An example search has returned 100 entries
abäng
cubuj cubuj
n. Lattice soldierfish, violet soldierfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkecetaig an moije
v.n. to go on to a reef with a canoe or boat
bookmarkelum
v. to begin to form, as fruit
bookmarkhogelcou
n. royal albatross
bookmarkinceimohos
incetevak
n. Bluelined squirrelfish, Tahitian squirrelfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinholai
n. Blue sea chub, snubnose chub, topsail drummer
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinja
injañad
injañad
injuki
n. the afternoon
bookmarkinjupki upni
inlah
n. light
bookmarkinmaan
n. old coconut leaves
bookmarkinmal acujitai
n. a collection of plantations
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
n. shrub. Growing in the village. Cultivated. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #26)
Example: 1a. To stay healthy while pregnant - grate 1 coconut with nekei leaves, about a handfull (8). And 8 inpa leaves and 8 niditau leaves. Pound all of this together and squeeze juice out and bath in this then jump into a clear river to wash it off. 1b. Handful of leaves mashed with grated coconut and put in a shell, heat stones and put in shell, then take hot liquid to rub on body of woman who have just delivered to make their bodies healthy again, back to normal – when they deliver they are in huts, then wash with this and then come out of the huts and rejoin family. 2. Symbolic plant for peace (name means peace). 3. Message plant – put small tips of leaves in hair or make hat out of it and people know you come in peace. 4. When giving a gift, put this leaf on the gift, as in a basket – people wear them they are happy and peaceful – it is symbolic of Aneityumese people – so even when the people leave the island they will grow this plant. 5. People bathe with this leaf, mixed with grated coconut and cover body and hair to smell good and be strong. 6. Mosquito repellant, build fire, put green leaves on top, smoke and aroma chases mosquito away. 7. Take top of leaf with 3 young leaves and put in hair as there is the belief that this plant symbolizes the trinity. So it protects people. If a person from the island goes elsewhere and is faced with black magic they bathe with a handful of leaves, boil them and bathe with the liquid to remove the spell. 8. Decorate people with this leaf day feasts, weddings, and other events – very sacred.
bookmarkintel e cha
n. terrestrial orchid, growing in open (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3523)
Example: This is a "message plant." If a person puts the flower behind their ear and then stares out at you, or tosses the flower to you, then say yes and follow them, for example, to drink kava, or to go swimming. Or a man invites a woman to go somewhere with him. Alternatively, you can leave the flower on a table and this is also a message to go with a person. Leaves also used to wrap foods. Decorate yard around the house.
bookmarkintelopse
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkinteses
n. parasite on branches of Geissois denhamii tree, growing in dense rainforest. Flowers orange-red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4028)
Example: 1. This plant is known to kill other trees and is regarded as a parasite. 2. The plant is related to kastom use regarding the separation of two lovers--more information witheld.
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.
bookmarkinyidjighos
n. the center rib of the coconut leaf
bookmarkkaias elauoh
n. kind of taro
bookmarkma
adj. ripe, as fruit; healed, as a wound; also "mah"
bookmarknagatia
n. treelet 2. 0-2. 5 m tall, dbh 3 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4858)
Example: If a chief passes away, they are burred in a sacred place. After burial, the people wash their hands with these leaves, mixed with water. The chiefs have a spiritual power and this is used to cleanse the people attending the funeral so that they do not get large sores on their leg or elsewhere on their body. This is part of the ritual for burying the chief.
bookmarknahaigjopdak
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahaijcai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahas alaig imi yin
n. p. taro for the dead
bookmarknahein
n. shrub to 1 m tall, frits green. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4880)
Example: Stems are used to produce cyclone houses--secure wild cane (Miscanthus) on the roof of the house. Fold cane in half over the stem of this plant and then lay it on the roof. Makes layers that resist the wind. The stem of this plant can be sharpened to make a fishing spear, or used as the shaft and a few wires are attached to the end.
bookmarknahren
n. half-tide, ebbing
bookmarknamarai
n. preserved breadfruit
bookmarkname cedo
namlau
nanad
napalhat
n. vine, growing on rocks at end of strand near coastal forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3690)
Example: As a medicine to treat toothache, the latex from this vine is put into the tooth as soon as the person feels pain. Use 3x daily until the pain has subsided. The flower is used as a decoration behind the ear. When there are rough seas because someone has trespassed in a tabu area you can take 12 leaves from the napalhat and put them in a pond for about 1 week until they start to stink. Then use we leaves from the naojapdak and drown those leaves in either a fresh water pond or salty water. (No further information given). Can also take an armful of napalhat and place on top of a stone in the tabu area with a smaller stone on top of the napaphat. The stone must be a large permanent stone. Has also heard people say it can be used for toothache if you put the leaf on the tooth.
bookmarknap̃ojev
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.
bookmarknasancai
n. a tree full of sap
bookmarknatiñpece
natji
nau inwai
n. channel of a stream
bookmarknau-hos
n. bamboo to 5 m, sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4940)
Example: Used to build walls of local houses. The outer skin is stripped off, stems cut in half then smashed flat, the inside is stripped clean and woven into walls. The cut pieces of entire stems can be filled with food and used for cooking that food. Cover both ends with leaves and cook. If a person has skin that becomes infected, use sharpened stem as a local knife to remove the infected area of skin. Use as a local water pipe to move water from one place to another (nobol). Either split the stem in half or punch the nodes out throughout the entire tube and use as a pipe.
bookmarknaytmas
n. tree to 5 m, dbh 4 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4898)
Example: The leaves are used to cover goat or pig meat when a person is roasting it on an earth oven It prevents it from burning and enhances the taste of the meat.
bookmarknecna p̃a
n. Largescale mullet
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknefelelicai
n. grass; weeds; thistle
bookmarknegejwaj
neijip
n. a mat of coconut leaf
bookmarkneijiv
n. species of pine
bookmarknekiko
n. kind of taro
bookmarknelgo waj
nelpon nohop a nelco
nemeg
n. Anchor tuskfish, Orange-dotted tuskfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein, iNaturalist: CC BY-A-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknepig
n. night
bookmarknepjen epjen
nepnai
n. tree to 5 m, flowers white. Growing in secondary forest with metroxylon palms and other large trees. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4954)
Example: The pear shaped fruits are eaten when ripe. Peel off the outer skin, eat inner part and discard the seed. The 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.
bookmarknetopdecraiñ
n. herb to 45 cm, seeds brown. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4888)
Example: The name of this plant means "division" -- if someone wants to help to destroy your business or home, they put this plant in front of your business or your home and this will help to scatter out your family from where they are living.
bookmarknipjin nalmu
nispak
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknitit a nelgo waj
nobohtan aiyu
n. meadow
bookmarknohoanma
n. breadfruit; also "nohwanma"
bookmarknohopcop
nomotan
n. Spangled emperor
Example: Photo by Richard Ling, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknucije
n. Sirius, the Dog Star
bookmarknugnyiobod
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknuputreiki
n. kind of tree
bookmarksepagko
adv. down yonder
bookmarksepamki
adv. down here
bookmarkugnis
v.a. to take off sprouts of taro
bookmarkwidinahau
n. kind of banana
bookmarkyasua
n. kind of taro
bookmark


