Aneityum

v. make

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

white

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[amŋinwei] phr. drink water

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. on another day

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[apuat pam] n. just dark now, black

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. to fish (by moonlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. apply (as in oil to skin); paint

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. sail without making headway

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

v. to burn ground for planting

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 74

n. beat coconut fiber

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

adj. soft, over-ripe, as breadfruit.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4794)

Scientific name: Rivina humilis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4759)

Scientific name: Gahnia aspera, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Sabre squirrelfish

Example: Photo by Andy A. Lewis / Lizard Island Research Station, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Sargocentron spiniferum via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. puppy, dog

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. low tree. Found along the coast. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #11)

Example: 1. To speed up delivery and reduce painin labor - Take a piece of stem from a small branch and take the skin and outter bark off. Grate out the inner part with water and squeeze out juice into a cup for the woman to drink. 2. To help with pain/difficulty giving birth - Take even numbers of inhoa top leaves (Must have a partner so the lone top is not vulnerable to bad spirits - in all Rosita’s medicines, she always uses partners like this). Using 2, 4, or 6, of these leaves chew them and swallow the whole thing. This is slippery. Take at the first pain.

Scientific name: Hibiscus tiliaceus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Macaranga tanarius (RPV #42)

Scientific name: Macaranga tanarius, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3441)

Example: Flowers put in hear as an ornament that has power because it is so beautiful. Leaves are burned and added to a bamboo pipe and mix with a foam that forms in fresh water, when people go to a traditional dance, men paint part of their face eyebrows and beard to attract attention, hence the name, pone part of which "am̃a" means "staring", because it will cause people to stare at the one wearing it.

Scientific name: Abutilon indicum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[inʤa] n. blood

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[inʤupki upni] phr. Good afternoon. (greeting around noon time, 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock, afternoon)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4754)

Scientific name: Passiflora suberosa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. native petticoat

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. shrub to 2 m in height, flowers white. In agricultural field. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4951)

Example: The young leaves are used to protect food as it is being cooked on an earth oven. To prepare the oven, pile hot stones, then put a layer of leaves on the stones, and then place hot stones on top of the leaves. To make a hot oven, the stones are lined in a pit, a fire lit, more stones placed on firewood and the top layer of stones gets very hot. Then, remove the stones from the top of the wood, and cook food o the bottom layer of stones, add a layer of leaves, place the food on top of this, then cover with a layer of leaves and then pile the rest of the hot stones on top of the leaves.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. a foreign convolvulus

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[inpah] n. leaves worn around head

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. today

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 88

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. bush land where forest trees grow; also "intucjip"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

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

Scientific name: Coelogyne lamellata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4758)

Scientific name: Pyrostegia venusta, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4772)

Scientific name: Cerbera manghas, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3576)

Example: This plant is used to make a temporary house along the coast. It is considered "namba one" for shade. It is also an unspecified "message plant.

Scientific name: Leucaena forsteri, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. fern. Growing in a village back path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #29)

Example: 1. To cure when the anus falls out - Pound together 1 braches worth of inpalcapnesgin leaves and of both inloptiri (2-4 leaves, any age), also take the inner bark of nekeaitimi and nakhe. Put this into your hand, or another leaf and give it to the person to use it. This should be applied to the anus whenever the anus comes out. USed to use a clam shell to extract the bark but not anymore.

Scientific name: Ptisana smithii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4755)

Scientific name: Pittosporum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nalauba] n. Emerald Dove

Example: Photo by Dr. Raju Kasambe/Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific name: Chalcophaps indica, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. herb to 10 cm, sterile (collection: Michael J. Balick #4985)

Example: This plant is a very important food during a famine. People dig up the roots and roast these on the embers of a fire for 25 minutes, then check the root to get out the starchy material, and spit out the fiber. There is said to be little taste; this is a bland food that a person eats to survive. People on Aneityum have harvested it for a very long time so there is not as much of a supply left as in the past.

Speaker: Tony Keith

n. well branched tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4081)

Example: 1. The wood is used to carve a bi-handle bowl from which chiefs would drink kava.

