An example search has returned 100 entries
ahpeto
v. taro; yams
bookmarkapuhod pan nathut an nadiat
n. near morning
bookmarkeblaamnem
adj. adjacent
bookmarkinbul
n. native rose; rosa chinensis; the hibiscus; also "inpul"
bookmarkincacas
n. herb to 0. 75 m tall, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4953)
Example: The young leaves are edible; these should be collected, boiled for ca. 8 minutes and eaten with other foods such as cassava. This is one of the local leaves that is said to taste quite good when cooked and mixed with other foods. Both the ripe (red) and unripe (green) fruits are added to soup and other foods as a spice or eaten fresh. The fruit of this cultivar is very hot. The fruit is also fed to chickens who seem to love to eat it.
bookmarkincetcai
n. a bundle of wood for fire
bookmarkincetevak
n. Pink Squirrelfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkincipiñti
inhaij
n. the candle-nut tree; also "inhaig"
bookmarkinjivij
n. Titan triggerfish
Example: Photo by Leonard Low, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinlop̃otjap
inmaan
n. old coconut leaves
bookmarkinmaefata
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinmouwat
inp̃alanhas
inridjai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkintaig apig
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintekes ~ inrowod
intop̃ hau
n. well branched tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3202)
Example: 1. Young shoots are peeled and made into grass skirts. Scrape the stem and take the green part off, tie strips together and put under stones in the sea for retting, let sit 5 days in sea, but check these on a daily basis. When the fiber becomes soft, that is the time to take it from under the stones, clean off the excess materials, and hang it in the sun to dry for 3 days--this will bleach it and give it a whitish color, at which point it can be woven into a skirt. 2. The fiber can be used to make a small rope that is tied with shells and used for custom dances. 3. When the stems of this tree are older, the wood is very hard and it can be used to make the main frame that is arched for a cyclone house. According to Reuben these houses are not made much anymore on Aneityum Island. 4. To cook the intestines of fish that are eaten, take several leaves and put them in a small pile, making a wrapping, then use a local fiber to tie this together and cook on charcoal for as long as needed to prepare the fish parts. 5. In this area, sometimes knowledge of the plants and flowering are used as a calendar to indicate the time for planting of specific crops. Reuben will provide more details on a future trip. 6a. This species is an important "message plant." If a person is not home and you are visiting from the East--e.g. an Eastern part of the Island--that person can leave a 12 inch piece of stick in front of the door of the house so that the inhabitant knows that an eastern visitor (from Anawonjei district) has come by your home. The reason that person has come to visit is to pass an important message to you--good or bad "luck". The bad luck message might be a death, and is not told directly to the person. The good luck message might be a birth, or conflict that has been resolved. These messages are communicated using sticks--each district has a different species of plant. Reuben’s is the hibiscus. 6b. Message plant for Eastern people. If someone dies, use this plant, clip it in front of hem, in front of home, they ask “who” and you can tell them. In Eastern culture you cannot tell them directly. 7. When a person is too drunk with kava, take a branch of this and brush him with it to help make the effects go away. 8. Traditional plates for food.
bookmarkintop̃asiej
n. herb. Grows on the coast. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #18)
Example: 1. For painful urination - The first way to prepare this it to take four big leaves and pound them with some water to get out the juices and squeeze this into a cup and drink. This can also be given to babies and children. The second way is to take two small leaf tops and two that are slightly larger tops. Chew these leaves and try to swallow all of it, if you can’t swallow the leaves then spit out the fibers and only drink the juice. 2. Calendar plant – when it flowers, turtle has fat in them, hang turtle to dry, fat melts, and can collect and eat it. Past practice – not eaten now. 3. Young parts of leaves can be cooked as a cabbage with coconut milk. 4. Wrap fish, especially those from the sea, with this leaf – first take lap lap leaf, then layer with this leaf, then wrap fish tie with pandanus for cooking on charcoals. Also with reef fish can wrap and cook directly on charcoal. Then eat leaf with the fish. 5. Medicine – top unrolled leaf tips, – new baby put this in his mouth and then take it out again – believe that it will make the baby talkative – 1x only when 1-2 days old. Put tip on tongue – shut mouth for a few seconds then pull it out. 6. Tips of leaves for diarrhea – remove old leaves, take 1 tip for baby, adults 2-3 tips, chew it, swallow juice and spit out fiber. 1x day, 3 days.
bookmarkinwouasan
n. liana climbing on Syzygium, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Latex white (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4079)
bookmarkkatamal
kava
n. a plant from which an intoxicating drink is prepared
bookmarklaulau
adj. long, applied to time
bookmarknacigaces
nadiat meto
n. the middle of the forenoon
bookmarknafanu
n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3530)
Example: This plant grows in coastal areas, and is a good source of firewood. It can be used for house posts. The leaves are used as an unspecified medicine. There is a belief regarding the black and white sea snake, that represents a seawater spirit. Mix this with other unspecified leaves, mash together, squeeze into a bamboo tube and fill it. Give it to a woman to drink to keep the evil snake spirit away. The same preparation can be used to treat toothache, caused by the seawater spirit. "The spirit can trick you into going to fish every day."
