant controls against bad luck that others can bring to your pig farm. 2. This is an ornamental plant grown around the home. Sticks of this plant are planted around the outside of the garden and grow to create a fence, to protect the crops and keep them healthy, as well as protect the crops from people that are not cleansed in the ritual way.  3. This species is also planted around the house to add color and is very decorative in general. 4. For fertilizer in taro holes for water taro. For baly(?) taro and water taro, lay these flat on the surface of the charcoal, then lay the food – taro, cassava – on this and cover with another layer, add hot stones and cook. 4. Pig food, goat food.
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n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3205)

Example: 1. Plant this tree at each of the four corners of a fence to keep your pigs in and protect against a type of bad luck. If a man sleeps with his wife who is having her period, and then the man goes to see the pig, the pig will suffer and not grow strong and not have many piglets. So the presence of this plant controls against bad luck that others can bring to your pig farm. 2. This is an ornamental plant grown around the home. Sticks of this plant are planted around the outside of the garden and grow to create a fence, to protect the crops and keep them healthy, as well as protect the crops from people that are not cleansed in the ritual way. 3. This species is also planted around the house to add color and is very decorative in general. 4. For fertilizer in taro holes for water taro. For baly(?) taro and water taro, lay these flat on the surface of the charcoal, then lay the food – taro, cassava – on this and cover with another layer, add hot stones and cook. 4. Pig food, goat food.

mac

n. cup (mug)

nadiat

n. day

nadut u nadiat

n. dawn of day

naerek

1. Used for firewood. Whole plant used to make a broom for sweeping by tying the small branches together. The very topmost leaves are used when planting kava, as a “superstition” you hold a lead between your big and second toes when tamping the earth down for a kava plant, to give power to earth so kava grows well. 2. This plant is used to make a local broom. Collect a number of branches, let them dry in the sun--the leaves will fall off--then tie the branches together with a piece of Pandanus leaf or any other vine that is handy.
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n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3492)

Example: 1. Used for firewood. Whole plant used to make a broom for sweeping by tying the small branches together. The very topmost leaves are used when planting kava, as a “superstition” you hold a lead between your big and second toes when tamping the earth down for a kava plant, to give power to earth so kava grows well. 2. This plant is used to make a local broom. Collect a number of branches, let them dry in the sun--the leaves will fall off--then tie the branches together with a piece of Pandanus leaf or any other vine that is handy.

naetau

Cf. Tapirira guianensis
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n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4766)

nafan

n. the name of a species of seaweed

naheled

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n. kind of crab

nahosjal

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n. kind of shellfish

nakwei

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n. palm tree sp. (RPV #19)

namu atam̃eñ

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n. kind of shellfish (m)

namuñ

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n. coconut alcohol

napau

n. kind of tree

napisinijvaig

n. kind of sugarcane

nap̃at

For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nirid u numu) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso")  at a secret location on Aneityum.
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n. terrestrial fern, growing in dwarf cloud-forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3268)

Example: For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nirid u numu) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

narakiraki

n. a whirlwind

naran

Acanthurus auranticavus http://fishbase.org/summary/Acanthurus-auranticavus.html
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n. Orange-socket surgeonfish

Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

natcai

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

nauyerop

n. species of sycamore (117); a sycamore fig (97)

nauyerop

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.
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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.

nawayag

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n. shield aralia (RPV #11)

nedec

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n. kind of shellfish

nejecjeñ

Leukosyke australis
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n. small tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4059)

nelco

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[nɛlʝo] n. canoe

nemdaj

Siganus spinus http://fishbase.org/summary/Siganus-spinus.html
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n. Little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish

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

nemtav

Dysoxylum
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n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3666)

nenho

n. the name of a poisonous plant

nepekcat

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n. kind of shellfish

nepelcopei

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n. kind of bush

nepig u wara

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

nepjen epjen

Antrophyum plantagineum
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n. lithophyte, growing on rock in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4038)

nepjineucsin

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[nɛpʧinoʊɣsin] n. mouth

nerin

n. a leaf

niaga a nupsijman

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[niaŋa a nʊpsiʤman] n. fingernail

nidincai

n. balsam; resin

niditau

1. This plant is an indication of good soil. 2. Dry wood is used as a firewood.
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n. shrub to small tree, growing in clumps among rocks in open area along river. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4064)

Example: 1. This plant is an indication of good soil. 2. Dry wood is used as a firewood.

niditau

The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree ?? it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.
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n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3507)

Example: The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree ?? it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.

nidupau

n. kind of tree

nidwunitei

1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the black one. See GMP #4102, Cyathea sp, which is considered the white one.
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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.

nidwunitei

1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the white one. See GMP #4100, Cyathea sp., which is considered the black one.

n. tree fern, trunk 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4102)

Example: 1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the white one. See GMP #4100, Cyathea sp., which is considered the black one.

nigired

People use the leaf of this plant to layer on the bottom of the earth oven, and then pile food such as manioc or taro on it, then pile leaves of this species on top of that. This will help insulate the food from the high heat of the earth oven and allow it to cook better. Used especailly in feasts like weddings. Women usually collect this leaf and is used to cover very large earth ovens.
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n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3623)

Example: People use the leaf of this plant to layer on the bottom of the earth oven, and then pile food such as manioc or taro on it, then pile leaves of this species on top of that. This will help insulate the food from the high heat of the earth oven and allow it to cook better. Used especailly in feasts like weddings. Women usually collect this leaf and is used to cover very large earth ovens.

