Aneityum

affix yonder; away from

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

v.a. to go up, or go east

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. go out

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. cover up

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[dala nadimi] phr. five men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

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

Speaker: David Nasauman

inter. where

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. last quarter of moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 78

v. to fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. light winds

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

adj. stringy, watery, as taro; also "ede"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

adj. inland

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 159

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. a bundle of wood for fire

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

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.

Scientific name: Gahnia aspera, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. twig, branch

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the name of a native plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane; also "nalgaij"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[inhɛlɛk] n. my penis

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. Brown Chub, Grey Sea Chub, Grey Drummer

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

Scientific name: Kyphosus bigibbus via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. planet

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 172

n. species of banyan

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #5)

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. For a baby that is not doing well, as with malnourished, take 4-5 leaves, put in warm water and wash baby – 1x day for 3 days. 6. Use to make temporary house.

Scientific name: Trema cannabina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the evening star

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. back of canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. distinguish (between two things)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. a plant from which an intoxicating drink is prepared

Scientific name: Piper methysticum, Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

adj. long, applied to time

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

adj. yes, good

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. Achyranthes aspera L.

Example: juice squeezed from leaves; taken internally against asthma and put into boils

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 439

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

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.

Scientific name: Tarenna efatensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plantain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4756)

Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nawʊnalak] n. calf muscle

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[napanaunuŋ eθa] phr. where are you going?

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[nareramɣei] n. kind of banana (fat)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a species of grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the north-east wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. chief

Example: Origin story of Aneityum chiefs on see more on Youtube

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. a small water-plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. Scalloped hammerhead

Example: Photo by Xvic / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Sphyrna lewini, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

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.

Scientific name: Halfordia kendack, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tall shrub. Growing uncultivated near Unames outside the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #30)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. stage of coconut

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4916)

Example: Boil inner bark in seawater to treat scabies, a skin condition. Take one handful of bark and put in one liter of water, wash the affected area once daily for a week .

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. terrestrial fern, 1. 5-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3501)

Example: These ferns can cause injury during the dry season as they can stick into a person, so they are intentionally burned to avoid this.

Scientific name: Dicranopteris linearis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3466)

Example: The wood of this species is very hard and therefore useful for making houses. In fact it is so hard that a person cannot drive a nail through it. This wood is used to make spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Sarcomelicope simplicifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #6)

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. 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. 3. To cure headaches - Someone other than the woman must prepare this. Break the top branch of netethae and remove leaves for use. Combine with the top leaves of the top branch of nelmaha. Chew the leaves and drink the juice. Do this when the sun is setting on the horizon. The woman gives the leftover fibers to the person who prepared the medicine and that person goes and throws the fibers in the direction of the setting sun. 4. To cure toothache when pregnant - Take the inner bark from Intejed and boil it in a pot of seawater (about 1 liter) along with 2 leaves from each of inpounatmas, narayag, nahayag, and nelmaha. Boil until juice is visibly leaving the plants. Put this water into your mouth and hold it there for 2-3 minutes. Do this this with one cup in the morning, 1 cup in the afternoon, and 1 cup in the evening. 5. Used to fight against black magic in an unspecified way. 6. Roll leaf and put in pocket for protection when walk in a new area. 7. Message plant if a land dispute – if a person puts this stem or leaf in another’s garden whom they are angry with it means go away!! 8. To treat sick people, especially who fall ill from black magic to save their life. Symptoms vary, for example a person with small boils over body,* a person chews the leaf and spits it on the sick person, 1x and then puts the branch with leaves near the sick person when they sleep – 3x (1x day) branch is ca. 25cm long. (*headache, severe)

Scientific name: Ficus littoralis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tender shoots

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 183

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the tow of flax

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. Ambon emperor

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

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

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3636)

Example: The green fruits are edible, as are the young leaf apices--cook these in water and eat them. The wood is used for temporary houses, for example, to provide shade in a garden. For planting taro, or any root crop, sharpen the end of a stick of this tree and use it for making holes, particuarly in river sand where some crops are planted. This tree grows near the river and is an indication that this land is good for agriculture. The wood from the tree is very good for firewood. Name means "who are you." Plant used as an indicator of a tabu place. Take a branch and put it where another person is building or gardening and there is a dispute over that area of land. When this plant is placed there the person who is using the land should stop working it.

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree to 4 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4936)

Example: The leaves are used to cover earth ovens when cooking big fish or taro.

Scientific name: Cleidion neoebudicum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

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.

Scientific name: Cleidion javanicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. hysteranthous geophyte in flowering stage, growing in primary rainforest. Flowers white tinged with pink. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3625)

Scientific name: Dipodium pictum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[niʧɛn jaoʊ] n. butt

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[nijom araheθ] n. lit. "round house"

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

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. large tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4076)

Example: 1. The name means "I come". This plant is used to convey messages. When a branch of this plant is left at the house of a person it indicates someone had visited them and they were not there. 2. Children eat the nut of the ripe (yellow) fruits.

Scientific name: Finschia chloroxantha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. orange

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 169

n. another name for "masoa"; arrowroot

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

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.

Scientific name: Dracaena sp., Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. grass to 1. 5-2. 0 m tall, inflorescence white. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4885)

Example: Cut this grass in the morning, let dry for 2 days, and then use to weave the roof of a house. This is thicker and heavier than a coconut leaf. Also, use for cyclone house. (see photos of house) When indicating something is Tabu, tie the leaf and put it in an object like ripe bananas and people know it is Tabu and will not take it away.

Scientific name: Miscanthus sinensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a native pudding made with yam and coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[nowataŋ] n. sky, universe, space

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. the flying-fox banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. a season

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 181

n. species of vine runner; a basket net

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. Morinda citrifolia L.

Example: Fruit: eaten raw, constipation

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 444

n. Longfin African conger, moustache conger

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

Scientific name: Conger cinereus via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[noweɪ yaŋ] n. July (lit. a kind of wood when it’s leaves become yellow)

Speaker: David Nasauman

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.

Scientific name: Manihot esculenta, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. Sirius, the Dog Star

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. liana, climbing on fallen tree (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3500)

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.

Scientific name: Durandea pentagyna, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nuʤaɣ] n. kind of shell

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

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[numra napo] n. the Southern Cross

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. understory tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4049)

Example: 1. The name means "knife of sandpaper", a type of fish. The leaf base resembles the fin of the fish. 2. In the past, a spear was made from the sapling wood of this plant for tribal warfare. Today, spears are made from this plant for fishing. First, a relatively straight spaling is chosen and then heated over a fire. The pliable portion of wood is straightened and then decorticated. When cool, a portion of wire can be affixed on one end to aid in the spearing of fish.

Scientific name: Tapeinosperma

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3532)

Example: This is a foreign tree, rare on Aneityum

Scientific name: Chrysobalanus icaco, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. Polyscias samoensis

Example: leaf -- cold maceration taken internally against ciguatera

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

adj. unripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 106

n. maize

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 164

adv. down yonder

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[jaŋ] n. yellow (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi