Nakamal

A nakamal is a traditional meeting place found in Vanuatu, used for community gatherings, ceremonies and the drinking of kava, with the design and building traditions varying from island to island. The word comes from Bislama, borrowed from Oceanic languages spoken in Vanuatu such as North Efate, and traces back through Proto-Oceanic and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian roots meaning men's house. In north and central Vanuatu, nakamals are large structures raised from traditional materials with the help of the whole community under the direction of a chief; entry is typically restricted to men, and the building can serve as living quarters for unmarried men and male visitors, with most nakamals having no lockable door, signaling welcome to friendly visitors, though a low entrance barrier keeps animals out. In southern Vanuatu, nakamals commonly take a different form, an open, sheltered outdoor space such as the ground beneath a banyan tree, and a cleared area called a nasara often fronts the structure for dances and gatherings. Vanuatu's national council of chiefs meets in a Port Vila assembly building that itself incorporates traditional nakamal architecture, and today the nakamal's most visible modern role is as a venue for preparing and drinking kava, with rural nakamals maintaining communal, non-commercial kava preparation distinct from urban kava bars that sell it.