nipjinamesei

Epinephelus merra http://fishbase.org/summary/Epinephelus-merra.html
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n. Honeycomb grouper

Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

niridunumu

Schizaea dichotoma
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n. terrestrial fern growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3284)

nisyeg

1. The inner bark of this plant is used as a dye or paint to provide a brown color. Boil the inner bark in a pot with a shirt and the color of the shirt will be changed to brown. 2. For toothache, people take the inner bark and mix it with sea water, and then rinse the tooth with this mixture to remove the pain. 3a. People macerate the leaves and the bark and when the tide is low, spread this in a pool of water to poison the sea shells that are edible. When they die, the eyes of this organism comes above the sand, indicating where they are, and people harvest and eat them. 3b. To attract and collect clam – NIPJINUMU – scrape bark in a pool of sea water where the clams are attracted immediately and can be collected, coming up from the sand. 4. Firewood, unspecified medical use.
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n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3574)

Example: 1. The inner bark of this plant is used as a dye or paint to provide a brown color. Boil the inner bark in a pot with a shirt and the color of the shirt will be changed to brown. 2. For toothache, people take the inner bark and mix it with sea water, and then rinse the tooth with this mixture to remove the pain. 3a. People macerate the leaves and the bark and when the tide is low, spread this in a pool of water to poison the sea shells that are edible. When they die, the eyes of this organism comes above the sand, indicating where they are, and people harvest and eat them. 3b. To attract and collect clam – NIPJINUMU – scrape bark in a pool of sea water where the clams are attracted immediately and can be collected, coming up from the sand. 4. Firewood, unspecified medical use.

nohos iseyna

Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.
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n. kind of banana

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

nohos ma

Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.
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n. ripe bananas

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

nomoj

In the past there were no toys for the children, so people made toys from the seed of this plant. They peeled the fruit, took the seed, removed the inside,  punched one hole on each side, put a string through each of the holes and twisted the string to spin the seed such that it would make a whistling sound as the fruit spun faster and faster. On Palm Sunday, people use this leaf in Church. People plant this cycad around their homes and use it as an ornamental. Some people believe that having this plant around their homes will keep the bad spirits away.
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n. cycad to 3 m tall, 25 cm dbh (collection: Michael J. Balick #5010)

Example: In the past there were no toys for the children, so people made toys from the seed of this plant. They peeled the fruit, took the seed, removed the inside, punched one hole on each side, put a string through each of the holes and twisted the string to spin the seed such that it would make a whistling sound as the fruit spun faster and faster. On Palm Sunday, people use this leaf in Church. People plant this cycad around their homes and use it as an ornamental. Some people believe that having this plant around their homes will keep the bad spirits away.

nop̃ou

The wood of this plant is very hard and can be used for house posts. Because the wood is somewhat heavy, younger stems can be sharpened at one end and the pole can be used to plant dryland taro, to make holes for the tubers. For planting swamp taro, the leaves can be used to line the pit that the taro is planted in; it is a local fertilizer for the taro, and as it rots the soil becomes soft while the taro is growing. The flowers are placed behind one’s ear to enjoy the fragrance or can also be used to make a floral necklace (Intañ).
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n. large epiphyte on dead tree, growing in open forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3478)

Example: The wood of this plant is very hard and can be used for house posts. Because the wood is somewhat heavy, younger stems can be sharpened at one end and the pole can be used to plant dryland taro, to make holes for the tubers. For planting swamp taro, the leaves can be used to line the pit that the taro is planted in; it is a local fertilizer for the taro, and as it rots the soil becomes soft while the taro is growing. The flowers are placed behind one’s ear to enjoy the fragrance or can also be used to make a floral necklace (Intañ).

norasjei

Cyrtandra obovata

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3274)

nowan namesei

Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.
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n. dry coconut

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

noweicei cap

Rivina humilis
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n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4794)

nowo

Dysoxylum bijugum
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n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4749)

noyei

Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.
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n. manioc

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

nuei

This plant is used for local rope. Coil it in a figure 8, heat on a fire, when it is soft, use it for tying poles on a house. It is very strong when cool and dry.
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n. vine climbing into the canopy on Sarcomelicope, growing in primary rainforest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3620)

Example: This plant is used for local rope. Coil it in a figure 8, heat on a fire, when it is soft, use it for tying poles on a house. It is very strong when cool and dry.

nugnyimtau noho

n. kind of palm

nuhujcei

In the old days, the hooks of this plant were used as a kind of small fishing hook. Heat the hook over a fire to make it strong, tie a rope to it and use it to catch fish. Take inner bark--1 handful and boil in a full pot of water and wash the body 1x daily to treat scabies. Can work in as soon as 2 days. It cures the sores very fast.
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n. vine to 5 m, flower yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4937)

Example: In the old days, the hooks of this plant were used as a kind of small fishing hook. Heat the hook over a fire to make it strong, tie a rope to it and use it to catch fish. Take inner bark--1 handful and boil in a full pot of water and wash the body 1x daily to treat scabies. Can work in as soon as 2 days. It cures the sores very fast.

numlah

n. kind of tree

pehpahai

v.n. sail inside of reef

tarere

adv. near; inshore; near the shore

tog

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[toŋ] n. tongue

uhup

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adj. in front

upasin

n. first shoots of old roots