An example search has returned 100 entries
kaipwipi keikwau
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5108)
Example: When woman does not have period for 2-3 months and is pregnant, people say the lizard could eat the baby. To avoid this, boil a handful of stem shavings in 1/2 L water, for 6 minutes and give this drink to the woman twice a day for 5 days. Then the bleeding will stop. There are also dietary restrictions: no coconut, oil, salt, curry. The woman can also not swim in sea for 5 days. But the baby will be healthy if these instructions are followed.
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kasesir
kauyei
Brown Chub, Grey Sea Chub, Grey Drummer
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkonianaker
Speckled blue grouper, speckled grouper (deep sea)
Example: Photo by John Turnbull / Flickr, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkonpir
konuwak
Whitespotted grouper
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkuanarae
kuankuma
kuetawirua
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5135)
Example: When this plant grows to 2m, peel bark and put it in salt water to rett the stem. To do this, tie the stems in budles and cover the bundle with a stone in the sea. After one week, rett the stem by pulling out the strong fibers and discarding the rest. Dry the fibers, then make a grass skirt from this. The leaves can be crushed and used as a styptic for wounds to stop bleeding.
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minin tonga
Golden-lined spinefoot, lined rabbitfish
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknaker
namitɨg
namramiri
[namrami:ri] n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3001)
Example: Fuel: Dry portions of this plant are used as firewood. Construction: The timber of this plant is used to create any part of a house. It is considered a strong wood. Hunting: Pidgeons are attracted to this plant for their fruit. As a result, hunters gather around this plant when they desire to hunt the pidgeon.
bookmarknangai
[naŋe] n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3141)
Example: Fruits have edible seeds. To prepare, sun dry the fruits, break kernal and roast or boil the nut inside. Is a common food plant. The wood makes good timber. The latex can be collected, put in a tin and then heated over a fire. It turns black and can be used as black paint. It also smells nice when heated.
bookmarknapoti sarariman
Lemonfish, gold-spotted sweetlips (male)
Example: Photo by Richard Ling / Flickr, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknaprapames
nare
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5039)
Example: This is the female type of 5037. Leaf is used to cover the top ridge of a roof on a house. Lasts 5 or more years. Women use the leaf for grass skirts. Take leaves, twist, tie in a line, dry in sun and then use to make skirt. Leaves have a nice fragrance.
bookmarknaruakiri
[naruwakiri] n. herb, 2.5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3082)
Example: To make a strap to hold the ornamental fiber "Nisei" (Plunkett et al #3077) on a person’s arm. Dry the stem, remove the fibers, and weakve into a strap. There is a legend that is told about this plant, concerning a rat and a fox. The rat and fox stole a banana from the Devil’s garden. The Devil caught the fox and told him not to come back. The rat said "lets go to the garden" and the fox said no. The rat said "go take these leaves, and tie the leaves with coconut fiber--and he told the fox to lie down and the rat sewed the leaves on the fox. ...
bookmarknaruakiri
n. herb, 2.5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3082)
Example: To make a strap to hold the ornamental fiber "Nisei" (Plunkett et al #3077) on a person’s arm. Dry the stem, remove the fibers, and weakve into a strap. There is a legend that is told about this plant, concerning a rat and a fox. The rat and fox stole a banana from the Devil’s garden. The Devil caught the fox and told him not to come back. The rat said "lets go to the garden" and teh fox said no. The rat said "go take these leaves, and tie the leaves with coconut fiber--and he told the fox to lie down and the rat sewed the leaaves on the fox. So, the rat an
bookmarknasiapu-a-nasiapu
n. herb growing on roadside along coast road. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3168)
Example: This plant can be used to tell the sex of an as yet unborn baby. Two people hold the stem and tear it. If three threads from the corners of the stem come off, the baby will be a boy; if all 4 corners of the stem come off, the baby will be a girl. Two people start tearing the stem from both sides of the cut stem.
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natgamera
natuan
n. large tree, 10-14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3124)
Example: The wood of this plant smells bad. It is locally called a type of "stink wood." When young children get circumsized in kastom ways, to change the leaves for their bandage, take off the bark of this stem, take the inside part and scrape it--mix a handful of hte scrapings with grated coconut, put it together in a leaf, put it on the fire, heat it, when the coconut is browned, squeeze it together to get the "milk" that is yellow in color. When young children swim in saltwater to dry the cut from the circumcision, squeeze this on that area to help heal it. Another use is to tr
bookmarknauiri fum
[nari fem] n. sparsely branched tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3005)
Example: Fuel: Dry portions of this plant are used as firewood. Construction: The timber of this plant is used to createany part of a house. It is considered a strong wood. Medicine: This plant is used to treat muscle soreness. It can be prepared in tow ways. One way is to boil and branch of leaves and then bathe (“swim”) with the resulting water. Another way is to heat a branch over a fire and rub on sore area for approximately 1 minute, after showering. Note: This plant is recognized as similar to M. latifolia. However, the medicinal action of this plant is regarded as inferior to the former.
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nawirek
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5080)
Example: When there are too many rats in house, put a layer of leaves underneath a piece of food in the corner of the house. When the rat steps on the leaf, as the underside is itchy, it will swell the leg of the rat, making it hard for him to move so you can find them in the morning and kill them easily.
bookmarknewahu
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5114)
Example: Weave bark fiber to make slings, grass skirt for ladies, hats and baskets. To do this, rett outer bark in sea for 1 week to rot everything but the fiber, take remaining fiber, dry in sun and use as a fiber for weaving.
bookmarknkhaourakou
[nəkora:ku] n. shrub, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3160)
Example: When a person is growing watermelons, you put a knife in the roots of the watermelon plants, and then cut a stick from this tree and drive it into the roots as well, to ensure greater numbers of watermelons will be grown.
bookmarknɨkawahai-rea
nɨkwesi
nɨmu kwatia tasiapen
Dark-Banded Fusilier, Neon Fusilier
Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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tapatou
Yellowtail barracuda
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarktasiapen
Marr’s Fusilier, Twinstripe Fusilier
Example: Photo by Lesley Clements / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarktɨmhien
warakou pusan
yesu
Dash-and-dot goatfish
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkThere are currently 3233 entries, 3212 audio files, and 1236 images.
All content copyright © Nafe (Kwamera) community. (2015)
Nafe (Kwamera) Talking Dictionary produced by Martial Wahe, K. David Harrison, and Jeremy Fahringer (2015-2020).
Botanical consultants: Michael J. Balick, Gregory M. Plunkett, Laurence Ramon, Tom A. Ranker, Sean Thackurdeen, and Calvin Heiman. Field data transcribed by Isabella Mandis.
Nafe language contributors include Martial Wahe, Jean Pascal Wahe, Chief Johnson Noar, Emmanuel Maasi, Marie Emmanuel Maasi and others as credited within the dictionary entries. Based in part on materials from Lindstrom, Lamont (1986) Kwamera Dictionary. Pacific Linguistics. Series C, No. 95. Canberra: Australian National University.
The Nafe-English Talking Dictionary was made possible by award no. 1555675 from National Science Foundation for
“Collaborative Research: Plant, Fungal and Linguistic Diversity of Tafea Province, Vanuatu.” This support is gratefully acknowledged.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
All rights reserved. Do not distribute or reproduce without permission.
how to cite:
K. David Harrison and Martial Wahe. 2015-2020.
Nafe (Kwamera) Talking Dictionary.
Swarthmore College.
http://www.talkingdictionary.org/kwamera
Interface and database design under the direction of Jeremy Fahringer and Swarthmore College ITS.
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