An example search has returned 100 entries

ahlaujai

v.n. go up

ahtowan

v. to weed

aihec

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v. walk fast; share greetings

alahala

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n. moonlight

alapdaig

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v. to collect raw food, as sugarcane taro, for a feast of uncooked food

aparaiñ

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adj. backwards

cauwan

n. tendrils; small branches

elel

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v. drip, as a bucket filled with water drips

emilmat

adj. green, blue

eseij

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[eseʧ] num. three

Et elwa nieg

phr. the reeds blossom.

et emda an

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[et emθan] phr. he is strong

ethi

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[itij] num. one

idi

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

imiga

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n. kind of bird

inceila

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

incetevak

Sargocentron tiereoides http://fishbase.org/summary/Sargocentron-tiereoides.html
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n. Pink Squirrelfish

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

incipinti

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

incipinti

1. The fruit of this species are poisonous. In ancient times the ancestors used the "fork" (branch growing out of main stem) of this wood to catch lobsters between the two parts of the stem. 2. Fertilizer for taro, in case you are not cleansed, it is ok as this plant as fertilizer will cleanse you.
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n. shrub, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3471)

Example: 1. The fruit of this species are poisonous. In ancient times the ancestors used the "fork" (branch growing out of main stem) of this wood to catch lobsters between the two parts of the stem. 2. Fertilizer for taro, in case you are not cleansed, it is ok as this plant as fertilizer will cleanse you.

incowoj

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n. fishing hook

ineañdel

The young seedlings are removed from the coconuts and fed to pigs. Children like to eat the apical meristems of the sprouts, peeling off the harder, outer leaves and eating the soft white part. The endosperm of the sprouted coconut is edible. The local name means "young seedling."
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n. this collection is a seedling sprouting from a coconut fruit. the adult palm is growing in an agricultural field. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4950)

Example: The young seedlings are removed from the coconuts and fed to pigs. Children like to eat the apical meristems of the sprouts, peeling off the harder, outer leaves and eating the soft white part. The endosperm of the sprouted coconut is edible. The local name means "young seedling."

inhaw

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n. Macaranga tanarius (RPV #42)

inja

Photo by K. David Harrison, Aneityum island, Vanuatu, Dec. 2018.
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[inja] n. Red Jungle Fowl, all chickens

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

injañad

The wood is light and used to make paddles for canoes.
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n. tree to 5 m, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4933)

Example: The wood is light and used to make paddles for canoes.

inmaefata

n. kind of breadfruit

inmal ahapol

n. a group of cultivations

inmauwad

n. a convolvulus

inmauwad ahi

n. a convolvulus with white flowers; also "inmauwad picad"

inmokomelmat

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n. kind of fish

inpaije

n. kind of taro

inpan

n. kind of banana

inpecelelcei paralelcei

The  young stems of this tree are very light, and  used to make spears for fishing--they float. The stems are used to make the poles that connect the outrigger to the canoe. Good to make a fishing spear with as with others, timber. Leaves used with other plants to heal a sick woman who is sick from a male spirit – PARALELCEI – This lead with other leaves unspecified, tie together pound juice out of it and put juice in bamboo, cover top w/ wild cane leaf and take to sick woman before sunset, give to her to drink, before wave bamboo around her, open it and pour a bit on her head and drink a bit and wash her face, then break bamboo and discard it before sunset. Then tell spirit to go away. Symptoms such as a miscarriage or continued period, or dream and see the male spirit, or dream of snakes from the forest.
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n. tree, 18-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3584)

Example: The young stems of this tree are very light, and used to make spears for fishing--they float. The stems are used to make the poles that connect the outrigger to the canoe. Good to make a fishing spear with as with others, timber. Leaves used with other plants to heal a sick woman who is sick from a male spirit – PARALELCEI – This lead with other leaves unspecified, tie together pound juice out of it and put juice in bamboo, cover top w/ wild cane leaf and take to sick woman before sunset, give to her to drink, before wave bamboo around her, open it and pour a bit on her head and drink a bit and wash her face, then break bamboo and discard it before sunset. Then tell spirit to go away. Symptoms such as a miscarriage or continued period, or dream and see the male spirit, or dream of snakes from the forest.

intaigana

n. kind of taro

intal eref nein

Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.
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n. coconut grating bench

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

intelecha

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n. Spathoglottis petri (RPV #166)

inyaratmas

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

inyebec

Naso unicornis http://fishbase.org/summary/Naso-unicornis.html
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n. Bluespine unicornfish

Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

irai ohatag

n. celestial

itu acen

adv. a long time ago

iurac

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n. kind of crab

jai

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conj. but

jipe

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v. distinguish (between two things)

jumasjuma

Apus pacificus
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[ʧumasʧuma] n. Fork-tailed swift

Example: Photo by ozma/Flickr, License: CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

karadakoal

n. a native pudding made of taro, coconut milk, etc.

kopilkopil

n. kind of taro

meto

adj. ripe; also "metto"

nafaiava

n. bay (of the sea); creek

nafan

n. the name of a species of seaweed

nahanemek

n. kind of breadfruit

nahrin hat

n. kind of taro

naipom̃yiv

Children take a shoot of this plant and make a whistle from it. However, when children do this, they are told not to, as it will attract the rains, or a snake, that will hear the noise and come to the person. This is a folk belief. The base of the shoot of this plant is chewed and applied to fresh cuts as a styptic. Pull out top growth of plant that has not flowered and blow on it like a whistle. Ancestors used this as a whistle to attract snakes for edible – not today. Name means “balls or heaps of snakes”  refer to their attraction.
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n. terrestrial plant, 60 cm tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3498)

Example: Children take a shoot of this plant and make a whistle from it. However, when children do this, they are told not to, as it will attract the rains, or a snake, that will hear the noise and come to the person. This is a folk belief. The base of the shoot of this plant is chewed and applied to fresh cuts as a styptic. Pull out top growth of plant that has not flowered and blow on it like a whistle. Ancestors used this as a whistle to attract snakes for edible – not today. Name means “balls or heaps of snakes” refer to their attraction.

nakoaha

n. kind of taro

nakro

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[nakro] v. share

name cedo

Freycinetia tannaensis
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n. liana climbing on Syzygium, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Bracts pale to deep red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4078)

namohos

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n. kind of fish

namumuatamag

When children feel weak, this is a good medicine for them. Squeeze the leaves and give the child (3-5 years of age) one tea spoon of the juice and it is said to make them strong again.
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n. epiphyte on fallen tree, growing in disturbed forest. Fruit. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3474)

Example: When children feel weak, this is a good medicine for them. Squeeze the leaves and give the child (3-5 years of age) one tea spoon of the juice and it is said to make them strong again.

nam̃aka

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n. kind of bush

napauwahpa

n. kind of taro

napayu

n. kind of tree

napo

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n. kind of crab

nareramgei

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[nareramɣei] n. kind of banana (fat)

narilau

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n. kind of crab

nasjiñaho

The roots are used to treat toothache. Take the roots, strip off the outer bark and chew the root. Stops pain from the toothache. Use 3x daily until the pain is gone.
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n. shrub to 1 m, flowers greenish-white. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4932)

Example: The roots are used to treat toothache. Take the roots, strip off the outer bark and chew the root. Stops pain from the toothache. Use 3x daily until the pain is gone.

natoga u inmeijcop

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

nau hos

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. To make house walls cut to length desired break stems into straps and weave ??. 3. Use stem to cook foods. 4. Container for carrying water. 5. Take tips and tie together and make a torch to go fishing on the reef, walk with the torch – this is a current practice in the East side. 6. Can cut a piece about 1’ long and sharpen edge and use to skin a green banana. 7. Traditional medicine – can use a small segment as a sort of container to carry the traditional medicine to the patient – for example when prepare a sea snake for remedy, or any medicine – to carry it. 8. Used as a container to preserve seeds such as corn, cucumber, beans and is covered with coconut fiber and put near (above?) the fire where it is dry, and the smoke from the fire will keep insects from attacking the seeds.
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n. a kind of bamboo (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 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. To make house walls cut to length desired break stems into straps and weave ??. 3. Use stem to cook foods. 4. Container for carrying water. 5. Take tips and tie together and make a torch to go fishing on the reef, walk with the torch – this is a current practice in the East side. 6. Can cut a piece about 1’ long and sharpen edge and use to skin a green banana. 7. Traditional medicine – can use a small segment as a sort of container to carry the traditional medicine to the patient – for example when prepare a sea snake for remedy, or any medicine – to carry it. 8. Used as a container to preserve seeds such as corn, cucumber, beans and is covered with coconut fiber and put near (above?) the fire where it is dry, and the smoke from the fire will keep insects from attacking the seeds.

