An example search has returned 100 entries
aiyu
adj. sweet; shady
bookmarkatga nethanethan
v. passed by on the other side
bookmarkerijai
v.n. to rise up; to overflow as sea on land; to get ashore
bookmarkidahod
v. to sprout largely; also "ujipsotan"
bookmarkigcaijai
n. a place up or eastward
bookmarkindroumu
inhitilga
n. liana climbing up a Syzygium tree into the canopy, growing at edge of dense forest near garden area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3637)
Example: Rope is made from the inner bark of this plant. Use the rope immediately after it is stripped from the bark, there is no need to treat it with heat as is the case with other plants. Alternatively, the coil of bark rope can be kept in fresh water where it will stay soft until needed. Medicine for women when sick with a headache from the spirit sea snake, or sea god, or sea spirit that makes people sick. Men use it to help with toochaches. Women use it to help with backpain, stomache pain, or any other pain. Must pound two leaves taken from the top of the plant and combine with incespiv. Rosalina Nijae said it was mostly used by men so did not know how to use it well. Walking in bush and become thirsty, cut vine on 1 side and drink. Seeds made into foot bracelets for men for Kastom dances and make all sorts of different sounds. In some places taboo to cut large one as the large ones embody the snake spirit.
bookmarkinhus
n. stump of a tree; shaft of a candlestick
bookmarkinje tadwain anholwas
inlelitai
n. bush land; uncultivated land
bookmarkinlobot
n. croton plant
bookmarkinmaan
n. old coconut leaves
bookmarkinmora
n. Foxface
Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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.
bookmarkintaji
intapin
n. a hedge; a shelter
bookmarkintelgal
n. Whitespotted surgeonfish, northern dialect
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkintinan
n. a bed, a foundation, a plantation
bookmarkintoho
n. tree, 10-12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3638)
Example: This tree is a good source of firewood, wood for house posts as well as sawn timber. The ripe fruit is edible but some of these are sour. Kids eat fruits – it is black. Pick only the most ripe fruits. This species grows commonly on river banks.
bookmarkintop̃ asiej
n. herb, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3221)
Example: This plant is used as a wild cabbage. The leaves are used to cover fish when baking in an earth oven and then these leaves are eaten. This is another "calendar plant" of Aneityum. When this plant flowers it means that turtles are very fat, so it is the indication that it’s time to go fishing for turtles. Also a "message plant." If a person wishes to break an agreement then the person puts the top leaves of this plant on another individual’s doorstep to indicate that the agreement is broken.
bookmarkinwaj
n. Hound needlefish, crocodile long-tom
Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinyuc
n. the name of a plant
bookmarknagai
n. the name of a tree with fruit like almonds
bookmarknaheñ
nahtau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknala
n. tree to 7 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4860)
Example: This is a common tree. If a person travels from one district to another on Aneityum, and you see the tree planted in that other district, a person knows they are free to come into this area. When the leaves are yellow, as in a young tree, the local name is nala’gay. If a person carries a branch of this tree into a village it is a symbol that the person is coming with peaceful intentions.
bookmarknamotmot
n. grass; also "namutmut"
bookmarknarijo
n. epiphytic fern on decaying log, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4088)
Example: 1. Considered the same as Narijo. When it grow in good soil it takes the form of GMP 4087. In cold and rocky soil it this form.
bookmarknarutu umlai
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarknauhwa
n. kind of tree
bookmarknawou
neaig aged
n. a spotted coconut
bookmarknecemas
n. fern to 30 cm, cones green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4919)
Example: Use this plant to send a message to someone that another person has died. Take 1 dried leaf, to pass message to another village/tribe or people. Hold it in your hand and walk past a person, then they know that someone has died.
bookmarknehep
n. tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3590)
Example: 1. Used as a medicine to help stop bleeding. Take the inner bark, mash it, and dip in water. Then apply the poultice to the bleeding wound to help stop the bleeding. This treatment will also promote healing of the wound. When the poultice dries it becomes hard and sticks to the wound. At that point leave it on the wound until the pain goes away and then it can be peeled off of the wound. 2. Wood good for making canoe.
bookmarknejecjec
nejeg
n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3514)
Example: 1. The wood is strong and good to make house posts. People use these for this purpose on the coast as salt water does not bother this wood. 2. People eat fruit, split fruit in half, carefully scrape the inner part into a pot of water, keep over night – next day rinse, fry or cook with coconut milk and can add tinned tuna for example, very hard work.
bookmarknejev
n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3214)
Example: This tree makes good wood for canoes as well as timbers that are cut for building houses. A decoration that is placed around the head, known as salu-salu is made from these leaves. If you wear it, people know you are from Aneityum. In the early 1950’s-1960’s, Aneityum was the main place for logging this species. Now it is rare and in need of replanting. A project from New Zealand planted pine trees in its place and they have thrived here. In the same way, the sandalwood tree was overharvested and is rare now. Timber, very resinous so good to start fire – branches good for fire. They are the ones that have the sap, if a person in in the bush and finds young tree – sapling – they will make headdress from the leaves to show they came from the bush. Also, this is a Kastom name.
bookmarknekei atimi
n. fern. Growing in a village back path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #28)
Example: 1. To cure when the anus falls out - Pound together 1 braches worth of inpalcapnesgin leaves and of both inloptiri (2-4 leaves, any age), also take the inner bark of nekeaitimi and nakhe. Put this into your hand, or another leaf and give it to the person to use it. This should be applied to the anus whenever the anus comes out. USed to use a clam shell to extract the bark but not anymore.
bookmarknelgo waj
nepelvan 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.
bookmarknepjen epjen
nerero
n. calabash
bookmarknetigi
nida
nidupau
n. kind of tree
bookmarknigyahtal
n. kind of banana
bookmarknihkanwai
n. brook
bookmarknijinga
n. shrub to 2 m, flowers blue-purple. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4878)
Example: A stem of this shrub is sharpened and used to dig a hole for planting kava. When a person plants kava in a hole made from this stick, there is the belief that it will make kava root stems strong and large. The fruits are edible when ripe and said to be sweet.
bookmarknijma
n. fallen tree, growing in canopy gap in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3465)
Example: When the flowers of this plant are green, it is an indication that the cool season is approaching; when the flowers are brown, the dry season is coming. The wood is used to make rafters for the roof of houses, on which to tie thatch.
bookmarknirac intam henain
nirid unmu
n. terrestrial fern, growing in primary rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3614)
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."
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.
bookmarknohwai itai
n. corn
bookmarknomotan
n. Spangled emperor
Example: Photo by Richard Ling, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknouras
nuhihialeg
n. the early morning
bookmarknuhujcei
n. liana, growing at edge of forest. Fruit. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3475)
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.
bookmarknunyepec
n. understory tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4049)
Example: 1. The name means "knife of sandpaper", a type of fish. The leaf base resembles the fin of the fish. 2. In the past, a spear was made from the sapling wood of this plant for tribal warfare. Today, spears are made from this plant for fishing. First, a relatively straight spaling is chosen and then heated over a fire. The pliable portion of wood is straightened and then decorticated. When cool, a portion of wire can be affixed on one end to aid in the spearing of fish.
bookmarknupsi itai
n. corn
bookmarknähiväing
n. Macaranga dioca
Example: Inner bark: bathe in cold infusion, wounds. 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 a
bookmarknässäi
pospos
n. a small red berry used as beads
bookmarksemi
adv. down hither
bookmarkwakas
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."
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