Aneityum

v.a. pass over or through a country

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to fish (in the deep sea)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[ahi] adj. white (color)

Speaker: David Nasauman

adj. sweet; shady

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 57

v.n. to cross over or above, as over a fence, or tree in a path, or on stones through a river

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 58

adj. backwards

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to plant taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. cut

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to go ashore

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 66

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Annona glabra

v.a. to spread abroad; to go everywhere

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 73

adj. afar

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 75

phr. the reeds blossom.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

[et ovan emθa] phr. the strength was really strong

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. tomorrow

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 84

n. "good" (domesticated) kava (RPV #133)

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[inɣaitisian] n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. taro (RPV #146b)

Scientific name: Caladium bicolor, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[indraʊmu] n. fish prepared in a wrapping of pandanus leaf

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. a comet

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. vine climbing on Geissois denhamii (GMP #3522), growing in open (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3524)

Example: The word itougo means from a different country or place outside of Aneityum. The plant was introduced by the first missionaries who came to Port Patrick. Calendar plant – sea cost people see this flower in the forest and they know it is time to go into garden and harvest taro or make new gardens– see GMP 3263. This is also good firewood.

Scientific name: Operculina turpethum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. canoe paddle

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. terrestrial plant and epiphyte at base of trees, growing in cloud forest in valley between inrerow and adjacent summit. Inflorescences pale yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3278)

Scientific name: Collospermum montanum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub, 0. 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3562)

Example: In the past the ancestors learned to cook the leaves of this species with fish in an earth over and then eat the leaves as well as the fish. Today, fish are wrapped with small leaves and then covered with lap-lap leaf (Polyscias) and cooked in an earth oven. This plant is also a "calendar plant." When you see this plant flower you know that sea turtles are getting fat and ready to harvest. As a "message plant", 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 for kava

Scientific name: Wollastonia biflora, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphytic orchid, growing in dense rainforest. Fruit green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4110)

Scientific name: Coelogyne lamellata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

conj. but

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. erect grass (called ’whitegrass’), growing in coastal forest just behind strand vegetation. Inflorescences whitish. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3440)

Scientific name: Imperata cylindrica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nadimi itij] phr. one man

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tree, 14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3710)

Example: The nut of this tree is edible. Crack open the fruit and eat the seed raw. It can also be used to plug holes in a canoe.

Scientific name: Canarium harveyi, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. lily. Cultivated grows in village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #3)

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. Wrap leaf around fish to cook it on fire, tie with pandanus or any bush, vine. Also used to bake Cyrtosperma merkusii in same way as AAM 1 because it has thick watery leaves. 3. For a person who has been burned by the fire, cut the leaf and drip the sap on the burn to cool it – stops burning feeling. 4. If your joints – elbow, wrist, knee, ankle – feel so cold that they are painful, then heat the leaf on both sides and lay it on painful area. It will take the cold and pain away.

Scientific name: Furcraea gigantea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 2-3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3455)

Example: Fertilizer, take fresh leaves and put in area where plant taro.

Scientific name: Psychotria milnei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of banana (short fruits)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3217)

Example: 1a. When traveling past a community you can place these leaves in a basket or walk with it in your hand. In this way people in the community know that you are traveling in peace and will cause no harm to people in that village. 1b. Message plant – if you go to visit someone and they are not there, you leave a branch of this on the door or somewhere they can see it and they know that some relatives have come and tried to visit them.

Scientific name: Dendrolobium umbellatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of plantain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of plantain (strong one)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a light wind; the beginning of a wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. herb to 3 m tall, fruits black. Secondary forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4905)

Example: Leaves used to wrap around cassava that is being baked in the earth oven.

Scientific name: Joinvillea plicata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a species of grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. a species of grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a bulrush; a flag

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. treelet, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4067)

Example: 1. When pig is cooked in an earth oven, branches of this speces are used to cover the pig, before hot rocks are heaped on top.

Scientific name: Ficus kajewskii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nawuraniŋ] phr. thank you

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[nawuraniŋ upni] phr. thank you very much

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. herb, growing at edge of garden area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3601)

Example: This is a "calendar plant". In winter months, if a person sees this plant in flower it is confirmation that the sea turtle has plenty of grease or fat and is good to eat. As a medicine for a cut, collect some leaves, mash them and squeeze the juice on a cut or sore on the body. Do this treatment 3x daily until the sore dries up or the cut heals.

Scientific name: Ageratum conyzoides, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. epiphyte on prop roots and main tree trunks, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4044)

Scientific name: Asplenium amboinense, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nɛʝɲan natimi] n. footprints (human)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. Little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish

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

Scientific name: Siganus spinus via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3273)

Scientific name: Astronidium aneityense, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[nepiŋ u nausej] n. dark clouds before the daylight breaks through

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tree to 10 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4988)

Example: The young aerial roots are cut from the stems of the tree and used as a local rope, to tie things, help construct temporary shelters, as well as to make string for a hunting bow. Flying foxes like to eat this fruit so in the night when the fruit is mature hunters come by this tree to hunt flying foxes as well as hunting birds during the day. Hunters use bows and arrows for birds, and throwing sticks (natou) made from any plant to hunt flying foxes.

