Aneityum

v.a. reach summit; also "eliaujai"

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.n. go down

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

v. drink

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. go after

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

[as vakuej] v. break something circular (like a fruit); break something lengthwise

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to fish (by moonlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[dama nadimi] phr. four men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

[ek amʤeŋina] phr. I am sleeping

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. drip, as a bucket filled with water drips

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. afraid; fright

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et taiŋ inhalav] phr. baby crying

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to begin to blossom

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3723)

Example: The fruits of this species are cracked open and the seeds eaten. The leaves are mixed with other leaves to make an unspecified traditional medicine. The plant is also used for firewood.

Scientific name: Barringtonia edulis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[inɣej] n. tree

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. screwpine (RPV #85)

Scientific name: Pandanus tectorius, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. vegetables; herbs, as taro, bananas; every vegetable planted for food

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

n. shrub, 1. 5-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3580)

Example: This plant is gathered for firewood. It is said that the fragrance of the flowers is not nice.

Scientific name: Geniostoma rupestre, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. a bamboo flute

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. night; quite dark

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. a convolvulus with white flowers; also "inmauwad ahi"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. herb to 1. 5 m tall, sterile. Growing in weedy patch behind buildings on edge of trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4986)

Example: People use the leaves of this plant to wrap lap-lap for cooking on the earth oven or when boiling foods. The leaves can also be used as serving plates and to cover the stones on the earth oven.

Scientific name: Heliconia indica, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. breadfruit crop in October

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 87

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

[inmohoɣ onubiθoʊ] n. February (lit. moon belongs to Nubidou (village in east))

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. large leaf

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Tahitian chestnut (RPV #47)

Scientific name: Inocarpus fagifer, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a branch

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 88

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. prostrate herb growing on ground in open or partly shaded area next to banana tree. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3207)

Example: 1. The plant is named after a "rat"s ear.’ Eat 4 fresh leaves every morning to clear the brain and help remember things. 2. This plant is an indicator of rich soil--a good place for growing vegetables. 3. Very useful plant, food and medicine. Name means rat ear. Take 5 leaves, wrap in INROWOD (Cordyline fruticosa) and cook for 15 minutes, remove it hot (be sure you do not burn it) squeeze out 1 tablespoon and give to baby to drink to treat a flu. 1x morning for 5 days.

Scientific name: Centella asiatica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[intisjaŋɣe] n. flower

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. Hound needlefish, crocodile long-tom

Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4032)

Scientific name: Endiandra aneityensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. mandrake

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 164

adj. afar

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. pungent scrub, island musk (RPV #101)

Scientific name: Evodia hortensis, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

conj. but

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

[naθi aθiat upni] phr. Good morning. (greeting in mid-morning, after 10 o’clock)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. a blossom; the spathe of a coconut used as light; also "nafaketa"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 94

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. low-growing, creeping vine growing in grassy area just inland from coastal strand. Flowers purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3224)

Example: Long time ago used seeds to make necklaces, don’t last long.

Scientific name: Canavalia rosea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of banana (short fruits)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tree to 10 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4929)

Example: The wood is hard and used as a spade to dig holes for planting taro. Make spears for fishing out of the stems, either by sharpening them or putting wires on the end.

Scientific name: Xylosma guillauminii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3456)

Example: 1. The leaves of this plant are used as a fertilizer when a person plants taro "to help to feed the ground for next year." 2. Sapwood of this tree, and one more [GMP 3591], in old days take from west side and cross mountain to the east, and on red clay mountain, burn it to make spirits to give more sun instead of rain so that gardens will grow well.

Scientific name: Scaevola cylindrica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the skin or rind of food

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. hedge

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 156

n. the north wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

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

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4769)

Scientific name: Breynia disticha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4125)

Example: 1. The fruits can be cooked with coconut milk and consumed. 2. Green leaves can be used to wrap fish, when they are cooked in a fire.

Scientific name: Ficus smithii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. stone wall for beach

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree. Village home garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #9)

Example: 1. To cure spirit sickness of the niteitau. Use plants that also end with "au" : niditau, intoutau, naoyerop. Go to the top of the plant to get the soft leaves of the plants niditau, intoutau, naoyerop, also take the bark. The person making the medicine should be holding the these leaves with a piece of nelmaha. Nelmaha means go away. The sick person chews the leaves and bark and swallows the juice spitting out the fiber into the nelmaha the medicine maker is holding. The medicine person then takes the spit out fiber in the nalmaha leaf and throws it into the sea in front of the village. 2. Edible fruits, when ripe or green, does not taste when green, but sweet when ripe. 3a. Leaves (young) are edible, for example wrap around coconut meat and eat or cook with island cabbage and other leaves, boil and add coconut milk and eat. 3b. 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. 4. During big feast, use this a lot – circumcison or wedding feast, harvest leaves and wrap around meat and bake on earth oven – sometimes we cut down a whole tree to gather leaves. 5. To make men’s custom belt – split stem, peel outer bark off to take inner bark and peel it, tear end to make strap that can be tied. Dry in sun but not direct sunlight. 6. Older large trunks were burned by ancestors to keep fire going – this was during the time when people did not have matches and did not need them as the embers of this tree would stay hot for days and when it was time to make a stronger fire, people would add smaller branches to make a flame appear.

