Aneityum

adj. sun just down

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 48

adj. happy

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. go to sea

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[aj] v. fly

v.n. to steer, as a boat or a ship

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. near morning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 61

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

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[asvintal] phr. break taro

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. shut (something)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. rest

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to grow

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to fish (by torchlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to blossom, as reeds; also "elwa"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

[eseʧ] num. three

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[et elel] phr. is dripping

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to begin to blossom

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

v. to swell, as reeds when near blossoming

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

n. Oplismenus hirtellus L.

Example: shoot: chewed against cough

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. a place up or eastward

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

adj. outside

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

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.

Scientific name: Capsicum annuum, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. wild kava (RPV #133)

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4033)

Scientific name: Planchonella, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. herb to 1 m, flower bracts yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4921)

Example: Introduced species, used for decoration. Planted near houses and roads. Use the flower for decorating hair.

Scientific name: Alpinia purpurata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[inhɛlɛk] n. my penis

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. Moorish idol

Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. daylight

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. a bolt of pandanus leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

[inmeg inʤupʤupura] n. night, night before the moon comes out

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of cabbage or leaf

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. large leaf

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. broom

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. herb, growing along the river at the edge of secondary forest. Stems pale green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3642)

Example: As a local toothbrush, take two pieces of stems, bend them and use to brush teeth with water. This plant acts like sandpaper to clean the teeth. Can also be used to brush pots.

Scientific name: Equisetum debile, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[iŋec] n. Mystery Island

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[maʊ ipiŋ] n. night of spirits; "left night"

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[naθran ɣap] n. smoke

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

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."

Scientific name: Guettarda speciosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Crinum asiaticum; variation asiaticum L.

Example: from leaves taken internally as a laxative to treat ciguatera and against asthma

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 439

n. small turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. flax

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 151

[nakro] v. chief shares a large amount of food with another district

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphytic fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4098)

Example: 1. The name means "ground cover". It usually grow on the forest floor.

Scientific name: Crepidomanes, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphytic fern on main tree trunk, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3504)

Example: This is a medicine to treat fresh cuts. Take the leaf of this species, macerate it and add 1 tablespoon of water and wrap in a Macaranga leaf, and then heat it on a fire. After heating, puncture the side of the Macaranga leaf and drop the hot juice on the fresh cut. This is said to be good before going to see the Dispensary or if you do not have access to a health care professional.

Scientific name: Pyrrosia confluens, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4099)

Example: 1. The name means "cloud". The plant is usually found on high ridges, in areas where there is often high moisture.

Scientific name: Callistopteris apiifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. the south-east wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. herb, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3280)

Example: A "message plant". In ancient times, this plant was used for communicating. If you go to a person who composes songs and give this to them, they will know to compose a song for you. Name means "flowers on the ground".

Scientific name: Isachne comata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3487)

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 – did not need matches (lefre(?) matches) because embers would stay for days and when make a fire add smaller branches to make a flame.

Scientific name: Ficus scabra, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shield aralia (RPV #11)

Scientific name: Polyscias scutellaria, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3641)

Example: 1. The wood of this tree is used to make temporary houses, for example, when making a garden by the river. 2. The wood can be sawn into timber. 3. People collect red leaf and put under tongue when want to talk about conflicted issues such as a dispute to make their argument stronger.

Scientific name: Elaeocarpus angustifolius, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. scrambling vine, growing in coastal strand vegetation. Flowers yellow. 1. Medicine: Smash leaves 1 handful, into cup and add a small amount of water to treat constipation—1 cup for children; 1.5 XX for adults. 2. Stomachache: same treatment, will clear bowel. 3. For leg sores, collect whole plant, put in water – a pool of water for 1 week, then use to dip sore as on leg into it for 10-15 minutes cure the sore. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3437)

Scientific name: Vigna marina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub to 2 m, dbh 3 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4862)

Example: The common name of this plant refers to the footprint of a chicken. Mix the dried leaves of this plant with pieces of coconut and feed to chickens. They are said to really like it. Plant the shrub near the place that chickens are kept. This feed will make the chickens produce more eggs and also increase the number of healthy chickens.

