An example search has returned 100 entries
eucupupu (nieg)
v. to swell, as reeds when near blossoming
bookmarkevehel
n. light winds
bookmarkigcase
n. a place down, or westward
bookmarkilihilo
adj. soft, as an infant’s foot, or new leaves.
bookmarkincat tal
n. basket of taro
bookmarkinceimu
n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3464)
Example: This is a sacred plant. The wood is used for rafters in house building. To plant taro, take an 8 cm diameter stick, sharpen it and use to make holes for planting. The stick is as long as needed for a person to stand while making the hole.
bookmarkincijiñyat
n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3573)
Example: 1. This plant is used as firewood, but also the heartwood is sold. 2. In 2016, the first grade wood was 2500 VT per kilo, the second grade wood was 2000 VT per kilo. 3. The ancestors used to take the oil or wood chips from this tree and bathe with it to keep away evil spirits of the forest. It is currently planted on Aneityum for commerce. Scrape bark of sandalwood into coconut oil in same wat as GMP 3513 (gardenia) boil and take out the bark. 4. The leaves can be fed to pigs to make them strong and heavy.
bookmarkingaije
n. kind of tree
bookmarkinlepei u inpoded
n. epiphyte, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3664)
Example: This plant is used to make a head garland, but if you are going hunting or fishing do not put this on your head as you will not be successful in your quset. This is the grass skirt for the spirits; you can hear them but you cannot see them.
bookmarkinmauwad
n. a convolvulus
bookmarkinmetla
inmohtan nohos
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintate a nelgo waj
inwaj
n. Hound needlefish, crocodile long-tom
Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarklawog
lelceije
v.n. to walk abroad
bookmarknahaijcai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahcai milmat
naijema
n. cotton
bookmarknamlau
n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3490)
Example: 1. The larger stems of this plant can be used to build houses, for rafters. 2. It is also a good source of firewood. 3. Ancestors, before go to chief’s canal and want to talk about a complicated issue – a person would cut a branch and bring it to the sea and tap the water surface and would say what he wants, ask that he would want that issue to be solved and that others would follow his ideas and then go back to the meeting place and take stick, keep wind at his back, moving stick in all directions and then he will convince the people of his ideas. This is done by the chief’s spokesman. Helps convince the opposition. Helps keep power in hands of parent(??) chief rather than subchiefs who might have other ideas.
bookmarknapayu
n. kind of tree
bookmarknapoijec
n. kind of tree
bookmarknapupwi
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknap̃at
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.
bookmarknap̃od
nareram
n. kind of banana
bookmarknariko
n. bean
bookmarknarutu arari
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmark
nauincai
n. tree
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neduwudu
adj. full of seeds, as the pawpaw apple
bookmarknedwodou
n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3531)
Example: 1. For a child around 1 year of age, take the inside bark, mash it, boil in hot warter and then use it to wash the child. This will ensure that the child will grow strong and make them able to crawl fast. 2. If a woman who is one month pregnant would like to have a baby, she is given 4 of the tips of the branches to chew and swallow everything before breakfast 1x only. 3. For fishing, take 4 leaves, hold top side up, tear right half of leaves off, keep left side, roll it up and put with fishing gear to have good luck when fishing in the deep sea beyond the reef.
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nefitan nedoon nedoon
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarknehlan
n. a shrub, a plant, a sucker
bookmarkneijiv
n. fir; pine
bookmarkneijiv
n. species of pine
bookmarknejeg
n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3514)
Example: 1. The wood is strong and good to make house posts. People use these for this purpose on the coast as salt water does not bother this wood. 2. People eat fruit, split fruit in half, carefully scrape the inner part into a pot of water, keep over night – next day rinse, fry or cook with coconut milk and can add tinned tuna for example, very hard work.
bookmarknenis
n. cloth of coconut tree; anything useless. Ek idivaig nenis ainyak, I am quite useless
bookmarknepat
n. kind of banana
bookmarknepelvanwou
n. liana, on Polyscias cissodendron (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3457)
Example: 1. Macerate the young stems, remove the outer "skin" to release the odor of the stem and weave into a head garland for decoration. 2. People use it as a headdress. This is a male plant, ancestors used both male and female wrapped together for the headdress. Man would put this on head to attract a woman that he liked. Be careful when you are passing other women who will be attracted to the wearer – so the person can’t speak to them so he can focus on the one he is attracted to.
bookmarkneusjai
n. a fern tree
bookmarknidiape
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknidid
n. Ambon emperor
Example: Photo by FAO / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknidintaueuc
n. new coconut leaves
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nihivai
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
bookmarknikam
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.
bookmarknillum
n. moss
bookmarkniri nara
n. Blue-spotted stingray
Example: Photo by Richard Ling / Flickr.com, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknirom̃gei
niyeg
n. grass, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4071)
Example: 1. Dried leaves are used to make the thatch roofs of traditional houses. The same leaves are woven to make the walls of traditional houses. 2. When a large torch is required, many dried stems are bundled to form a flambeau. 3. The leaves of this plant are used to demarcate tabu areas. Further information about the practice withheld.
bookmarknodieg
n. a bundle of reeds; also "nohudieg"
bookmarknohos futuna
n. the Futuna banana
bookmarknohud ucnas
n. a bunch of taro; also "nuhud ucnas"
bookmarknop̃a
[nok͡pa] adj. grey ash (color)
bookmarknowigma
n. a dried or withered breadfruit tree
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.
bookmarknuhonwei
nupnyineuc
n. another name for masoa; arrowroot
bookmarknupunyepec
nädoiatmas
näthoiatmas
tehtehen
n. blossom (open)
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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