Scientific name: Glochidion ramiflorum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. coconut alcohol

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. large scandent herb, to 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3453)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used to wrap manihot, fish, banana and other vegetables when cooking them in an earth oven or open fire.

Scientific name: Joinvillea plicata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub. Growing near the beach. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #4)

Example: 1. Dried branches from this plant can be used to roast vegetable crops that women eat if they have problems becoming pregnant. 2. Firewood, burns well. 3. Some people will eat the green fruit for protection against black magic. Eat 5 fruits for this. Eat it only once – will last for a year.

Scientific name: Scaevola taccada, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. well branched tree, 14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3651)

Example: Poles made from this plant are used for house rafters and burned for firewood. To plant taro in a swampy area, collect the leaves of this species and put them in the hole where the taro is to be planted, mix with a bit of soil and then plant the taro on top of that. Leaves are a type of fertilizer. Used when baking with the earth oven. Hot stones cover the food and then the leaves from this plant cover the stones. The leaves stay on the branch.

Scientific name: Polyscias cissodendron, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. chaff

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 134

n. tree. Growing in village garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #20)

Example: 1. 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. 2. Plant used to check with fish has ciguatera, in same way as other collection – GMP #4768. Stick white – OK to eat. Stick black or brown – not good.

Scientific name: Erythrina variegata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. epiphytic fern on tree trunk, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4087)

Example: 1. The name refers to a crustacean and also to the spines of bamboo.

Scientific name: Prosaptia contigua, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 0. 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3603)

Example: This plant has an unspecified use that is considered secret.

Scientific name: Breynia disticha, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. the east wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. firmament (astronomical)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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. It is a survival food.

Scientific name: Cordyline fruticosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. large-leafed orange mangrove (RPV #93)

Scientific name: Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Fringelip mullet

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

Scientific name: Crenimugil crenilabis via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. tares

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 192

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. cliff

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 135

n. grey mangrove (RPV #2)

Scientific name: Avicennia marina, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a large bat; the flying fox

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. a light wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

[iɲom] n. house

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[netupni] n. June (lit. good sugar cane)

Speaker: David Nasauman

[niʧinɛθoʊn] n. knee

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4775)

Scientific name: Commersonia bartramia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb to 50 cm, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4944)

Example: As a tonic medicine, collect a full handful of leaves, boil in one liter of water until fully cooked, then drink 1 cup 3x daily, warm, to treat a person who has worked too much, who is tired, to help their stomach and to help make them strong. For children and adults. Child’s dose is 1/2 cup, 3x daily until the child feels stronger.

Scientific name: Bidens pilosa, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. orange

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 169

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. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. beach

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

[nohor] n. Woodford’s Rail

Example: Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans / Wikimedia Commons, License: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific name: Nesoclopeus woodfordi, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. the sweet banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

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

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nombrɛ niʧinin] n. hair

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. Morinda citrifolia L.

Example: Fruit: eaten raw, constipation

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 444

n. Orangespot surgeonfish

Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Acanthurus olivaceus, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. manioc

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[nʊmʊ] n. fish (gen.)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[numu] n. fish (general)

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. seed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 182

n. vine climbing up ficus wassa, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4016)

Example: 1. The vine is use to lash roof rafters to house posts. The vine is collected from the forest and coiled ina figure 8 pattern. It is then heated over a fire before fastening the rafter to the post. 1 minute of heat is sufficient, before one immediately uses the vine.

Scientific name: Smilax vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[ovan] adj. strong

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[rabaθ] n. Peregrine Falcon

Example: Photo by Teddy Llovet, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 see more on Flickr See how this bird is featured in the origin story of Aneityum chiefs at see more on Youtube

Scientific name: Falco peregrinus, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

adv. near; inshore; near the shore

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. Blackfin barracuda

Example: Photo by Jan Messersmith, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Sphyraena qenie via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

v.a. to take off sprouts of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

adj. sour, applied to the water in coconuts

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

n. a sweet potato

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111