nauhap̃

1. Use the leaves to put in a hole where taro is being planted, as a sort of fertilizer--it rots easily and adds value to the soil. To protect a person from spirits if you are going to an unfamiliar place, take the young inflorescence and put behind your ear. This plant is a sort of "spiritual kava." 2. Flowers are put behind one ear, any side, to allow a person to pass through sacred places. For protection of the spirits especially if you are familiar with this place. On EAST SIDE, put one leaf under pillow before sleeping so that the lady spirit will not disturb the person. Only for men – spirit likes men, and wants to have sleep with them. If she gets pregnant, you must follow her to look after the kids in the spirit world so you leave this one (you die). 3. The small, straight stems of this plant are used as rafters to weave thatch. 4. Children make bows and arrows from the stems as well as spears for fishing.
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n. small tree or shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3210)

Example: 1. Use the leaves to put in a hole where taro is being planted, as a sort of fertilizer--it rots easily and adds value to the soil. To protect a person from spirits if you are going to an unfamiliar place, take the young inflorescence and put behind your ear. This plant is a sort of "spiritual kava." 2. Flowers are put behind one ear, any side, to allow a person to pass through sacred places. For protection of the spirits especially if you are familiar with this place. On EAST SIDE, put one leaf under pillow before sleeping so that the lady spirit will not disturb the person. Only for men – spirit likes men, and wants to have sleep with them. If she gets pregnant, you must follow her to look after the kids in the spirit world so you leave this one (you die). 3. The small, straight stems of this plant are used as rafters to weave thatch. 4. Children make bows and arrows from the stems as well as spears for fishing.

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.

necec

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[neɣeɣ] n. crab

necñap̃it cei

Can be used to make a love potion. Is bad for married people.
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n. shrub, 1. 75 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3643)

Example: Can be used to make a love potion. Is bad for married people.

negna

Moolgarda seheli http://fishbase.org/summary/Moolgarda-seheli.html
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n. Bluespot mullet

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

nemetrei ai

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n. kind of bush

nepdaj

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n. spiny holy mangrove (RPV #118)

nerin cat

n. green pandanus leaf

nesei

n. forest

nesveahajom

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

netcetas

The stems of this plant make a good digging stick for planting kava. Kava planted with this digging stick will be stronger in effect.
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n. tree 10 m tall, dbh 15 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4909)

Example: The stems of this plant make a good digging stick for planting kava. Kava planted with this digging stick will be stronger in effect.

netvo

n. a species of fruit

niau

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

nihkanwai

n. brook

nilam

n. seaweed

nirid unmu

People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill."
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n. terrestrial fern, growing in primary rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3614)

Example: People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill."

nohmunjap

n. beach

nohos itooga

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

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

nohoyam

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

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

nohwan yag

n. kind of taro

noyei

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

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

nugep

Macropygia mackinlayi
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[nugep] n. Mackinlay’s cuckoo dove

Example: Photo by David Cook Wildlife Photography / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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.

numu

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[numu] n. fish (general)

numu

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n. fish; life

numudec

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n. kind of fish (folk name)

numujced

Join two of the inrolled fronds together at the part where the frond is opening (the tip that is curled) such that the leaves are held together by their unfolding growing tips. Place this along the path that is frequented by a wild pig (they travel along paths) and when the pig passes these two leaves, and is chased by a hunter’s dogs, these leaves in this formation are said to sap some of the pig’s energy and thus allow the dogs to catch up with it. This was explained to Tony by another person who mentioned it as a sort of magical power possessed by this type of fern.
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n. fern to 0. 75 m, sori brown. Growing in pine forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4983)

Example: Join two of the inrolled fronds together at the part where the frond is opening (the tip that is curled) such that the leaves are held together by their unfolding growing tips. Place this along the path that is frequented by a wild pig (they travel along paths) and when the pig passes these two leaves, and is chased by a hunter’s dogs, these leaves in this formation are said to sap some of the pig’s energy and thus allow the dogs to catch up with it. This was explained to Tony by another person who mentioned it as a sort of magical power possessed by this type of fern.

numutan

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n. kind of fish (folk name)

nuueced

n. a brook that is dry in dry weather

nässa

n. Carica papaya

Example: flower ovary taken internally against ciguatera

oho

v.n. to bear fruit as a tree

owag

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[owaŋ] num. six

rohalrohal

adj. rough, applied to sugarcane-leaf thatch

semi

adv. down hither

tatau

Sphyraena jello http://fishbase.org/summary/Sphyraena-jello.html
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n. Pickhandle barracuda

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