An example search has returned 100 entries
kakeakei
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."
bookmarkkareng reng
Deep-bodied silver-biddy
Example: Photo by Rick Winterbottom / FishWise Professional, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkawitnawit
kmtameta, tanpiteu
n. low-growing herb, growing in dense forest heavily impacted by cyclone. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3259)
Example: When a person has diarrhea with blood (dysentery) , this is the plant medicine used to treat it. Take leaves and squeeze juice into a cup of water and give this to the person who is ill. One teaspoon for young children and for an adult 1 full cup in the morning each day until fully cured.
bookmarkkuayei apusan
Brassy chub, lowfin drummer
Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkwanarai
[kwanəraj] n. tree, 6-7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3101)
Example: People use this plant as a medicine to treat bad knees. Peel the bark, take 1 handful and put it in a cup of water until the water becomes black. Drink it 3x daily as needed until the knee pain disappears and the knee heals. Children use the seeds as a glue in school work.
bookmarkkwanarai
kwanviru
kwareren akuang
[kwarenem akwaŋ] n. herb growing on large rock in middle of flowing stream. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3114)
Example: The stem of this plant is a hollow tube, its local name means "inside out." When a person sings a kaostum song, they chew the stem and it is said to give the person a "big" voice. It also helps a person shout and sing loud as it helps to clear the throat.
bookmarkkwotpitasi
makhum
Common parrotfish, palenose parrotfish
Example: Photo by Andy A. Lewis / Lizard Island Research Station, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkmakhum
nakannakan
[nakanakan] n. terrestrial herb, 0.5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3069)
Example: People use this to treat boils on the skin. Squeeze the "juice" of the leaf on the boil, and it will soften it so that the liquid inside the boil comes out. If you chew an amount of leaves first, then they will cover and stick to the boil so it will heal faster.
bookmarknakwaragfam
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5133)
Example: Stem for house building. Young leaves are very strong and used as plates during large kastom ceremonies. Sap can be used to cover sores from flies in order to protect it. Stem good for firewood as does not give much smoke--does not bother eyes as much as other wood.
bookmarknamarban
namatamai
Orange-spotted emperor, yellowtail emperor
Example: Photo by FAO / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknanes
nanɨs
napkapy
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5027)
Example: Leaves are used as pig feed to make them grow faster. fed to pigs to make them grow faster. Various butterflied can also get stuck on this plant, so bird’s can also get stuck when trying to eat these insects and can then be hunted or collected.
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natan
natgamera
natuan
[natuwan] 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 the 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.
bookmarknaurie
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5049)
Example: Used for house posts, rafters, and other construction-- very good for building in Tanna. Scrape the stem and put the pieces into a cup. Squeeze these pieces through with water, pour into a glass, and give to someone with heavy menstrual bleeding. 1 stem used to fill a cup, and drink one liter a day for one week. It is thought that shark meat causes bleeding. This will solve that. This plant is called "medicine of the shark".
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nefara
n. tree growing in disturbed forest area along kwataren kastom road. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3095)
Example: The leaves are woven to make mats, hats, baskets, fans. When pollen is released from the flower it is said that fish in the sea are healthy. The roots are used for tying things, pound pieces of root and strip them off and weave into rope. A person can cut a root in a way that makes a brush to paint grass skirts and other objects. This rope can also be used to tie various leaves that are used to cover lap-lap. The leaves can be harvested, the fiber removed and woven into rope.
bookmarknei
nekamako
nipiry
nkhaourakou
nuri-nanipuka
nuri-nanipuka
nurpiteu
nɨkoko
nɨserserien
ringkai
[rigai ~ ringgai] Great Frigatebird
Example: Photo by Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
bookmarkteki kusan
temɨn
tikinao
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.
bookmarkwipin pitew
Blue trevally (female) (deep sea)
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkyapha
Spotted Unicornfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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There 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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