An example search has returned 100 entries
-akei
-ataki
atia ~ atiai
ia-keri tapou sei nerei
iaku-iaku (iaku-iaku)
iaremha
n. herb, growing along open garden path. flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3084)
Example: This plant is used to treat diarrhea in a baby 1-6 months old. The mother takes 4, 1" pieces and chews them, spitting it into the baby’s mouth 2x daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon until the diarrhea stops. Sometimes if the baby is sick from a spirit such as a yam, taro or sea spirit, the mother takes 2, 1" pieces of stem and 2, 1" pieces of Acalypha wilkesiana petiole (Plunkett et.al. #3081) and chews the two species together and spits on the affected baby, telling the spirit to "go away and leave the baby alone.
bookmarkkakeakei
n. terrestrial fern growing in weedy patch with other herbs at edge of open forest heavily impacted by cyclone. Leaves dimorphic. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3253)
Example: Used as a medicine to treat children who cannot walk. Rub smashed leaves on the knee of a child, "he will walk." For a child about 1 year old, rub the leaves on the knee and underside of the foot. This will make the child walk "easily and quickly." and will make the leg "lighter."
bookmarkkapajiko
Humpback red snapper, paddletail
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkaruarua
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5143)
Example: Use this plant to stop the rain, take 4 tips of the plant’s branch and place them in a cross formation, with the tips pointing N, S, W, E, wash them in sea water, and then call for the rain to stop. Hang these tips in a tree with rope for five days. Stem used to weave roof rafter to attach coconut fronds to stick. Young men hunting in bush with slingshots, when run out of stones, use these young fruits to hunt birds.
bookmarkkasesir
konuwak sarapiran
Harlequin Sweetlips, Many-Spotted Sweetlips, Spotted Sweetlips (female)
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkorkwao tanna
kwanasanas
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5166)
Example: For the kastom ceremonies, this can provide the face paint color yellow. Cut open the ripe fruit and paint directly with this. Prior to artificial colors, people used this for yellow and Bixa orellana for red to paint faces and skin.
bookmarkkwankɨpu
kind of yam, produces a tuber with reddish flesh. The tuber can be up to 2 meters long and very hard inside, taking a long time to boil. It is easy to grow
Example: During boiling, the water is said to turn red in color and then changes to whatever the color is of what it is being cooked with
bookmarkkwanviru
makhum
makhum
Tripletail wrasse
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkmarao
Scarlet soldierfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
nanɨs
napuepran
a “female” coconut that only has one fruit on the panicle of the inflorescence
Example: This variety is used for the kastom marriage ceremony, grated with Euodia hortensis and Alpinia purpurata and rubbed on the bride and groom. The significance of this kastom is to ensure that the two people will be truthful to their chief, their parents and their spouse
bookmark
neimeiraer
neirapin
nepikesy
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5035)
Example: Root is sold to earn money, as perfume and oil is from this. Grandparents used to dry the wood over a cooking fire in a kitchen when a person would get the flu. To help, they’d take dried and heated wood, scrape one cup’s worth into hot water, and then breathe over the steam bath. Drink water afterwards. Do thhis once a day for three days.
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.
bookmarkngarehma
nuamera
[numire] n. vine on pipturus tree, growing at edge between forest and garden of sweet potato and taro. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3147)
Example: This is used as a medicine to treat babies and children with fever. Take 1 handful of leaves and squeeze the "juice" from them into a cup, add a small amount of water, just enough to dilute the strong taste of the leaf liquid. Drink 3 or 4 times a day until fever is reduced. This liquid is also good for people who have done heavy work or who are old, as it is said to strengthen the veins. So, if a person is feeling weak, they can drink a few cups of this preparation. The name "Nuamera" refers to "live veins," meaning that it will make your veins come alive ...
bookmarknusumanu
n. type of fern (collection: Michael J. Balick #5142)
Example: Children collect young leaves to decorate their exercise books in school. If a person does not want to get too drunk on kava, they will chew 3 leaves before drinking, and spit out remains while swallowing the juice. This plant has the power to reduce effects of Kava.
bookmarknɨmu kwatia tasiapen
Dark-Banded Fusilier, Neon Fusilier
Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknɨpkɨpki
pagaivii pitew
Redbreasted wrasse
Example: Photo by BBM Explorer, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkpirawa ~ firawa
Longspine emperor
Example: Photo by Museum of New Zealand / Te Papa Tongarewa, License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
rɨsɨkai
tuprepai
wipin iariman
Yellowspotted Trevally (male)
Example: Photo by David R / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC-ND 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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