Aneityum

[aɣes noraŋitei] phr. sing a song

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to spit on leaves; to chew leaves for sickness

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 56

v. go up; go east

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[ak] pro. him

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. black

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 61

v.n. to go seaward

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

pre. far; long; applied to distance or time

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

[et at̚pu an] phr. he is hiding

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to sharpen the point of a reed like a spear

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. without branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 130

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of sugarcane; also "nalgaij"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[inhɛlɛk] n. my penis

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. stump of a tree; shaft of a candlestick

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. croton plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 139

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. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. boards for people to sit on

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. blossom (open)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 130

n. brook

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 131

n. the flour, as of arrowroot

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 90

adj. behind

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. inland

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 90

n. tree to 10 m tall, dbh 50 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4908)

Example: Wood used for timber.

Scientific name: Burckella, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[ʧumasʧuma] n. Fork-tailed swift

Example: Photo by ozma/Flickr, License: CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Apus pacificus, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. the afternoon; also "jupjupki"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[kijamoʊ] n. Aneityum island (Polynesian loanword)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

adj. smooth, applied to sugarcane-leaf thatch

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

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

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[naɣawʊnjit] n. fish (sp. with thick lips)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. mid-day, noon

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. giant

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3492)

Example: 1. Used for firewood. Whole plant used to make a broom for sweeping by tying the small branches together. The very topmost leaves are used when planting kava, as a “superstition” you hold a lead between your big and second toes when tamping the earth down for a kava plant, to give power to earth so kava grows well. 2. This plant is used to make a local broom. Collect a number of branches, let them dry in the sun--the leaves will fall off--then tie the branches together with a piece of Pandanus leaf or any other vine that is handy.

Scientific name: Leucopogon cymbulae, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[nahanemek] n. kind of breadfruit, old name for "naho"

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. dwarf (North dialect)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3572)

Example: It is a kastom belief that people should not drink kava under this tree.

Scientific name: Dendrolobium umbellatum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of plantain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. shrub, 1. 5-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3606)

Example: A type of roselle that is a weed growing in swampy areas.

Scientific name: Hibiscus sabdariffa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[nareram ʊleiʊ] n. kind of banana (fat)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. withered banana leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. treelet, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4065)

Example: 1. When a sea shell pricks you "Inlac", a person can be lifted by magic using these leaves. Further information about this use withheld.

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub to 2 m, flowers greenish white turning to brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4886)

Example: In taller forest, this plant is higher so can use it to make a spear. Sharpen the end or use wires as the tip. Unspecified medicinal use.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus myrianthus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. a shrub, a plant, a sucker

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. terrestrial, rare (collection: Tom A. Ranker #2486)

Scientific name: Histiopteris incisa

[iɲom] n. house

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. blade, as of corn or grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 128

[neriseris] n. spider (house)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3687)

Scientific name: Meryta neo-ebudica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. prepared pandanus leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 170

n. Ambon emperor

Example: Photo by FAO / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

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

n. hysteranthous geophyte in flowering stage, growing in primary rainforest. Flowers white tinged with pink. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3625)

Scientific name: Dipodium pictum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. small tree-fern, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3269)

Scientific name: Cyathea, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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. kind of seashell

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[niriθ] n. gills

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

Scientific name: Polyalthia nitidissima, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Harry hotlips, blubberlip

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

Scientific name: Plectorhinchus gibbosus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. tree from which petticoats or skirts are made

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

[nitaʔto] v. to bake

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. knots where rope is tying pieces of canoe together

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

inter. what

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. a bundle of reeds; also "nohudieg"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

[nohor] n. Woodford’s Rail

Example: Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans / Wikimedia Commons, License: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific name: Nesoclopeus woodfordi, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. ripe bananas

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. fan

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

n. tree. Found in the village, usually grows in the hills. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #16)

Example: 1. Lot of oil in the heartwood so it is good to start a fire, split it into small strips and you can light it for a fire. 2. Calendar plant – when the fruits ripen people know that this is the best season to eat the big hermit crab – meaning that they are fat.

Scientific name: Fagraea berteroana, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3571)

Example: As a medicinal plant, take the ripe fruits, put it in a dish or bucket, squeeze out the juice and save it for drinking. The dose is 1 tablespoon, morning and afternoon if a person feels tired. This treatment will help give energy to a person. The leaves are placed on the bottom and top of an earth oven to help cook the food. The leaves are also used to wrap shellfish for cooking over a fire. When chewing kava root to prepare it for drinking, put the piles of chewed root on top of this leaf to keep it clean. Some men cut the green fruit in half and rub it against the skin of their face after shaving to protect the skin from rashes and irritations.

Scientific name: Morinda citrifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nowoɣ] n. red clouds after sunset

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. terrestrial fern, 0. 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3577)

Example: Join two of the inrolled fronds together at the part where the frond is opening (the tip that is curled) such that the leaves are held together by their unfolding growing tips. Place this along the path that is frequented by a wild pig (they travel along paths) and when the pig passes these two leaves, and is chased by a hunter’s dogs, these leaves in this formation are said to sap some of the pig’s energy and thus allow the dogs to catch up with it. This was explained to Tony by another person who mentioned it as a sort of magical power possessed by this type of fern.

Scientific name: Blechnopsis orientalis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte on tree trunk, growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3290)

Scientific name: Procris pedunculata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[oŋmraŋ] n. old (man)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. a small red berry used as beads

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 107

[rabaθ] n. Peregrine Falcon

Example: Photo by Teddy Llovet, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 see more on Flickr See how this bird is featured in the origin story of Aneityum chiefs at see more on Youtube

Scientific name: Falco peregrinus, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

adv. down hither

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

adj. ripe early in the season

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

adv. over (?)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi