An example search has returned 100 entries

ahii

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n. white (color)

ahod

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v. to weave, to plait

ahtowan

v. to weed

ajujai

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v.n. to go up, or go east

anaclelen

n. forecast

apam

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v.n. to come

ap̃ok anjap

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

atause

v.n. to go ashore

edel

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v. to grow

Et elwa intisiaicai

phr. the flowers are come out.

et haklin an

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[et haklin an] phr. he is small

haklin

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adj. small

ianiv

n. yesterday

idahod

v. to sprout largely; also "ujipsotan"

imtiat

Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.
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n. plastic bailer, bottle to get water out of canoe

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

inceomlow

Astronidium aneityense
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n. small tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4021)

incispev

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.
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n. tree. Growing in village garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #19)

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.

indijinecei

Acanthurus guttatus http://fishbase.org/summary/Acanthurus-guttatus.html
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n. Whitespotted surgeonfish, southern dialect

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

inharedej

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n. kind of fish

inhelegaij

n. kind of sugarcane; also "nalgaij"

injupura upni

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[inʤupurapni] phr. Good evening. (greeting around sunset)

inmehtas

n. kind of breadfruit

inmouwat

n. Ipomea indica

Example: latex blown from stalk using it like a straw; anti-hemorrhage

inm̃aka

1. A durable hardwood that is used for house posts. 2. The wood is used to fashion cross members that affix outriggers to the body of the canoe. 3. 4-5 inch diameter saplings are used to create a track in the forest that larger logs can roll down.
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n. well branched tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4022)

Example: 1. A durable hardwood that is used for house posts. 2. The wood is used to fashion cross members that affix outriggers to the body of the canoe. 3. 4-5 inch diameter saplings are used to create a track in the forest that larger logs can roll down.

inpa u natmas

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 inpoutnatmas, 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. This plant is special and people grew it – use it after burial of a chief – wash hands with these leaves and water to cleanse the people who buried the chief. 3. Name means belongs to the spirit
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n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #13)

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 inpoutnatmas, 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. This plant is special and people grew it – use it after burial of a chief – wash hands with these leaves and water to cleanse the people who buried the chief. 3. Name means belongs to the spirit

inpakanhas

The stems are used for house posts as they are very strong.
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n. fallen tree, growing in coastal vegetation along strand. Flowers orange. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3554)

Example: The stems are used for house posts as they are very strong.

inrukdum nohos

n. kind of banana

intelecha

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n. Spathoglottis petri (RPV #166)

intelo

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n. high tide

intesyan numarei

Lethrinus genivittatus http://fishbase.org/summary/Lethrinus-genivittatus.html
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n. Longspine emperor

Example: Photo by Museum of New Zealand / Te Papa Tongarewa, License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

intisianmop

n. kind of sugarcane

intiʧ nag

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[intiʧ ɲaŋ] n. ear

intoutau

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.
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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.

inucai

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n. kind of bush

inwah iran

n. seed

inya

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n. Pacific ironwood, horsetail tree (RPV #26)

inyat lelcei

Endiandra aneityensis
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n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4032)

lakasia

Leucaena leucocephala
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n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4767)

ledcey

Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.
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n. coconut crab

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

lep

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conj. and

mafure mafutoga

n. an astronomy term; no definition given

maya ga o’oh

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[maja ga oʔo] phr. yes or no (traditional)

meret

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v. like

nadimi dama

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[nadimi dama] phr. four men (there are)

nadouyatmas

Delarbrea paradoxa
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n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4069)

naerum̃an

Leucaena forsteri
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n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3725)

nagag ~ nacag

Tringa hypoleucos
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[nagag ~ naɣag] n. Sandpiper

Example: Photo by Frans Vandewalle, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

naha

n. a thistle

naha

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[naha] n. plant for wrapping fish, lily plant that grows in coastal areas

nahau

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n. turtle

naheñ

1. Young saplings are used to prepare a fishing spear. First a straight sapling is chosen and sized. Then it is heated over a fire to render it pliable. After the length is straightened, it is decorticated. Once cooled, a portion of wire can be affixed to an end to aid in spearing fish.
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n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4066)

Example: 1. Young saplings are used to prepare a fishing spear. First a straight sapling is chosen and sized. Then it is heated over a fire to render it pliable. After the length is straightened, it is decorticated. Once cooled, a portion of wire can be affixed to an end to aid in spearing fish.

nahraren nepig

n. dawn of day

nairek

To make a local broom, gather a group of branches of this plant, tie together, burn off the leaves when they are dry and then use to sweep (photo with Wopa).
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n. shrub to 2 m, dbh 5 com (collection: Michael J. Balick #4875)

Example: To make a local broom, gather a group of branches of this plant, tie together, burn off the leaves when they are dry and then use to sweep (photo with Wopa).

najgauelcau

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n. kind of fish

nala

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.
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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.

namakapasi

A type of roselle that is a weed growing in swampy areas.
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n. shrub, 1. 5-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3606)

Example: A type of roselle that is a weed growing in swampy areas.

name cedo

Freycinetia impavida
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n. epiphytic liana climbing up main trunk of garcinia pseudoguttifera, growing in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4014)

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)

napau

n. kind of tree

nareramgei

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[nareramɣei] n. kind of banana (fat)

nasieij

n. kind of tree

natji

The wood of this species is used to make a spear for fishing. The wood can also be used to make spears for hunting wild pigs.
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n. shrub, 1. 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3469)

Example: The wood of this species is used to make a spear for fishing. The wood can also be used to make spears for hunting wild pigs.

nawuranig

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[nawuraniŋ] phr. thank you

neduwudu

adj. full of seeds, as the pawpaw apple

nehei

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n. taro, a type that is more bitter, must be twice cooked (RPV #146c)

nelm̃ap

Pipturus argenteus
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n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4795)

nelyat

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n. nellet tree (RPV #116)

nemtanla

If a person is coming to a "new" village, e.g. not their own, and they have a branch in their hand, it means that they are coming in peace and not trying to harm anyone else in the new village. Or if they are asking for something that might be found in the new village, they hold the branch of this species and pass it to a person from that village so they will accept you.
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n. herb to 1 m, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4892)

Example: If a person is coming to a "new" village, e.g. not their own, and they have a branch in their hand, it means that they are coming in peace and not trying to harm anyone else in the new village. Or if they are asking for something that might be found in the new village, they hold the branch of this species and pass it to a person from that village so they will accept you.

nereñ

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n. leaf

nevak

n. prepared pandanus leaf

nidou

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n. kind of shellfish

nigirid

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. The young stems of this plant are used in home construction but as they are small and thin, they are not used for posts.
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n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3479)

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. The young stems of this plant are used in home construction but as they are small and thin, they are not used for posts.

nijma

When the flowers of this plant are green, it is an indication that the cool season is approaching; when the flowers are brown, the dry season is coming. The wood is used to make rafters for the roof of houses, on which to tie thatch.
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n. fallen tree, growing in canopy gap in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3465)

Example: When the flowers of this plant are green, it is an indication that the cool season is approaching; when the flowers are brown, the dry season is coming. The wood is used to make rafters for the roof of houses, on which to tie thatch.

nijom̃kan

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.
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n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3484)

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.

nikwunitei

Cyathea
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n. small tree-fern, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3269)

nillum

n. a species of seaweed

nilpodou

This is for a medicinal tea to give energy to a person who is not feeling well. Collect a handful of young stem apices and boil in 2-3 cups of water. Drink warm to help the body be strong and healthy. It is also good to treat diarrhea. When a person feels well again, stop this treatment but they can also drink this 1x daily, once before breakfast or before lunch, as a healthful tea.
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n. herb, growing at edge of garden area. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3599)

Example: This is for a medicinal tea to give energy to a person who is not feeling well. Collect a handful of young stem apices and boil in 2-3 cups of water. Drink warm to help the body be strong and healthy. It is also good to treat diarrhea. When a person feels well again, stop this treatment but they can also drink this 1x daily, once before breakfast or before lunch, as a healthful tea.

ninehen numu

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[ninɛhɛn nʊmʊ] n. fish scales

niri

This grass is used to thatch the roof of a traditional house. Tie bunches of the grass on a stick ca. 2 m long, using string from Pandanus or other vines. Lay these on the roof and tie these sticks with grass on crossbars to secure them. The flowers of this grass are harvested and put in bags to make pillows. The flowers are soft and easy to gather and make a nice pillow.
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n. grass to 1 m tall, florets brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4973)

Example: This grass is used to thatch the roof of a traditional house. Tie bunches of the grass on a stick ca. 2 m long, using string from Pandanus or other vines. Lay these on the roof and tie these sticks with grass on crossbars to secure them. The flowers of this grass are harvested and put in bags to make pillows. The flowers are soft and easy to gather and make a nice pillow.

nisiug

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

nitatel (a nelco)

Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.
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[nitaʔtel (a nelʝo)] n. seat (for a canoe)

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

nofowai

n. river

nofoñhalav

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n. kind of shellfish

noho

Ipomoea pes-caprae
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n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4793)

nohos aiyu

n. the sweet banana

nohowanesei

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n. kind of shellfish

nohwai itai

n. corn

nowanʧa

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[nowanʧa] n. egg

noyeiwow

This is a cultivated, edible tuber. If a cyclone comes and blows the vines, the tuber will still be intact. The vines of this type of Dioscorea are very strong. Normal yam vine tears in high winds and the tuber will not grow for food but will die; this one will not. It is very good for places with strong winds and storms.
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n. vine to 4 m, cultivated (collection: Michael J. Balick #5013)

Example: This is a cultivated, edible tuber. If a cyclone comes and blows the vines, the tuber will still be intact. The vines of this type of Dioscorea are very strong. Normal yam vine tears in high winds and the tuber will not grow for food but will die; this one will not. It is very good for places with strong winds and storms.

nuarin aridjai vaig

n. an upward slope

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.

numnyac

n. a kind of bulbous root

nyihivac

1. A "calendar plant". When this flowers in the bush, and people are making their gardens in that area, it means the garden is ready to harvest. 2. Firewood, calendar, and message plant – for people who live up in the forest can see this coastal plant and when it flowers it is a good time to go fishing or to move to the coastal area for a few weeks to relax. July-August. Tide is low so everything is exposed so it is a good time to fish for there, 2 months. 3. Flowers have a nice nectar, sweet, kids drink.
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n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3263)

Example: 1. A "calendar plant". When this flowers in the bush, and people are making their gardens in that area, it means the garden is ready to harvest. 2. Firewood, calendar, and message plant – for people who live up in the forest can see this coastal plant and when it flowers it is a good time to go fishing or to move to the coastal area for a few weeks to relax. July-August. Tide is low so everything is exposed so it is a good time to fish for there, 2 months. 3. Flowers have a nice nectar, sweet, kids drink.

nähäwanatschill

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

pakpakoa

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n. kind of breadfruit (old kind no longer known)

pehpahai

v.n. sail inside of reef

pudvel

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.
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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.

simi

adv. down here; also "sime"

uriicai

adj. made of branches

warogo

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n. kind of fish (folk name)