Scientific name: Ficus kajewskii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. the tow of flax

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. a poisonous plant used to stupefy fish; also "netokin"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

[niɣɛn nʊmʊ] n. fish tail

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. shrub to 2 m ,fruits green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4884)

Example: When the new leaves form on this plant, people say that it is time to plant taro. The wood of the larger tree is good for posts.

Scientific name: Decaspermum neoebudicum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[nija] n. cup for bait

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. tree, 10-12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4061)

Example: 1. When cooking "Naura" (freshwater prawns), the leaves are used to wrap them before they are roasted in a fire. 2. When making lap-lap (a traditional dish made of grated root crops), and the lap-lap leaf is unavailable (Heliconia sp.), use the large leaf of this species to wrap the taro.

Scientific name: Dillenia neoebudica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[niʧɛn jaoʊ] n. butt

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3491)

Example: Name means smash tooth. 1. This is part of an unspecified mixture that can be used as a spell to give another person a toothache. 2. Toothache – chew leaves on the sore tooth and leave it there for a while and spit it out – it will break the tooth and you can take it out, leave on 20 minutes.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus myrianthus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[ninɛhɛn nʊmʊ] n. fish scales

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. tree, 10. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3632)

Example: This plant produces a very strong wood that can be used for an ax or knife handle or a handle for any type of tool. It is a good wood for house posts. It must be dried to use, but it can be dried without the use of fire. Made as with others in ancient days used to make a war club, shape with stone, heat in fire to make it strong.

Scientific name: Mimusops elengi, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nepjeŋ] n. fish bait

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. wooden dish

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Blue-spotted stingray

Example: Photo by Richard Ling / Flickr.com, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Neotrygon kuhlii, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. a tree, the leaves of which have no center rib

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. a bundle of reeds; also "nohudieg"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

[nohoɪjam] n. fan of woven pandanus leaf

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[nohos anu ziland opuah] n. kind of banana (gray sp. from New Zealand)

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nohos isaina] n. kind of banana (sp. from China)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. terrestrial fern growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. Leaves dimorphic. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3285)

Scientific name: Blechnum vulcanicum

[nomrɪn diʧinan] n. fin (of a fish)

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[noporo pora] n. coconut basket

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3571)

Example: As a medicinal plant, take the ripe fruits, put it in a dish or bucket, squeeze out the juice and save it for drinking. The dose is 1 tablespoon, morning and afternoon if a person feels tired. This treatment will help give energy to a person. The leaves are placed on the bottom and top of an earth oven to help cook the food. The leaves are also used to wrap shellfish for cooking over a fire. When chewing kava root to prepare it for drinking, put the piles of chewed root on top of this leaf to keep it clean. Some men cut the green fruit in half and rub it against the skin of their face after shaving to protect the skin from rashes and irritations.

Scientific name: Morinda citrifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nowoɣ] n. red clouds after sunset

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. plain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 172

n. vine, growing in open disturbed area. Flowers white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3589)

Example: To build a cyclone house, take the vine of this species to tie pieces of the house. To prepare the vine for use as rope, collect many feet of it, put it in a fire, roll it in a figure 8, wait until it softens and then use for tying. This vine is hard and needs to be heated to a high temperature in the fire to make it soft; the person preparing this must use gloves to tie it to the posts and rafters while it is still warm. When it cools, it is very strong. Rope made from this vine will last a long time--perhaps 10-15 years. It can also be used to make a regular house.

Scientific name: Jasminum didymum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. cultivated anthropogenic landscape (lawn and planted trees). (collection: Keith E. Clancy #6655)

Scientific name: Carpoxylon macrospermum

n. tree to 20 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4976). Loanword for introduced species.

Example: This tree was introduced as a source of timber and has been widely planted on this part of the island. The cone is used to throw on a fire as it is said that the smoke will keep away mosquitoes.

Scientific name: Pinus caribaea, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. herb to 2 m, flowers white. Growing at edge of secondary forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4967)

Example: Peel the outer stem of this plant and weave two pieces of this together to make and armband to hold fragrant leaves for Kastom ceremony.

Scientific name: Donax canniformis, Speaker: Tony Keith

adv. seaward

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

[tarinʤipnan] adj. very strong (has a lot of muscles)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

n. herb. Found along intra village path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #34)

Example: 1. To make baby grow strong - Take 16 tops of the plant, no flowers, and squeeze them into baby’s bath water. Bath baby in the water and let it dry on the baby. Don’t towel dry. 2. Medicine – take a large leaf, crush and rub it but don’t break it – just soften it and open it and cover the fresh cut with it – leave it there to heal the wound. Keep changing it until the wound gets healed. 3. For headache and fever – flu – take branches with no flowers or seeds, boil it 15 minutes to extract brownish juice, drink 1 cup hot 2, per day – morning and evening for 5 days. 4. The fruits – 7 – chew and swallow for stomachache. 5. Tie stems for broom.

Scientific name: Sida rhombifolia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

v.a. beat so as to shake a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127