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Nakamal
A ''nakamal'' is a traditional meeting place in Vanuatu. It is used for gatherings, ceremonies and the drinking of kava. A nakamal is found in every significant Vanuatu community, but the design of the nakamal and the traditions surrounding it vary between areas. Etymology The term ''nakamal'' is a Bislama word, borrowed from certain Oceanic languages spoken in Vanuatu, such as North Efate language, North Efate. In those languages, such a form can be parsed as ''na kamal(i)'', combining the common Article (grammar), article ''na'' and a noun ''kamal'' or ''kamali''. Ultimately, it descends from a Proto-Oceanic language, Proto-Oceanic and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language, Proto-Malayo-Polynesian etymon ''*kamaliR'', meaning "men's house".{{cite journal , last=Blust , first=Robert , author-link = Robert Blust, title=The challenge of semantic reconstruction 2: Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kamaliR 'men's house' , journal=Oceanic Linguistics , volume=57 , issue=2 , date=2018 , pages=33 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kava
Kava or kava kava (''Piper methysticum'': Latin 'pepper' and Latinized Ancient Greek, Greek 'intoxicating') is a plant in the Piperaceae, pepper family, native to the Pacific Islands. The name ''kava'' is from Tongan language, Tongan and Marquesan language, Marquesan, meaning 'bitter'. Kava can refer to either the plant or a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive beverage made from its root. The beverage is a traditional ceremonial and recreational drink from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Nakamals and kava bar (establishment), bars exist in many countries. Traditional kava is made by grinding fresh or dried kava root, mixing it with water or coconut milk, and straining it into a communal bowl. Outside the South Pacific, kava is typically prepared by soaking dried root powder in water and straining it. It is Social lubricant, consumed socially for its sedative, hypnotic, muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, and euphoric effects, comparable to those produced by alcohol (drug), alcohol. K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nakamal
A ''nakamal'' is a traditional meeting place in Vanuatu. It is used for gatherings, ceremonies and the drinking of kava. A nakamal is found in every significant Vanuatu community, but the design of the nakamal and the traditions surrounding it vary between areas. Etymology The term ''nakamal'' is a Bislama word, borrowed from certain Oceanic languages spoken in Vanuatu, such as North Efate language, North Efate. In those languages, such a form can be parsed as ''na kamal(i)'', combining the common Article (grammar), article ''na'' and a noun ''kamal'' or ''kamali''. Ultimately, it descends from a Proto-Oceanic language, Proto-Oceanic and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language, Proto-Malayo-Polynesian etymon ''*kamaliR'', meaning "men's house".{{cite journal , last=Blust , first=Robert , author-link = Robert Blust, title=The challenge of semantic reconstruction 2: Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kamaliR 'men's house' , journal=Oceanic Linguistics , volume=57 , issue=2 , date=2018 , pages=33 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kava Culture
Kava cultures are the religious and cultural traditions of western Oceania which consume kava. There are similarities in the use of kava between the different cultures and islands, but each one also has its own traditions. Australia In Australia, the supply of kava is regulated through the National Code of Kava Management. Travellers to Australia are allowed to bring up to 4 kg of kava in their baggage, provided they are at least 18 years old, and the kava is in root or dried form. Commercial import of larger quantities is allowed, under licence for medical or scientific purposes. These restrictions were introduced in 2007 after concern about abuse of kava in indigenous communities. Initially, the import limit was 2 kg per person; it was raised to 4 kg in December 2019, and a pilot program allowing for commercial importation was implemented on 1 December 2021. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has recommended no more than 250 mg of kavalactones b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Port Vila
Port Vila ( ; ), or simply Vila (), is the capital of Vanuatu and its largest city. It is on the island of Efate, in Shefa Province. The population was 49,034 as of the 2020 census. In 2020, the population of Port Vila formed 16.3% of the country's population. Located on the east coast of the island of Efate, Port Vila is the economic and commercial centre of Vanuatu. The mayor is Jenny Regenvanu of the Land and Justice Party, the first woman to hold the position, elected in August 2024. Her deputy was Marie Louise Milne, of the Green Confederation, until the seat was vacated in January 2025. Name Locally, the town is most commonly referred to simply as "Vila", whether in French or Bislama or in English (not like English "villa"). The name of the area is ''Efil'' in the native South Efate language and ''Ifira'' in neighbouring Mele-Fila language. ''Vila'' is a variant of these names. Ifira is a small island in Vila harbour where many traditional landowners res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melanesian Culture
Melanesians are the predominant and indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia, in an area stretching from New Guinea to the Fiji Islands. Most speak one of the many languages of the Austronesian language family (especially ones in the Oceanic branch) or one of the many unrelated families of Papuan languages. There are several creoles of the region, such as Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, Solomon Islands Pijin, Bislama, and Papuan Malay. Origin and genetics The origin of Melanesians is generally associated with the first settlement of Australasia by a lineage dubbed 'Australasians' or 'Australo-Papuans' during the Initial Upper Paleolithic, which is "ascribed to a population movement with uniform genetic features and material culture" (Ancient East Eurasians), and sharing deep ancestry with modern East Asian peoples and other Asia-Pacific groups. It is estimated that people reached Sahul (the geological continent consisting of Australia and New Guinea) between 50,000 and 37,000 years ago. Rising ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buildings And Structures In Vanuatu
A building or edifice is an enclosed structure with a roof, walls and windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for numerous factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, prestige, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the concept, see ''Nonbuilding structure'' for contrast. Buildings serve several societal needs – occupancy, primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical separation of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) from the ''outside'' (a place that may be harsh and harmful at times). buildings have been objects or canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiki Bar
A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails. Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which is based upon a romanticized conception of tropical cultures, most commonly Polynesian. Some bars also incorporate general nautical themes or retro elements from the early atomic age. Many early tiki bars were attached to hotels or were the bar sections for large Asian restaurants. While some are freestanding, cocktail-only affairs, many still serve food; and some hotel-related tiki establishments are still in existence. Large tiki bars may also incorporate a stage for live entertainment. Musicians such as Alfred Apaka and Don Ho played a historically important role in their popularity, and the bars also booked acts such as exotica-style bands and Polynesian dance floor shows. History Don the Beachcomber One of the earliest and perhaps the first kn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiki Culture
Tiki culture is an American-originated art, music, and entertainment movement inspired by Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian cultures, and by Oceanian art. Influential cultures to Tiki culture include Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean Islands, and Hawaii. The name comes from Tiki, the Māori name for the first human, often represented in the form of hei-tiki, a pendant and important taonga. The hei-tiki was often appropriated by Europeans as a commercialised good luck charm, hence the name of Tiki culture. Despite the Pacific Islands spanning over and including many different unrelated cultures, religions, and languages, Tiki aesthetic is considered by some to be amalgamated into one "fantasia of trans-Pacific cultures" and "colonial nostalgia". Because of this, and the simplistic view of the Pacific taken by the aesthetic, Tiki culture has often proved controversial. Tiki culture initially extended to decorate themed bars and restaurants ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of the French Republic, a legal status unique in overseas France, and is enshrined in a dedicated chapter of the French Constitution. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre (New Caledonia), Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines (New Caledonia), Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea. French people, especially locals, call Grande Terre , a nickname also used more generally for the entire New Caledonia. Kanak people#Agitation for independence, Pro-independence Kanak parties use the name (''pron.'' ) to refer to New Caledonia, a term coined in the 1980s from the ethnic name of the indi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malvatumauri
The ''Malvatu Mauri'' (Bislama, adapted from the various Oceanic languages) (National Council of Chiefs) is a formal advisory body of chiefs recognised by the constitution of Vanuatu. According to chief Willie Bongmatur Maldo, "''Mal''" means chief, "''vatu''" means stone, island, or place, and "''mauri''" means something that is alive. The council was first established in July 1976 with 20 members, and Willy Bongmatur was its first chairman. Members of the Council are elected by their fellow chiefs sitting in district councils of chiefs. The Council plays a significant role in advising the government on all matters concerning ni-Vanuatu culture and languages. See also * Great Council of Chiefs of Fiji *House of Ariki The House of Ariki () is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of Cook Islands high chiefs (''ariki''), appointed by the King's Representative. While it functions in a similar way to the House of Lords and the Senate of Canada ... ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cebuano Language
Cebuano ( )Cebuano on Merriam-Webster.com is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language spoken in the southern Philippines by Cebuano people and other Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic groups as a secondary language. It is natively, though informally, called by the generic name Bisayâ (), or Binisayâ () (both terms are translated into English as ''Visayan'', though this should not be confused with other Bisayan languages) and sometimes referred to in English sources as Cebuan ( ). It is spoken by the Visayans, Visayan ethnolinguistic groups native to the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, the eastern half of Negros Island, Negros, the western half of Leyte, the northern coastal areas of Northern Mindanao and the eastern part of Zamboanga del Norte due to Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish settlements during the 18th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