bookmarknahi ateuc
n. a plant with white flowers; a lily
bookmarknahleuco yag
n. kind of taro
bookmarknahrarin nepig
n. early morning; around 3 o’clock
bookmarknake
nalmupeñ
namlau
namlau elwa
n. tree to 15 m tall, dbh 40 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4859)
Example: The wood of this tree is good for carving. The fibers go in one direction so it is easier to carve, for example, to make a kava bowl. In general, this is the species used to make kava bowls. If your kava is not strong, then making it in this bowl will make it stronger. The kind of bowl made from this tree has a handle on each side of the bowl and it is held with 2 hands. The place name Anumwmamlau is named after this tree. There are said to be two types of this tree--one with all green leaves (this specimen) and one with white and green leaves. If a person is going to a Tabu place and is concerned about spirits, they should take a handful of these leaves and wash the body all over with it--take a swim (bath) with it. Then the person can go to the Tabu place without risk. There are other unspecified spiritual uses of this tree. The second part of this local name "elwa" refers to the variegation of the leaves.
bookmarknamrad
namumuatamag
n. epiphyte on fallen tree, growing in disturbed forest. Fruit. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3474)
Example: When children feel weak, this is a good medicine for them. Squeeze the leaves and give the child (3-5 years of age) one tea spoon of the juice and it is said to make them strong again.
bookmarknapojev
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.
bookmarknapupwi a darumea
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknap̃ojev
naran
n. Orange-socket surgeonfish
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknasanhac
n. the poison of the inhac
bookmarknausap
n. kind of tree
bookmarkneaig ahi
n. a white coconut
bookmarknecrakiti
n. herb, growing at edge of garden area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3601)
Example: This is a "calendar plant". In winter months, if a person sees this plant in flower it is confirmation that the sea turtle has plenty of grease or fat and is good to eat. As a medicine for a cut, collect some leaves, mash them and squeeze the juice on a cut or sore on the body. Do this treatment 3x daily until the sore dries up or the cut heals.
bookmarknednañlelcei
neducai inhujid
n. kind of tree
bookmarkneduon yau
n. kind of banana
bookmarknehtumta
n. land newly planted with taro
bookmarkneijin nij
n. cliff
bookmarknejeg tau
nelm̃ai
n. tree to 8 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4863)
Example: Fiber: Collect the stems of this plant, peel off the outer bark, soak (ret) in seawater for 1 week, then put stone on top of it-the fibers are loosened by the retting, peel them off and hang in the sun to dry and bleach. Weave small baskets, grass skirts and other things from this fiber. When sticks are placed in areas of the sea, shells are attracted to these sticks and people can collect the shells used for adornment--the animals in the shells like to eat the material on the sticks. Dried fruits of this plant are eaten by birds.
bookmarknepelvan wou
n. liana, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Latex white (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4074)
Example: 1. The outer stem is used to make an ornament call "Intyecrec". When one returns from the bush, you make this to indicate your trip to the bush. Other plants are at times including in the dressing. Each have their own significance.
bookmarknerin
n. a leaf
bookmarknesgan nevig
n. a fresh coconut
bookmarknetemu
n. epiphyte on main trunk of Hernandia moerenhoutiana, pendant (1.7 m long) (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3648)
Example: Name means pile of fish. To protect a conservation area and restock it, collect pile of stems and leaves and put in a pool of water with stones on it. Fish will come and breed and area will have more fish. Fish in general
bookmarknidincai
n. balsam; resin
bookmarknigiti
nijom hubou
nilam
n. seaweed
bookmarknillum
n. moss
bookmarknisil
n. the center rib of the coconut leaflet; wire
bookmarknitschatimi
n. Cordyline fruticosa L.
Example: Leaf: chew (leprosy in mouth). Whole plant: planted for several Kastom purposes; many important Kastom-bound uses as magical or ornamental plant throughout Melanesia.
bookmarkniña
[niŋa] n. shell
bookmarknohos anhas
n. the Futuna banana
bookmarknohwai itai
n. berry
bookmarknomoj
n. cycad to 3 m tall, 25 cm dbh (collection: Michael J. Balick #5010)
Example: In the past there were no toys for the children, so people made toys from the seed of this plant. They peeled the fruit, took the seed, removed the inside, punched one hole on each side, put a string through each of the holes and twisted the string to spin the seed such that it would make a whistling sound as the fruit spun faster and faster. On Palm Sunday, people use this leaf in Church. People plant this cycad around their homes and use it as an ornamental. Some people believe that having this plant around their homes will keep the bad spirits away.
bookmarknopwag
nouras
semi
adv. down hither
bookmarkupjira
n. a kind of tree
bookmarkwaleh
n. a sweet potato
bookmarkweite
adj. perennial (applied to water); also "etweite", "inweite"
bookmarkyah
n. a creeping plant
bookmark