Scientific name: Ficus aspera, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Scalloped hammerhead

Example: Photo by Xvic / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Sphyrna lewini, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. large-leafed orange mangrove (RPV #93)

Scientific name: Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, somewhat scandent (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3443)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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

n. a bunch of grapes; also "nigaivaine"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

[neŋeʧwaj] n. Island imperial pigeon

Example: Photo by Tony Morris, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Ducula pistrinaria, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. species of pine

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. tree to 4 m, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4925)

Example: The wood of this tree is hard and used for house posts. It grows in the water or inundated areas, fish, crabs, sea creatures use the roots of this tree to hide and breed. People know that this tree stops big waves and therefore protect the trees.

Scientific name: Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. canoe rudder

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Pacific kauri (RPV #13)

Scientific name: Agathis macrophylla, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3667)

Example: Children suck the nectar from the young flowers just as they open. Wood from this plant is used for poles for rafters as well as for firewood. Flying foxes drink juice from the flowers.

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tender shoots

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 183

n. hard outer shell of crab

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphytic vine climbing on trees, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4091)

Example: 1. When a child is between 1 mos. and 1 yr. if the father persists too soon in resuming sexual relations with the mother, the child can become sick. In preparation for the sickness, green leaves are collected. When the sickness occurs, the leaves (now dry) are burned and the baby is washed with the charcoal. 2. After visitors leaves one’s house, one must not hurry to return to their gardens. One waits a few days, then swims with the rachis of this fern tied about their waist. If this practice is not followed, it is believed that the plants in one’s gardens will grow weak.

Scientific name: Selliguea plantaginea, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Black jack

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

Scientific name: Caranx lugubris via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. Yellowspotted trevally, Turrum

Example: Photo by Rick Stuart-Smith / Fishes of Australia, License: CC BY-A 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Carangoides fulvoguttatus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. shrub. Uncultivated around the village disturbed areas. . (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #27)

Example: The fruits are edible when ripe--eating them turns the tongue purple. 1. To cure headaches - Someone other than the woman must prepare this. Break the top branch of netethae and remove leaves for use. Combine with the top leaves of the top branch of nelmaha. Chew the leaves and drink the juice. Do this when the sun is setting on the horizon. The woman gives the leftover fibers to the person who prepared the medicine and that person goes and throws the fibers in the direction of the setting sun. 2. Ancestors 4 top branches and chew and spit out remaining fiber will destroy the effects of a love potion that is too strong – meaning that the husband or wife will miss the other person too much so that they become mentally ill. 3. Edible fruits: eating them turns tongue black/purple.

Scientific name: Melastoma malabathricum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the center sprout of a coconut tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. a meteor; also "nidil"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. new coconut leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 101

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3507)

Example: The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree ?? it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nija] n. cup for bait

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. large tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4076)

Example: 1. The name means "I come". This plant is used to convey messages. When a branch of this plant is left at the house of a person it indicates someone had visited them and they were not there. 2. Children eat the nut of the ripe (yellow) fruits.

Scientific name: Finschia chloroxantha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4776)

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. another name for "masoa"; arrowroot

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. grass to 1 m tall, florets brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4973)

Example: This grass is used to thatch the roof of a traditional house. Tie bunches of the grass on a stick ca. 2 m long, using string from Pandanus or other vines. Lay these on the roof and tie these sticks with grass on crossbars to secure them. The flowers of this grass are harvested and put in bags to make pillows. The flowers are soft and easy to gather and make a nice pillow.

Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. coconut leaves, plaited for covering ridge of roof

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. the Futuna banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[nohos itoʊga] n. kind of banana

[nombrɛ niʧinin] n. hair

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[nopwañ] n. Far Eastern Curlew

Example: Photo by Graham Winterflood, License: CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Numenius madagascariensis, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. Sirius, the Dog Star

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. fish

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. tree, 10-12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4027)

Example: 1. Used to build houses. The wood of this tree is considered very hard and heavy, so it is used as posts in traditional houses.

Scientific name: Syzygium nomoa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[tarinʤipnan] adj. very strong (has a lot of muscles)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

v.a. to lop off small branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110