An example search has returned 100 entries
ahlaujai
v.n. go up
bookmarkapitak
v.n. go after
bookmarkigcase
n. a place down, or westward
bookmarkincejev ataheñ
incipñekrei
injuki
n. the afternoon
bookmarkinlepei u inpoded atamaiñ
inmac
inmohtan nohos
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinm̃aka
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.
bookmarkinpa u natmas
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
bookmarkinpece
n. tree to 15 m, dbh 50 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4918)
Example: The fruits of this tree are collected, mixed with ground coconut, boiled in water and the oil collected. The resulting oil is used medicinally, put on the skin for any condition to promote healing. Apply once a day until the condition resolves. Also can be used to treat head lice. Add the oil mixture to the hair, massage in, keep the hair dry for a day, then wash. Use once daily for 3 days.
bookmarkintal eref nein
intal eteuc
n. the name of a plant with a white flower; a lily
bookmarkintowosjei
intowosjei
inwaj
Reef needlefish, Reef longtoms
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinyacelcou
n. vine running many meters long over clay soil and grassy area on hillside where the triangular wooden signs are that used to be a landmark for ships coming to the island. Sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5008)
Example: This plant is the focus of an important legend on Aneityum. When the missionary John Geddie and colleaguse first arrived on the island in July of 1848, the Chiefs welcomed them but some of the people did not like the idea. So these people sent a basket containing a peeled coconut and a fish (nopom) to the Chief in Umej to ask him to support the idea of getting rid of the missionary that the Chief of Analcahuat had welcomed. If the Chief of Umej were to eat the fish and coconut meat, it would mean that he agreed with the opposition. The Chief refused to eat the food in the basket and he told the people a parable involving this plant. A person cannot find the tip of the stem or the end of the root in the ground. So if they were to eliminate the missionary, his activity would continue because of God’s power. As it is with this plant, it will continue to grow and flourish if you cut it or try to dig up the root. So he sent a message about this plant to the people in Analcahuat who objected to the presence of the missionary stating this parable. Those people in Analcauhat held a secret meeting and they chose a powerful and strong person to kill the missionary. During the night the person went to the missionary’s house while he was in the toilet. Returning to the house, the missionary found the person in his doorway, and that person lifted his club to strike the missionary. But at that point the attacker’s hands suddenly had no power and the club fell from his hands, and he fell over. The missionary told him to get up, and not come back. After that experience, the people of Umej realized that God’s power was great and they could not go against it. The Chief took the peeled coconut that was sent him and covered it with the skin of another coconut and planted it instead of eating it. This coconut grew and the missionary’s work continued to grow on the island. So this vine played an important role in communicating the power of God to the people of Aneityum.
bookmarkitaho
adj. inland
bookmarkkaru uwaruwa
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarkmaprum
medipmedip
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarknaha
n. herb to 1 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #5003)
Example: The leaves are used to wrap fish for cooking in an open fire. If you eat a bad fish and begin to feel the effects of it a few hours later, such as with Ciguatera illness, cut the base of the stem of this plant and let the sap drip into a half coconut shell with coconut water in it, drink the shell and it will make the person vomit out the bad food. It does not taste good but is very effective in making a person vomit as it contains a toxic compound.
bookmarknaheñ
nakhe
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.
bookmarknaledmot
namlau
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.
bookmarknapau emilmat
n. kind of taro
bookmarknapauwahpa
n. kind of taro
bookmarknarasitai
n. chaff
bookmarknaravi
n. a gathering of inmops or horse-chestnuts
bookmarknarayag
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.
bookmarknaridjai o un
n. east
bookmarknatu
n. grass; little bushes
bookmarknatuu
n. withered banana leaves
bookmarknauanavig
n. quicksands
bookmarknauanieg
n. reed
bookmarknaupitju
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.
bookmarknautahos
n. herb, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3280)
Example: A "message plant". In ancient times, this plant was used for communicating. If you go to a person who composes songs and give this to them, they will know to compose a song for you. Name means "flowers on the ground".
bookmarknefelelicai
n. grass; weeds; thistle
bookmarknefelelicai acen
n. hemlock
bookmarknehep
n. tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3590)
Example: 1. Used as a medicine to help stop bleeding. Take the inner bark, mash it, and dip in water. Then apply the poultice to the bleeding wound to help stop the bleeding. This treatment will also promote healing of the wound. When the poultice dries it becomes hard and sticks to the wound. At that point leave it on the wound until the pain goes away and then it can be peeled off of the wound. 2. Wood good for making canoe.
bookmarkneka
nelda
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkneroa
nerop
n. kind of banana
bookmarknetemu
neteng
n. Barringtonia asiatica L.
Example: inner bark: ground, added to dug pools in the sea as fish poison
bookmarknetigi
nidincai
n. balsam; resin
bookmarknijom̃kan
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.
bookmarknipjinamesei
n. Honeycomb grouper
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknipʧinite
nitetan
n. a fern
bookmarknohap
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknohos esjig inwai
n. a banana
bookmarknohwan yag
n. kind of taro
bookmarknomotmot tucjup
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknopropra (~ noporopora ?)
nop̃ou
n. tree. Found in the village, usually grows in the hills. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #16)
Example: 1. Lot of oil in the heartwood so it is good to start a fire, split it into small strips and you can light it for a fire. 2. Calendar plant – when the fruits ripen people know that this is the best season to eat the big hermit crab – meaning that they are fat.
bookmarknuarin abras
n. cliff
bookmarknuwuneto
pejadi
v.n. get off the reef
bookmarkucsalad tiklai cai
v.a. to lop off small branches
bookmarkuleme
adj. sour, applied to the water in coconuts
bookmark


