Aneityum

[aʔo] phr. no

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

v.a. to go up, or go east

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. black

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 61

v. to prepare pandanus leaves for making mats or baskets

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to plant taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. break soft things (like bread, cassava, taro, etc.); cut in half

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. sail without making headway

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

v. wander, walk around

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[eroʊ] num. two

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. yesterday

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

n. red (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

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

Scientific name: Astronidium aneityense, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4072)

Example: 1. The flower and bark are known to reek a foul smell.

Scientific name: Geniostoma rupestre, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. multicolored taro, fancy-leaved caladium (RPV #146)

Scientific name: Caladium bicolor, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[indawoɣ] n. Long-tailed jaeger

Example: Photo by jacksnipe1990/Flickr, License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Stercorarius longicaudus, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. basket handle

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. an old coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

[inʤia] n. chicken

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a bolt of pandanus leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3621)

Example: Good for covering laplap or stone oven. Remove hot stones, put leaves down, then food, then hot stones, then put the leaves down again to cover everything.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Artocarpus altilis

Example: shoot: 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 and headache.

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. shrub, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3499)

Example: This plant has an unspecified medical use. Children make slingshots out of the fork of the stem of this tree.

Scientific name: Ervatamia orientalis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Squaretail coralgrouper

Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Plectropomus areolatus via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[inmohoɣ la] n. September (lit. clear month)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. broom

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a crop, but not the first ripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. a bed, a foundation, a plantation

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. the wicker-work bed (constellation?)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. two days ago or two days hence

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. the sweet potato

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. parasitic vine scrambling over Scaevola taccada, at edge of strand. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3545)

Example: 1. Take a handful of vine, pound it and wash hair, like shampoo – makes hair curly and like rasta. 2a. This is a "message plant." If a person is walking through a village that is not his, people know that they come in peace. 2b. Message plant - if a group is discussing something and one person goes out and makes a head les of this vine, it means that there can’t be an agreement. 2.) If you are angry at a person, drop the vine at their door, in the case of a visitor or land dispute and they need to leave.

Scientific name: Cassytha filiformis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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

Scientific name: Casuarina equisetifolia, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. grass to 1 m, flowers purplish (collection: Michael J. Balick #4935)

Example: This grass is planted to protect a person’s farm from being affected by evil spirits.

Scientific name: Chrysopogon aciculatus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

v. die

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. Achyranthes aspera L.

Example: juice squeezed from leaves; taken internally against asthma and put into boils

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 439

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3576)

Example: This plant is used to make a temporary house along the coast. It is considered "namba one" for shade. It is also an unspecified "message plant.

Scientific name: Leucaena forsteri, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. canarium nut (RPV #25)

Scientific name: Canarium indicum, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3710)

Example: The nut of this tree is edible. Crack open the fruit and eat the seed raw. It can also be used to plug holes in a canoe.

Scientific name: Canarium harveyi, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. well branched tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4083)

Example: 1. The ripe fruits (yellow) are eaten. It is considered very sweet. 2. Young saplings are used to fashion a digging stick to plant kava and taro.

Scientific name: Garcinia pseudoguttifera, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish (m)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dwarf cloud-forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3268)

Example: For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nirid u numu) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

Scientific name: Trichomanes, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4128)

Example: 1. The wood of this tree can be used to make posts for traditional houses.

Scientific name: Alphitonia zizyphoides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub to 3 m tall, dbh 4 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4995)

Example: The flowers are cut and used in the house and the plant is grown as an ornamental around the house.

Scientific name: Euphorbia pulcherrima, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. east

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 146

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. a native plant, the leaves of which are used as cabbage

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

[ɲataʊ] n. shell (big)

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

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. the east wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. a kind of bamboo (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #25)

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. 2. To make house walls cut to length desired break stems into straps and weave ??. 3. Use stem to cook foods. 4. Container for carrying water. 5. Take tips and tie together and make a torch to go fishing on the reef, walk with the torch – this is a current practice in the East side. 6. Can cut a piece about 1’ long and sharpen edge and use to skin a green banana. 7. Traditional medicine – can use a small segment as a sort of container to carry the traditional medicine to the patient – for example when prepare a sea snake for remedy, or any medicine – to carry it. 8. Used as a container to preserve seeds such as corn, cucumber, beans and is covered with coconut fiber and put near (above?) the fire where it is dry, and the smoke from the fire will keep insects from attacking the seeds.

