Aneityum

v.n. go forth

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.n. go past

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

[alpos] adj. big

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. go back into shore; go further up into the bush; go inland

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[ak͡pok anʤap̚] phr. we go out into the sea

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.a. to ascend, to go up

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. lay down

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to blossom as reeds

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 129

[et puarapuanan par lei] phr. he went there and he took it

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. soft, as an infant’s foot, or new leaves.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. small tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3528)

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.

Scientific name: Santalum austrocaledonicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Pink whipray

Example: Photo by zsispeo, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Himantura fai, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. astronomy word, no def. given--possibly referring to a common shellfish "inhudaig". no def. for "ecro" or any feasible alternate spellings.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus phlegmaria, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. breadfruit

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4768)

Scientific name: Tabernaemontana pandacaqui, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[inman] n. bird, general name

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3692)

Scientific name: Acacia spirorbis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a horse-chestnut tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. Foxface

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

Scientific name: Siganus vulpinus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. trees, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4133)

Scientific name: Caryota ophiopellis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. coconut grating bench

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[intiʧ ɲaŋ] n. ear

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

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. brook

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 131

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4143)

Scientific name: Syzygium richii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

v. to chip off small branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 90

adj. afar

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. a giant

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. like

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. half tide when rising

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 93

n. herb to 1. 5 m tall, flowers yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4894)

Example: When seeds are grey-white, they are ripe. Pick these and make decorations out of them such as necklaces. Women make these necklaces.

Scientific name: Coix lacryma-jobi, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4797)

Scientific name: Coix lacryma-jobi, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. half-tide, ebbing

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 155

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane; also "inhelegaij"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. shrub to 2 m, flowers white. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4926)

Example: Use the leaves to make compost to be placed at the bottom of the hole where taro is to be planted, cover with soil and grow the taro in that hole. Serves as a fertilizer.

Scientific name: Scaevola taccada, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. small shrub, 0. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3219)

Example: 1. A stimulant plant. If a person is going to their garden early in the morning before the sun come up, break 2 top young leaves and chew and swallow the liquid, spitting out the fiber. This makes the person able to work harder and not feel tired while in the fields. It was noted that "a person can do the work of many people if they chew this." 2. The leaves are used for fertilizer for taro--put a bunch of leaves in a hole were taro is to be planted as a compost/antibiotic. This practice is said to kill all of the bad organisms such as bacttively impact the health of the taro plant. 3. This species is collected in the coastal areas, and is different from the one that looks similar to it, that grows in the forested areas. People take 4 leaves, chew leaves, swallow juice, gives energy to work hard the entire day. For fishing, take lots of ripe fruits and put in pocket, you will be able to catch a lot of fish. It brings good fortune when fishing. Roots – take one root, wash where a woman is giving birth to a newborn baby, give a drop of the juice from the root to clear the mucus in the throat.

Scientific name: Scaevola taccada, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3456)

Example: 1. The leaves of this plant are used as a fertilizer when a person plants taro "to help to feed the ground for next year." 2. Sapwood of this tree, and one more [GMP 3591], in old days take from west side and cross mountain to the east, and on red clay mountain, burn it to make spirits to give more sun instead of rain so that gardens will grow well.

Scientific name: Scaevola cylindrica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nawʊn nɛθoʊn] n. leg

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. grass. Found along intra village path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #35)

Example: 1. Bath for babies to make them healthy and walk faster, mix with plants WAKAS (AAB 34), NITIDEI (GMP 3658 or 4043), and a grass NATUTAHUT (MJB 4945). Put all in a kettle filled of water and wash them with it – use 1 handful of each leaf.

Scientific name: Digitaria sp., Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. sparsely branched tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3493)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food.

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. the skin or rind of food

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. a bamboo flute

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 151

n. a reed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

[nawuraniŋ upni] phr. thank you very much

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[neɪjanθel] n. coconut with sprout

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. terrestrial plant, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3509)

Example: This is a "message plant" that signifies that there has been a death. The person holds it or puts it on their head, goes to another person’s house and hands it to the person they wish to convey the message to, without saying anything and that person knows that someone has died. It can also be handed to that person. The person receiving the message then asks "who" and is told the deceased person’s name.

Scientific name: Selaginella durvillei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial plant on forest floor, growing in disturbed forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3483)

Example: 1. This is a "message plant" that signifies that there has been a death. The person holds it or puts it on their head, goes to another person’s house and hands it to the person they wish to convey the message to, without saying anything and that person knows that someone has died. It can also be handed to that person. The person receiving the message then asks "who" and is told the deceased person’s name. 2. Use it to produce more fog on top of mountain – use w/ another plant, nap̃at (GMP 3268) – put these in a hole on the sacred stone to ferment as it fills with water. After it rots there will be a lot of fog. Name of stone = NAEMOSO. So the fog helps keep the plants moist and growing well.

Scientific name: Selaginella firmula, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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. tree to 5 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4901)

Scientific name: Plerandra tannae, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub, somewhat scandent (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3443)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. grass; weeds; thistle

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. sailing canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the name of a poisonous plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Black jack

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

Scientific name: Caranx lugubris via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. grass to 70 cm tall, sterile. Cultivated at the side of a field. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4958)

Example: The leaves and stems are boiled in water to make tea. The base of the leaves (the whitish part) is used to cook foods that have a strong odor, such as goat or shark. The base is sliced and put in the soup and this helps to keep the smell of the goat or shark from infusing through the rest of the food and making it less palatable. In some areas of Aneityum, such as in cassava fields, there is a fungus that kills the crops. This species is interplanted with the crops to kill that fungus and protect the crop plants.

Scientific name: Cymbopogon citratus, Speaker: Tony Keith

[niaŋa a nʊpsiʤman] n. fingernail

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. frankincense

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 152

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4867)

Example: Fruits are sweet and edible when ripe. This plant is an indicator of rich soil, a good place to plant one’s garden. The leaves of this species are mixed in with other leaves for an unspecified local medicine that helps to remove spiritual sickness

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3507)

Example: The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree ?? it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree fern, 2-3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4100)

Example: 1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the black one. See GMP #4102, Cyathea sp, which is considered the white one.

Scientific name: Cyathea decurrens, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a plant like a banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 101

n. midnight; also "nijihgan nepig"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. the name of a tree, the leaves of which blister

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

[nipʧin niri] n. shell (empty)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[nipʧinite] n. cooking pot

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of seashell

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nitaʔto] v. to bake

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. terrestrial fern, growing in primary rainforest. [in transect t9-3] (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3631)

Example: Use it to cover fruit of inm̃ap (Inocarpus fagifer) in earth oven.

Scientific name: Christella dentata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. river

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 179

n. Thumbprint emperor, blackspot emperor

Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

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

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3626)

Scientific name: Arytera neoebudensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. an upward slope

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

v.n. sail inside of reef

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

[ritastas ara] phr. they are talking

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

adj. adjacent

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

v.a. to lop off small branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

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

n. a creeping plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 112