Scientific name: Acalypha, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. Two-spot red snapper, twinspot snapper, red bass

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

Scientific name: Lutjanus bohar via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. yellow leaves for making petticoats

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nepiŋ sepahaj] n. night, the moon has not come up yet, "the moon is down"

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nɛpʧinoʊɣsin] n. mouth

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4792)

Scientific name: Excoecaria agallocha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4096)

Example: 1. The name means the border between two lands, or a landmark.

Scientific name: Nephrolepis biserrata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. grass to 70 cm tall, sterile. Cultivated at the side of a field. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4958)

Example: The leaves and stems are boiled in water to make tea. The base of the leaves (the whitish part) is used to cook foods that have a strong odor, such as goat or shark. The base is sliced and put in the soup and this helps to keep the smell of the goat or shark from infusing through the rest of the food and making it less palatable. In some areas of Aneityum, such as in cassava fields, there is a fungus that kills the crops. This species is interplanted with the crops to kill that fungus and protect the crop plants.

Scientific name: Cymbopogon citratus, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. Ficus adenosperma

Example: Stalk: chewed, agaist headache

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3636)

Example: The green fruits are edible, as are the young leaf apices--cook these in water and eat them. The wood is used for temporary houses, for example, to provide shade in a garden. For planting taro, or any root crop, sharpen the end of a stick of this tree and use it for making holes, particuarly in river sand where some crops are planted. This tree grows near the river and is an indication that this land is good for agriculture. The wood from the tree is very good for firewood. Name means "who are you." Plant used as an indicator of a tabu place. Take a branch and put it where another person is building or gardening and there is a dispute over that area of land. When this plant is placed there the person who is using the land should stop working it.

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial fern, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4047)

Scientific name: Diplazium melanocaulon, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the Magellanic Clouds

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

[nipʧin niri] n. shell (empty)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4760)

Scientific name: Polyalthia nitidissima, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3574)

Example: 1. The inner bark of this plant is used as a dye or paint to provide a brown color. Boil the inner bark in a pot with a shirt and the color of the shirt will be changed to brown. 2. For toothache, people take the inner bark and mix it with sea water, and then rinse the tooth with this mixture to remove the pain. 3a. People macerate the leaves and the bark and when the tide is low, spread this in a pool of water to poison the sea shells that are edible. When they die, the eyes of this organism comes above the sand, indicating where they are, and people harvest and eat them. 3b. To attract and collect clam – NIPJINUMU – scrape bark in a pool of sea water where the clams are attracted immediately and can be collected, coming up from the sand. 4. Firewood, unspecified medical use.

Scientific name: Acacia simplex, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. corn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 138

n. Spangled emperor

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

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

n. shrub to 2 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4874)

Example: This plant is an indicator of rich soil, especially up on the hills from the coast. Therefore, this is where people choose to do their gardens. This specimen is in red soil that is not rich so it does not grow tall, but in the mountains it does grow tall and that is where gardens are planted. Wood from the tree is used for carving.

Scientific name: Weinmannia denhamii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. species of vine runner; a basket net

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

[nowoɣ] n. red clouds after sunset

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. the red star, the "hand" in the constellation Orion; also "necye"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. the early morning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

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. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. a brook that is dry in dry weather

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 131

n. vine climbing up ficus wassa, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4016)

Example: 1. The vine is use to lash roof rafters to house posts. The vine is collected from the forest and coiled ina figure 8 pattern. It is then heated over a fire before fastening the rafter to the post. 1 minute of heat is sufficient, before one immediately uses the vine.

Scientific name: Smilax vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

adv. seaward yonder

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

adv. seaward here

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

n. a second growth, as grass that springs up after being burned

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

adv. down yonder

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

adv. down there, at a short distance; also "sike"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109