An example search has returned 100 entries
ahlaujai
v.n. go up
bookmarkdaute
n. kind of banana
bookmarkehteleceinayi
n. full moon
bookmarkevehel
n. light winds
bookmarkimjav
adj. soft, over-ripe, as breadfruit.
bookmarkimtiat
inbul
n. native rose; rosa chinensis; the hibiscus; also "inpul"
bookmarkincai upunupun
n. bramble
bookmarkincuwukava
indawoc
inhitilga
n. liana climbing up a Syzygium tree into the canopy, growing at edge of dense forest near garden area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3637)
Example: Rope is made from the inner bark of this plant. Use the rope immediately after it is stripped from the bark, there is no need to treat it with heat as is the case with other plants. Alternatively, the coil of bark rope can be kept in fresh water where it will stay soft until needed. Medicine for women when sick with a headache from the spirit sea snake, or sea god, or sea spirit that makes people sick. Men use it to help with toochaches. Women use it to help with backpain, stomache pain, or any other pain. Must pound two leaves taken from the top of the plant and combine with incespiv. Rosalina Nijae said it was mostly used by men so did not know how to use it well. Walking in bush and become thirsty, cut vine on 1 side and drink. Seeds made into foot bracelets for men for Kastom dances and make all sorts of different sounds. In some places taboo to cut large one as the large ones embody the snake spirit.
bookmarkinholai
n. Blue sea chub, snubnose chub, topsail drummer
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinhos i mijan
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarkinhujac
injupki upni
inmoijeuv natpoig
n. a comet
bookmarkinmoupog
n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4927)
Example: The wood of this tree is used as firewood. Children collect the dry fruits and use them for decorations and toys, for example playing with a fruit on the beach, driving it as if it were a toy truck or boat (photo).
bookmarkinrowod
n. shrub. Found along village pathways and in gardens. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #15)
Example: 2. To cure headaches casued by bad spirit - Take one top from Nelmaha and one from inrowod (white stripe variety) Combine and chew these then spit them out and apply to the sick persons forehead.
bookmarkintal a Samoa
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintinan
n. a bed, a foundation, a plantation
bookmarkinyade
n. kind of banana
bookmarkinyat
irai ohatag
n. celestial
bookmarkkaliteg
katupinmi
n. kind of taro
bookmarkkidibop
metagi asori
n. kind of taro
bookmarknabudwä
nafakeka
n. coconut spathes
bookmarknagagnit
n. Harlequin sweetlips, many-spotted sweetlips
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknagdajija
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarknaha
n. a thistle
bookmarknahein
n. shrub to 1 m tall, frits green. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4880)
Example: Stems are used to produce cyclone houses--secure wild cane (Miscanthus) on the roof of the house. Fold cane in half over the stem of this plant and then lay it on the roof. Makes layers that resist the wind. The stem of this plant can be sharpened to make a fishing spear, or used as the shaft and a few wires are attached to the end.
bookmarknahraren nepig
n. dawn of day
bookmarknahtancai upunupun
n. thorn
bookmarknalmupeñ
namarai
n. preserved breadfruit
bookmarknanad
napalhat
n. vine, growing on rocks at end of strand near coastal forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3690)
Example: As a medicine to treat toothache, the latex from this vine is put into the tooth as soon as the person feels pain. Use 3x daily until the pain has subsided. The flower is used as a decoration behind the ear. When there are rough seas because someone has trespassed in a tabu area you can take 12 leaves from the napalhat and put them in a pond for about 1 week until they start to stink. Then use we leaves from the naojapdak and drown those leaves in either a fresh water pond or salty water. (No further information given). Can also take an armful of napalhat and place on top of a stone in the tabu area with a smaller stone on top of the napaphat. The stone must be a large permanent stone. Has also heard people say it can be used for toothache if you put the leaf on the tooth.
bookmarknapudve
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknarijo
n. epiphytic fern on decaying log, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4088)
Example: 1. Considered the same as Narijo. When it grow in good soil it takes the form of GMP 4087. In cold and rocky soil it this form.
bookmarknasjiramnem
n. grass to 20-30 cm tall, florets brown. Growing along trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4970)
Example: This plant is used to make a medicine to stop bleeding, as a styptic. Squeeze a handful of leaves together and apply the leaves as a poultice to the wound or drip the juice on the wound when it does not seem wise to put pressure on the bleeding. This will stop the blood from flowing from the wound and is only to be used on a small wound.
bookmarknathut u nadiat
n. dawn of day
bookmark
nau-hos
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.
bookmark
naupitju
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.
bookmarknauyan
n. dawn of day
bookmarknauyerop̃
n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3487)
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 – did not need matches (lefre(?) matches) because embers would stay for days and when make a fire add smaller branches to make a flame.
bookmarknecjopdak
n. scrambling vine, growing in coastal strand vegetation. Flowers yellow. 1. Medicine: Smash leaves 1 handful, into cup and add a small amount of water to treat constipation—1 cup for children; 1.5 XX for adults. 2. Stomachache: same treatment, will clear bowel. 3. For leg sores, collect whole plant, put in water – a pool of water for 1 week, then use to dip sore as on leg into it for 10-15 minutes cure the sore. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3437)
bookmarknedec
[neθeɣ] n. Collared Kingfisher
Example: Photo by JJ Harrison, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
bookmarknednaeñ
neduwudu
adj. full of seeds, as the pawpaw apple
bookmarknehep
n. large tree, 15-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4062)
Example: 1. The trunk of this tree is used to make the body and outrigger of a traditional canoe. 2. The inner bark is used as a bandage for cuts and wounds. When the inner bark is grated it yields a sticky substance. The sap acts as a liquid stitch and reduced the chance of scarring. When this is dry one must use a knife to remove the residue.
bookmarkneiang
neiang mesei
nemdaj
n. Little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish
Example: Photo by Kathleen Kresner-Reyes / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknemtokei
n. tree to 7 m tall, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4861)
Example: When a person does heavy work and their body feels tired, they should take 1 handful of leaves, squeeze them into a cup of water and drink--this will make the person feel better. People can drink this from time to time to give the body energy even before you are tired. To treat constipation, take 4- 8’ pieces of stem from a 2 cm dbh section of the tree, peel the outside bark off, collect the inner bark and mash with a stone or hammer, put in a colander to strain out the wood, add 1.5 l water, the liquid becomes green or whitish with sticky liquid. Drink this one time, it tastes cold and then after about 30 minutes it feels like the bowel is working and then normal function returns--this does not induce diarrhea but rather returns the bowel to normal function.
bookmarknepñatimi
n. epiphyte on syzygium tree, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. old fruits. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3660)
Example: Put several leaves of this species together to wrap food, especially the fresh water eel, and to carry plants of taro, kava, holding the leaves over one’s shoulder to carry these crops.
bookmarknerinabod
n. Brassy chub, lowfin drummer
Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknete o un
n. west
bookmarknevak
n. prepared pandanus leaf
bookmarknidei
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknijeuc nijeuc
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknisjau
n. kind of tree
bookmarknitai auanipin upene
n. frankincense
bookmarknoducnas
n. a bunch of taro
bookmarknourasjohou
noyeiwow
n. vine to 4 m, cultivated (collection: Michael J. Balick #5013)
Example: This is a cultivated, edible tuber. If a cyclone comes and blows the vines, the tuber will still be intact. The vines of this type of Dioscorea are very strong. Normal yam vine tears in high winds and the tuber will not grow for food but will die; this one will not. It is very good for places with strong winds and storms.
bookmarknudto
n. small tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3452)
Example: 1a. The stem of this plant is used to make a spear, as it is always straight and very strong. It is a small growing plant, just right for length of a spear. 1b. Make a spear for fishing, peel bark, heat stem, affix points to end. 2. Name is the name of a fish. 3. Rafters for roof.
bookmarknup inceen
n. the rib of a leaf
bookmarknupsin hudain
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
bookmarknämdokai
ridiau
n. kind of taro
bookmarkunasuandan
upjira
n. a kind of tree
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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