Animals

1. Dog

   Usage

   Spelled as in English. It also has a derogatory slang sense for people, so keep it to the animal

2. Puskat

   Cat

   Usage

   "busi" is a shorter variant

3. Pig

   Usage

   Tusked pigs are ceremonial wealth in Vanuatu — the national flag carries a boar's tusk

4. Faol

   Chicken

   Usage

   Also "jikin"; they run free in villages

5. Dakdak

   Duck

   Usage

   Named after its call

6. Kao

   Cow

   Usage

   Espiritu Santo has large cattle ranches; Vanuatu is a beef producer

7. Nanigot

   Goat

   Usage

   A nanny goat; a billy goat is "biligot"

8. Sipsip

   Sheep

   Usage

   Few of them here; a word you hear in church

9. Hos

   Horse

   Usage

   Ranches offer horse riding

10. Fis

    Fish

    Usage

    Common at markets; strong-smelling fish is "blakfis"

11. Sak

    Shark

    Usage

    Comes up in dive briefings

12. Krab

    Crab

    Usage

    A white crab is "waetkrab"; a hermit crab is "nakato"

13. Totel

    Turtle

    Usage

    Protected; do not buy shell souvenirs

14. Krokodael

    Crocodile

    Usage

    Barely present in Vanuatu

15. Snek

    Snake

    Usage

    A warning word in the bush; most land snakes in Vanuatu are harmless

16. Geko

    Gecko

    Usage

    They run across guesthouse walls; a large one is "bigae", or "nambakop" in island languages

17. Lised

    Lizard

    Usage

    Lizards other than geckos

18. Rat

    Usage

    A small one is "smolrat" or "maos"

19. Blakbokis

    Flying fox

    Usage

    Also "flaengfokis", or "nakarae" in island languages; they fly out at dusk

20. Moskito

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Also spelled "mustik"; essential vocabulary for dengue and malaria talk

21. Kakros

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Use it when reporting the state of a room

22. Anis

    Ant

    Usage

    A reason not to leave food out

23. Bi

    Bee

    Usage

    Useful for reporting an allergy

24. Spaeda

    Spider

    Usage

    Large ones live in the bush and under eaves

25. Nilpat

    Centipede

    Usage

    Also "handredleg"; the sting is fierce, so wear shoes

26. Nambembe

    Butterfly

    Usage

    From an island language; the English-style "bataflae" is also used

27. Flae

    Fly

    Usage

    The same spelling also works as the verb "to fly"

28. Bebet

    Insect

    Usage

    Insects in general

29. Nakwita

    Octopus

    Usage

    Also "nawita", and it can include squid; seen at markets

30. Namalao

    Incubator bird (megapode)

    Usage

    A bird that incubates its eggs in warm volcanic soil — a Vanuatu speciality whose egg harvest is traditionally managed

31. Dolfen

    Dolphin

    Usage

    Often seen from boats

32. Welfis

    Whale

    Usage

    They pass through seasonally

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