An example search has returned 100 entries
kaipaip sei kuekau
n. sprawling herb, with erect flowering stems (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3237)
Example: Children take the inflorescence of this plant and use it to find and poke lizards hiding in the bush. For treatment of an unspecified spiritual sickness, chew 2, 2" pieces of the stem to get rid of the sickness, spitting the material on the hair and body of an ill person; use only 1 time.
bookmarkkararɨg feimanu
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5072)
Example: House posts, rafters, good for building in Tanna. Scrape stem in cup and squeeze with water into a glass to give someone with heavy menstrual bleeding. 1 stem to fill a cup, mix with water, 1 liter /day for 7 days. Shark causes bleeding, maybe the person ate too much shark. This will solve that. This plant is called "medicine of the shark".
bookmarkkarikao
karwase
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5120)
Example: When parents go away to a feast or garden, children take a pile of soil 12 in. diameter, put this flower on top, surround wth some ashes and then hide in the house to wait to see if the dwarf spirit appears (Karwase Haruase). Sometimes the spirit will come and then scare the children. Ancestors used these spirits and games to teach children to stay together and not wander alone. As the dwarf spirit will take you.
bookmarkkoniapit
konuwak sarariman
Painted sweetlips (male)
Example: Photo by Dr. Dwayne Meadows / NOAA, License: Public Domain via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
korkwao tanna
kwankɨnhi
kwotpitasi
mafiji
minim
White-spotted spinefoot, white-spotted rabbitfish (salt water)
Example: Photo by Rick Stuart-Smith / Reef Life Survey, License: CC BY 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkminin
nanes
napoti sarariman
Yellow-striped sweetlips (male)
Example: Photo by Graham Edgar / Reef Life Survey. License: CC BY 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknare
neiuck
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5106)
Example: If someone has swollen legs or arms, like from bruises or boils, crush leaves and rub on the swollen area twice a day for 1 week, or until sores disappear. For anemia, take a double handful of leaves, squeeze into 1 L water, and drink one bottle three day for 2 weeks.
bookmarknekfai
n. liana growing up a damaged macaranga dioica tree, growing in open forest heavily impacted by cyclone. flowering spadices green to tannish-yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3241)
Example: The leaves, fruits and stems of this plant are used as pig food. The leaves are used to wrap lap lap in. Leaves are also used to cover a roof of a house--the top part or ridge.
bookmarknisai-arman
n. shrub to 1.5 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4728)
Example: The leaves of this plant are used to make a women’s grass skirt. Men use these leaves to put in a band around the arm as decoration. These leaves are also used to tie a kava root for a ceremony in the nakamal. For kastom ceremony, take coconut endosperm, chew with this leave and covery body. It makes the body smell very nice. When a person has a fever, mix this leaf with other leaves including Annona muricata and Citrus species. Then the person sits over a steaming pot and inhales it to reduce the fever and symptoms. If you need to go to a "tabu" place, where the spirit can mak
bookmarknmeheu
noukwerang
nuak
n. vine climbing up ficus wasa tree to a height of 5 m above ground, growing in open forest heavily impacted by cyclone. flowers purplish-blue with white throat. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3242)
Example: When women go to the garden and have a backpack or basket, they tie it up with this vine--the vine makes an excellent rope overall. When a person catches a bird, climb a tree and put sap from this vine in its eye to blind him so he does not fly away. Apply this to small chicks in their nest. Birds then will grow to eating size and not fly away. When children have an ear infection that yields pus, chew the young leaves of this plant and spit into their ear to stop the pus that is coming out. If a person wants to drink from a pool of dirty water, put the vine in it to help purify the water.
bookmarknuapupu
nuirou
n. type of flowering plant (collection: Michael J. Balick #5163)
Example: Scrape inner bark (handful) and mix it with MJB 5157 in 1 liter water squeeze in bottle, drink 1 cup 2x daily for mother who is not producing enough milk for baby. Birds eat fruits -- all types like it (flying fox) also.
bookmarknukuk-apran
nurpiteu
nɨkwesi
nɨmnave, nemnave
nɨmu mɨru
wrasse (general name)
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknɨpɨn ivus
pagaivii phisir sarariman
Tripletail wrasse (male)
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkparangi pitew
Ringtail surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Erik Schlogl / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkPawpawuk
Blue Wanderer
Example: Photo by melianie_and_max / iNaturalist, License: CC0 via inaturalist.org
bookmarkpawpawuk pusan
Common Grass Blue
Example: Photo by flecksy / iNaturalist, License: CC-BY-NC via inaturalist.org
bookmarkpepheer pitew
Two-striped sweetlips, giant sweetlips
Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkpringsiwir
Lined surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Erik Schlogl / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkringkai
[rigai ~ ringgai] Great Frigatebird
Example: Photo by Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
bookmarkserser
sɨmir
Giant Moray
Example: Photo by Sascha Schultz / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarktapuga
tauparsiur
n. large herb, growing at edge of garden. bracts red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3071)
Example: People use this to cover or wrap banana and cassava prior to cooking in a boiling pot; when the food is cooked the leaf is discarded. Flowers used for decoration. This is an imported cultivated plant.
bookmarktuai
tuwai
ume tasiapen
Sleek unicornfish (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
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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