Aneityum

[aɣes noraŋitei] phr. sing a song

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. Grewia inmac

Example: Leaf: infusion taken internally against pain

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442

v. walk fast; share greetings

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[ak] pro. him

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[ala] num. five

Speaker: David Nasauman

adv. aforetime

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. island of breadfruit

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.n. to steer straight

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.n. sail without making headway

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

n. the clear part of the moon when first seen

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 166

n. whitewood (RPV #38)

Scientific name: Endospermum medullosum, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4794)

Scientific name: Rivina humilis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4108)

Scientific name: Cupaniopsis leptobotrys, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to treelet, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3265)

Example: Used as a leaf compost for planting taro, layered on the bottom of the hole and covering the taro as well.

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3547)

Example: This plant is for medicine to treat a spiritual condition related to the coral snake that is the seawater spirit. When a woman is pregnant, some times she gets sick, so use this leaf with 2-3 other unspecified leaves and mash them together, squeeze the juice into a small cup (bamboo), wave around the woman’s body, and then put a few drops onto her head and body, then she drinks the rest. This will help heal her sickness. This treatment can be used for men who have a toothache from eating too much fish--the seawater spirit of the coral snake makes the tooth hurt. It is used in the same way as for a pregnant woman. If the pain from the toothache is really from the seawater spirit, then this will cure it; if not, it will not help.

Scientific name: Sophora tomentosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphyte on fallen log on ground, growing in dense rain forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4012)

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus phlegmaria, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a collection of plantations

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 87

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3270)

Scientific name: Oxera lehuntei, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. epiphytic orchid, growing in dense rainforest. Fruit green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4110)

Scientific name: Coelogyne lamellata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial orchid, growing in dense rainforest. buds greenish. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4112)

Example: 1. The name means "white hair". It is not known why that is the case.

Scientific name: Calanthe chrysantha, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. seed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 182

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

Scientific name: Casuarina equisetifolia, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4082)

Example: 1. The trunk is used to produce timber.

Scientific name: Burckella obovata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adv. a long time ago

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. Elattostachys falcata (RPV #112)

Scientific name: Elattostachys falcata, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the cool of the evening

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. a native pudding made of taro, coconut milk, etc.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. smooth, applied to sugarcane-leaf thatch

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

n. Vittaria lineata

Example: Frond: cold maceration taken internally against ciguatera

Scientific name: Vittaria lineata, Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. the name of a prickly shrub

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 93

[naθran ɣap] n. smoke

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. bay (of the sea); creek

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127, 139

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. kind of turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Pavetta opulina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. thorn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 193

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4778)

Scientific name: liana, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Pacific yellowtail emperor

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

Scientific name: Lethrinus atkinsoni via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[nawʊnoan] n. neck

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. chaff

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 134

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4095)

Example: 1. The name means "cranky person". If someone fastens this plant around his head as a deocrative lei, it means that this person is not happy. He does not want to talk or communicate with anybody. The use is no longer common, and now many people do not know the signficance.

Scientific name: Lindsaea harveyi, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3505)

Example: The young leaves are edible, after boiling for 5 minutes. A piece of coconut and a pinch of salt is wrapped in the leaves and eaten. The mature leaves are used to wrap food such as pig or cow meat and cooked in an earth oven. Tie this bundle with a piece of Pandanus fiber to secure it before putting in the earth oven. Both the green and ripe fruits are edible.

Scientific name: Ficus storckii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a spotted coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[neɣeɣ] n. crab

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. sparsely branched understory tree, 4-5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4030)

Example: 1. It is considered "tabu" to cover laplap with the leaf of this species. It is said to spoil the laplap.

Scientific name: Delarbrea paradoxa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nefiaŋ] n. January (lit. big wild sugar cane)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. Pacific kauri (RPV #13)

Scientific name: Agathis macrophylla, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Metrosideros collina (RPV #81)

Scientific name: Metrosideros collina, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nelgoʊ waj] n. toy float, lit. "flying ship", "fast ship"

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3466)

Example: The wood of this species is very hard and therefore useful for making houses. In fact it is so hard that a person cannot drive a nail through it. This wood is used to make spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Sarcomelicope simplicifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[neriseris] n. spider (house)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. Barringtonia asiatica L.

Example: inner bark: ground, added to dug pools in the sea as fish poison

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. tree to 4 m, dbh 6 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4992)

Example: The stems of this plant are good for making temporary houses in the bush. When used as firewood, the stems are said to "hold the fire," meaning they burn a long time, even all night so in the morning the fire can be restarted by adding kindling. This wood is said to be good when a person has no matches, as the fire can be restarted easily. Young leaves of this species can be wrapped around ground coconut and eaten raw. The young leaves can also be boiled in water for 15 minutes, coconut milk added, and eaten with tubers such as cassava. The young leaves can be wrapped around beef or pork, tied with a string from Pandanus and cooked in the earth oven.

Scientific name: Ficus storckii (or wassa), Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. a species of orchid (there are three on the island)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

[ninahɛn] n. scales

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. the orange tree (117); an orange, a lime, a lemon (102)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102, 117

n. citron; lemon; lime tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 135, 162,163

n. Honeycomb grouper

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

Scientific name: Epinephelus merra via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. terrestrial fern on forest floor, growing in disturbed forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3482)

Example: People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill." For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nap̃at) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

Scientific name: Schizaea dichotoma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[niʧinin] n. head

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. the duck (constellation), the Southern Cross

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. a banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a season

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 181

[noporo pora] n. coconut basket

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[nopsiʧman] n. hand

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. shrub, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3511)

Example: 1. Use the leaves to put in a hole where taro is being planted, as a sort of fertilizer--it rots easily and adds value to the soil. To protect a person from spirits if you are going to an unfamiliar place, take the young inflorescence and put behind your ear. This plant is a sort of "spiritual kava." 2. Flowers are put behind one ear, any side, to allow a person to pass through sacred places. For protection of the spirits especially if you are familiar with this place. On EAST SIDE, put one leaf under pillow before sleeping so that the lady spirit will not disturb the person. Only for men – spirit likes men, and wants to have sleep with them. If she gets pregnant, you must follow her to look after the kids in the spirit world so you leave this one (you die). 3. The small, straight stems of this plant are used as rafters to weave thatch. 4. Children make bows and arrows from the stems as well as spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. manioc

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. coconut leaves in the middle of the cluster, neither old nor new

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. liana, climbing on Garcinia tree (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3585)

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. the south-south-west wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

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.

Scientific name: Metrosideros collina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Polyscias samoensis

Example: leaf -- cold maceration taken internally against ciguatera

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

adj. angry

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[owaŋ] num. six

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. front of canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati