An example search has returned 100 entries
iaremha
[jare̤mə̤] 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.
bookmarkkapapu
keipeipie iasuck
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5065)
Example: Tricks the rat, sees seeds from bottom, but when climbs herb, can’t see it--so name refers to tricking the rat. If a person drinks too much kava over many years, boil 5-6 whole plant for 15 minutes in water (1.5 L) and put in pot, drink 3 cups, 1x / day for 3 days to detoxify the effects of kava. A person who has drunk too much kava over a long time feels it in the body--weak, hard to wake early, appetite is low, body feels heavy.
bookmarkkonphar
One-spot snapper
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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kuanmasekum
kuatiapas
kind of coconut, produces the smallest coconut, with an oblong shape
Example: It is said that when children play in the bush they like to find this coconut to eat. The local name refers to children—small in size, just like a child. It is not considered a good variety for an adult to eat
bookmarkkwareren-akwang
[nokukəpran] n. herb growing on large rock in open area, in middle of flowing stream. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3117)
Example: People use this plant to treat heartburn and when they get indigestion. Take the leaf and wrap it with Ficus leaves ("manasus" unclear what species), chew them together and swallow the juice until the pain goes away.
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minin akwes
Brown surgeonfish
Example: Photo by David Burdick / via guamreefli License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknamatamai
Trumpet emperor, red throat emperor
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknare
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.
bookmarknatan
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
bookmarknawan
nefrei yassuk
nekafae
newahu
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.
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nimaue
nipiry
nuapupu
nukwetau
n. type of fern (collection: Michael J. Balick #5086)
Example: In ancient times during cyclone season when no food could be harvested, collect the stem and take the white flesh out of center, and bake in the ground oven. Young leaves cooked like island cabbage and eaten. 2 petiole put together and used to grate banana and fresh taro for cooking. Can split the trunk in pieces to make flooring for house. Nailed to joists/supports.
bookmarknykwesi
[nukwe:si] n. tree, growing in disturbed forest/garden area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3105)
Example: People eat the young leaves, boiling them in water until they are soft and ready to eat. Or, the green leaves are edible when raw, put coconut flesh and salt in the leaf and eat.
bookmarknɨkɨnhi-
nɨmpen
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5076)
Example: Leaves used in cooking to flavor soup. To cure sore known as "yaush" that is the size of a 50 vatu coin or larger, take 2-3 branches, collect leaves, put in pot, and warm. Wash the sore 3x day wash for 1-2 weeks. This disease is caused by flies and mosquitos. Yaush is the English name. Mosquito or fly bites the person, passes worm similar to filariasis, then a boil erupts and scratch it becomes big sore. Dry leaves and flowers, put in tin, and light it up to keep mosquitoes away. The smoke from this burning plant chases away mosquitoes like a coil.
bookmarknɨpɨn ivus
penesu
Bridled Parrotfish
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkpenesu
Yellowfin Parrotfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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tui-tui
[twitwi] n. shrub, 2-3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3085)
Example: The leaves of this plant are used to cover the hot stone ovens when cooking lap-lap. The ripe fruit is used to burn as a lap. Take the seeds, impale on the fiber in the middle of a coconut leaf pinnae and light, holding the slender stick and lighting a person’s way.
bookmarkyesu
Manybar goatfish
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-SA 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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