Scientific name: Bambusa vulgaris, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a small water-plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. yellow and black fish

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[nɛʝɲan natimi] n. footprints (human)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphyte on syzygium tree, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. old fruits. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3660)

Example: Put several leaves of this species together to wrap food, especially the fresh water eel, and to carry plants of taro, kava, holding the leaves over one’s shoulder to carry these crops.

Scientific name: Procris pedunculata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a hollow place in taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. treelet, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3468)

Scientific name: Micromelum minutum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. cane (sugar)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 133

n. south-west wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

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

[niʧɛn jaoʊ] n. butt

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. liana climbing on calophyllum trunk, growing along sandy beach. Leaves variegated. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4144)

Scientific name: Epipremnum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. Wahoo

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

Scientific name: Acanthocybium solandri via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. sparsely branched tree, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3628)

Example: This plant is used to make a grass skirt for women. There are two different methods decribed. In the first, collect the leaves, tear off 1/2 of the leaf and pleat the halves. Then dry these in the sun by hanging them from the midrib. After they are dry, weave them into a skirt. In the second, take one leaf at a time, tear the leaf down the center and throw away the midrib. The soft part is used in making the skirt by holding a piece of twine between your toes and under your armpit. Weave the length of the twine with the leaf. The let the pieces to dry in the sun for 2-3 days. The skirt can be thrown in the sea before drying to make the skirt white. Bark of inhao is usually used as twine. Retted strips of leaves, later sun dried, can be used to make pillows. When dogs or humans have fish poisoning this plant can help. Take 2 leaves and pound them (use 1 leaf for dogs) and mix with 1/4 cup of water. no further instructions given. (OR - Leaves to cure ciguatera, chew 1 leaf and swallow juice and spit out fiber. Or extract juice into a cup to drink 1x. Give juice + water in cup for dog that is sick.) There is also a belief that you can use the whole stem of this plant as a digging spade to plant sugarcane so the sugarcane is soft and sweet.

Scientific name: Dracaena sp., Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphytic liana on main trunk of Hernandia moerenhoutiana, growing in secondary forest above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3658)

Example: This plant has a secret, unspecified use.

Scientific name: Microsorum grossum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. breadfruit; also "nohwanma"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. large well branched tree, 18-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3216)

Example: 1. The trunk of this plant is used to make canoes. 2. It is also a good timber for the inside part of houses. 3. Mix the sap from the stem with other unspecified leaves and rub them into dreadlocks. 4. To attract shells in the sea, scrape a branch and drop in the sea where shells are attracted to the branches and they can be collected for sale to the Island’s visitors. 5. Seeds are used to make beautiful black necklaces. Said to be a lot of work as it is difficult to remove the seed. Rub with sandpaper or soak in water and then make the hole in the seed. 6. Fruit is a children’s toy – used as a whistle to make a nice sound.

Scientific name: Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 10-15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3673)

Example: The wood from this species is used to make the main crossbar of a roof, and also for house posts. Considered a good firewood.

Scientific name: Weinmannia denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[noporo pora] n. coconut basket

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. liana, climbing on fallen tree (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3500)

Example: 1. When the stems of this plant are older, and it is a vine, is used to tie thatch on roof rafters as it bends well. 2. Burned leaves and rubbed on fishing line and spear to increase catch – used with other unspecified leaves, that are forageable. When you are fishing and if you set a basket or mat it means danger and you have to return to shore – the spirit is telling you that it is enough fishing.

Scientific name: Durandea pentagyna, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the rib of a leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

n. seed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Polyscias samoensis

Example: leaf -- cold maceration taken internally against ciguatera

Scientific name: Polyscias samoensis, Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

v.n. to bear fruit as a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

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

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. liana climbing on broken mango tree, growing in forest at edge of wide tidal stream (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3515)

Example: 1. The ripe fruit of this plant is edible. It was introduced to the island and is considered a foreign vine. 2. 4 leaves of this and 4 leaves of Annona muricata and boil in water and let get warm and wash children when they have measles and fever. Edible fruit – very sweet.

Scientific name: Passiflora maliformis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

v.n. get off the reef

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

[talpos] adj. very big

Speaker: David Nasauman

adv. over (?)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. three days ago; three days hence

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. herb to 0. 75 m, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4891)

Example: If a person has the flu, collect the fruits and chew and swallow them. Chew 3 fruits in the morning for 3 days. Take a handful of leaves, still on branches, and boil them in a half liter of water, for 15 minutes. Drink 1 cup daily for 5 days or until the sickness "goes down."

Scientific name: Sida rhombifolia, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati