A HAUSA BOTANICAL VOCABULARY

A HAUSA
BOTANICAL VOCABULARY

BY
JOHN M. DALZIEL, M.D., B.Sc., D.T.M.
West African Medical Staff

T. FISHER UNWIN LTD.
LONDON: ADELPHI TERRACE

First published in 1916.

(All rights reserved)

A HAUSA
BOTANICAL VOCABULARY

A

abakuru, a food made from the ground-bean; vide under [kwaruru].

abantoko, a var. of [dawa] q.v.

abawa, vide under [abduga].

abduga or auduga, indigenous species of Gossypium (Malvaceæ)—G. peruvianum, Cav. G. punctatum, Sch. et Thon. G. obtusifolium, Roxb. G. arboreum, L. with varieties, hybrids and other introduced species. The Cotton Plant or raw cotton. Syn. kaḍa (Sok.). Varieties known in different districts are:—ba ka tuka, or ba tuka, ya tabshi, ya tsauri, or ya ḳarifi, kwanta Ali da zugu, Ba-Gwandare, yar gari (G. obtusifolium, var. africana, Watt.), gwundi (G. peruvianum var. with red leaf veins), chukwi, laḅayi (G. punctatum), and kanawa or matan kanawa (G. arboreum, L. var. sanguinea, Watt.); the leaves of the last or of gwundi are used for making a red dye for thread. guriya (Sok.), anguriya (Kano), or yan guriya = cotton seed; sutu or subtu = cotton freed from the seed by crushing with a stone and roller and pulled by hand before carding with the masaḅi or bakan shiḅa (cotton carding bow); saḅi or shiḅa = carded cotton; zare = thinly plied cotton thread, used chiefly for the warp, and sometimes for warp and weft; abawa (Kano), or bartake (Sok.) = thicker loosely plied thread used for the weft; (the coarse cloth goddo, or nuru (East Hausa), woven on a vertical loom in broad strips and with a fringe, has abawa in warp and weft); waḍari = cotton yarn ready for weaving; fari (Kano) = woven cotton strips; zugu (Sok.) = cotton strips in a roll (= kunkurun fari, Kano); sawaye (Sok.) = the same unrolled; taḅe (Sok.), or chin aduga (Kano) = to pluck cotton out of the pod.

abokin kibiya, a tall grass used for arrow-shafts; vide [ḳyamro].

aburu, a grass used for food; vide [iburu].

acha, Digitaria exilis, Stapf. (Paspalum exile, Kipp.) (Gramineæ); a small grass cultivated as a cereal in several Hausa provinces, in Bornu, and by many pagan tribes. Syn. intaya (Sok. Kamberi, Kamuku, &c.), “Hungry Rice”. cf. also [tumbin jaki].

a chi da gero, a chi da kara, a chi da nono, vars. of Guinea Corn; vide under [dawa].

aduruku, Newbouldia lævis, Sun. (Bignoniaceæ); a tall slender tree with handsome purple flowers; often planted around native compounds. Syn. ba reshe?

aduwa, Balanites ægyptiaca, Del. (Simarubeæ). “Desert Date”; a thorny tree common in the north, deciduous but with evergreen branches, bifoliate leaves and yellow bitter-sweet fruit; its gum = ḳaron aduwa; the seeds yield “Oil of Betu” (Kanuri, bito); dabagira = flowers of aduwa, boiled and eaten with [daudawa], q.v. salt and pepper; kaikwaiyo (Sok. Kano, &c.) = the kernel, sold as a medicine. Fruit edible; a common ingredient in fish-poison.

ago or agu (Gwari); a fish-poison, prepared usually from Tephrosia Vogelii (cf. [baina], vide under [majimfa]); sometimes from the pods of Cassia spp. (vide [gamma faḍa], &c.); cf. [aduwa].

agugu, a native drug; the rhizome of a fern used for tapeworm; probably = “Male Fern” (Nephrodium Filix-mas); not indigenous; brought chiefly from Adamawa.

agushi, the seeds of a var. of the Water Melon, Citrullus vulgaris (vide [guna]); chewed raw or used in soup.

aguwa vide [ḳaguwa].

akiye or akwiye, the seeds of [kiriya], q.v.

akwalu (Kano and East), Trochomeria sp. (Cucurbitaceæ); a wild twiner with a large tuberous root, edible when cooked. Syn. basko, or basgo (West Sokoto).

akwuya, a var. of [dawa], q.v.

alale, Blighia sapida, Koenig (Sapindaceæ). “Akee apple”; a tree found in the southern provinces, with red capsular fruit; the spongy white aril around the seeds is edible. (?Nupé ella = the name of the fruit). In Hausa generally called [Gwanja kusa], q.v.

alambo, Sesbania leptocarpa, DC. (Leguminosæ); a slender branched tree with yellow flowers and narrow jointed pods, common on river-banks. (Kanuri, paiya paiya). Other species are included, e.g. S. aculeata, Pers. S. ægyptiaca, Poir, &c.; cf. also [sasabani] and [zamarke].

alayafu, Amaranthus caudatus, L. (Amaranthaceæ). Native spinage; an excellent cultivated vegetable; a red variety resembles the ornamental plant “Love-lies-bleeding.” farin alayafu, Celosia argentea, L. (Amaranthaceæ); an erect weed of fields, 1 to 2 feet high, with pink and silvery flowering spike, not cultivated but used as a pot-herb.

albasa, Allium Cepa, Willd. (Liliaceæ). The onion. Two varieties are distinguished, viz. guda (Kano), or gudaji (Sok.), the common bulbous onion; and shafa (Kano), safa (Sok.), the spring onion; lawashi or gabu (Sok.) = onion leaves pounded and dried, sold in the form of balls and used in soup. cf. [tafarnuwa].

albasar kura, Urginea nigritiana, Bak. (Liliaceæ), and other common bulbous plants growing wild.

albasar kwaḍi, Crinum yuccæflorum, Salisb. (Amaryllideæ); a common plant of damp places, with an umbel of large lily-like flowers, white with a purple stripe. (Other species are included and the names of this and the last are commonly confused.) The scarlet-flowered Hæmanthus rupestris, Bak. (Amaryllideæ), “Blood Flower”, bears the same name.

algarif, the seeds of the “Common” or “Garden Cress,” Lepidium sativum, Linn. vide [labsur]; sold as a medicine; a red variety algaru ja in small masses, and a black variety usually loose; preparations are made for external and internal use.

alhaji, Ærua tomentosa, Forst. (Amaranthaceæ); an erect plant with hoary white leaves and flowers. (Etym. from the completely white habit, but the name like [Ba-Fillatani], q.v. is probably applied to other white plants). More generally known as [furfura ta gyatumi], q.v.

alibida, vide [alubada].

aliliba, Cordia abyssinica, R. Br. (Boragineæ); a tree with broad leaves, white flowers, and sweet yellow berries used in making allewa, &c.

aliyara, vide [ḳaguwa].

alkama, Triticum sativum, Lam. sub-race T. vulgare, Vill. “Common Wheat;” or T. compositum, Linn. “Mummy,” “Miracle” or “Egyptian Wheat;” grown chiefly in the north on river-banks with irrigation. taliya, a sort of macaroni made from alkama flour; gurasa, a sort of native wheaten bread; punkaso (Kano), or fankaso, wheaten cakes fried in oil. The following are delicacies made from alkama:—dashishi, cakes like masa but made with honey-water; sunasar, a preparation of wheat with meat and butter; tuwon ḅaure = tuwo made with finely ground wheat and butter instead of water.

alkaman tururuwa, Spermacoce stachydea, DC. (Rubiaceæ); a common weed eaten by goats, &c. (Etym. tururuwa, a species of social harvesting ant).

alubada or alibida, Carpodinus hirsuta, Hua (Apocynaceæ); a woody climber; one of the rubber vines in the south.

amai mussa (Sok.), Eragrostis major, Hochst. (Gramineæ); a grass with an unpleasant smell. (Etym. “cat’s vomit”). Syn. [buddari] (Sok.), q.v, and bunsurun fadama (Katsina and East).

amara, Tacca involucrata, Sch. et Thon. (Taccaceæ); a wild perennial herb with an edible tuber; cultivated in some districts, chiefly by Fulani; in the Benué district gathered wild and sold in the form of a starchy meal. (The same as “South Sea arrowroot” of the Sandwich and Society Islands). vide also under [giginyar biri].

anguriya, cotton seed, vide under [abduga].

anza (Sok. Kats. &c.), hanza (Gobir), Boscia angustifolia, A. Rich. (Capparideæ); a pale-leaved shrub; the berries are edible and sometimes the bark is prepared with cereals as a food similarly to the plant [bagayi], q.v. hence also called anza rashin bagayi; including also the broader-leaved B. senegalensis, Lam. cf. [zayi].

arakke (Sok.), vide [rake]; Saccharum officinarum, L. one of the two species of sugar-cane.

ararabi, vide [hano].

ataras, a var. of kola nut; vide under [goro].

atillis, a tree, the nut of which yields an oil used medicinally as food, &c. Canarium Schweinfurthii, Engl. (Burseraceæ). “African Elemi Tree.”

auduga, vide [abduga].

awarwaro, Ipomœa aquatica, Forsk. (Convolvulaceæ); a prostrate purple-flowered convolvulus with hastate leaves, in muddy and marshy places; (loosely applied to other species of convolvulus). Syn. furen gyado (because the roots are eaten by wart-hog).

aya, Cyperus esculentus, L. the “Tiger Nut” or “Rush Nut;” a sedge, cultivated for its small edible tuber.

aya aya, Cyperus rotundus, L. (Cyperaceæ); a common wild sedge with edible slightly fragrant tuberous root. Syn. giri giri (Sok.); vide also [ḍan Tunuga]. Other wild sedges, e.g. Cyp. Fenzelianus, Steud., &c. are included.

ayaba, Musa sapientum, L. (Scitamineæ); the Banana. Musa paradisiaca, L. the Plantain. ayabar daji, Musa sp. a wild species with astringent pulp and black stony seeds.

ayana, Vitis Thonningii, Baker, Vitis gracilis, Baker, and other species (Ampelideæ); species of wild vines with small berries. From the acidity of the leaves they are also called yakuwar fatake or y. mahalba. vide also [buḍa yau].

B

ba-anguri, a variety of [gero], q.v.

baba, b. rini, or b. kore; Indigo plant; chiefly Indigofera arrecta, Hochst. and other cultivated species of Indigofera (Leguminosæ); I. tinctoria, Linn. I. Anil, Linn., &c. cf. [talaki]. kwosusu = the second crop of baba, said to be the better; shuni = prepared indigo, the extracted blue dye-stuff, usually sold in cones or small masses and not used in dye-pits; shuḍi = cloth or thread dyed blue; tamaseki = a sort of home-made indigo prepared by women, from baba in pots.

baba hun (nasal baba hm), Gynura cernua, Benth. (Compositæ); a common weed with purple flowers and lyrate leaves; used in soup, &c.

babar fadama, Indigofera sp. wild species growing in damp places.

babar giwa (Hadeija, &c.), vide [bushi].

babar more (Sok.), Ambrosia maritima, Linn. (Compositæ); an aromatic plant, 1 to 2 feet high, with divided leaves, resembling Wormwood. Syn. bababa (from its common occurrence in indigo fields); also called babar talak and tutubidi (Sok.).

baba rodo, Rogeria adenophylla, J. Gay (Pedaliaceæ); an erect plant with broad leaves, purple tubular flowers and viscid sap. Also called loda (Sok.), but cf. [dafara].

babar talaki, Lonchocarpus cyanescens, Benth. (Leguminosæ). “Yoruba Wild Indigo.” vide [talaki] and cf. [farin sansami].

babar tamau, Indigofera arrecta, Hochst. and other spp. wild or escaped from cultivation.

babba juji, b. jibji; 1. In Sokoto and Katsina = Datura Metel, Linn. (Solanaceæ), the “Hairy Thorn Apple.” Syn. [zaḳami], q.v. 2. Elsewhere usually = Boerhaavia adscendens, Willd. (Nyctagineæ), a common prostrate weed of rubbish heaps &c. with small pink flowers; also called [sarikin juji] q.v.

bădo, Nymphæa Lotus, Willd. (Nymphæaceæ). White Water-lily; the starchy rhizome and seeds are edible. (Other species are N. guineensis, Sch. and Thonn. with white flowers; N. Heudelotii, Planch. and N. cœrulea, Sav. with purplish flowers), vide [kwankwarita].

Ba-Fillatani, Heliotropium undulatum, Vahl. (Boragineæ); a small weed with white flowers. (Similar names are however loosely applied to other plants with pale foliage; e.g. the grass [karani], q.v. and cf. [alhaji].)

bafuri, vide under [balbela].

bagaruwa (Kano, Sok., &c.), or gabaruwa (Zaria), Acacia arabica, Willd. (Leguminosæ). “Egyptian Mimosa.” Indian “Babool.” An acacia with yellow flower-balls and jointed pods—“Sant pods” or “Gambia pods”—used all over the Sudan for tanning; also used in making a black dye for leather, called [kuloko], q.v. The original source of true gum arabic. (Etym. the first name is a metathetic form of the synonym gaba ruwa.)

bagaruwar ḳassa, Cassia mimosoides, L. (Leguminosæ); a common weed with yellow flowers and pinnate leaves.

bagaruwar Makka, vide [zogalagandi].

ba gashi? (Kontagora), vide under [sheḳani].

bagayi, Cadaba farinosa, Forsk. (Capparideæ); a small-leaved hoary shrub of scrambling habit. The leaves and twigs are mixed with cereals to form a sort of pudding or cake common in East Hausa and Bornu, called parsa (Kanuri), baleno, or tsawa. Syn. balambo. N.B. This plant is confused with [anza], q.v. and in some localities (Katagum, &c.) called by the latter name.

Ba-Gwandare (or bugundare); 1. a var. of cotton, vide under [abduga]. 2. A var. of [dawa], q.v. (from Gwandara, the name of a tribe).

baina, 1. A grass with edible seeds. Syn. [baya], q.v. 2. The fish-poison prepared from Tephrosia Vogelii, vide under [majimfa].

ba-jini, Afrormosia sp. (Leguminosæ); a tree with pale leaves and flat pods. (Etym. from the red resinous bark). Syn. jina jina.

ba ka tuka or ba tuka, a var. of cotton, vide under [abduga].

baḳin bunnu (Katagum), Indigofera pulchra, Vahl. (Leguminosæ); a small undershrub with stiff stems, sometimes mixed with thatching grass. (The name is probably applied to other species so used.)

bakin kada, a var. of [dawa], q.v.

bakin mutum (Sok.), Pleioceras sp. (Apocynaceæ); a shrub with milky juice and long slender pods. Syn. bakin mayu, sandan mayu (these names refer to mystical uses in divination, &c.); also gamma sanwa (or g. sauwa), from the forked peduncle with 3 or 4 developing carpels resembling the tripod stove for a cooking-pot = sanwa. (? = Holarrhena Wulfsbergii, Stapf).

bakin raḳumi, a var. of [dawa], q.v. Syn. ḳerama, and mallen kabi.

bakin suda, Polycarpæa corymbosa, Lam. (Caryophylleæ); a small wild herb with whitish chaffy flowers; scarcely distinguished from [magudiya], q.v. (suda is the name of a bird).

balagandi, vide under [rawaya].

balambo, vide under [bagayi].

balasa, or balasaya, Commelyna nudiflora, Linn. (Commelynaceæ); a “spiderwort,” a weed of pastures and waste places, with delicate azure-blue flowers; gathered as cattle fodder. Syn. kununguru (East Hausa).

balbela, Pulicaria crispa, Clarke (Compositæ); a white-leaved weed with yellow flowers. (Etym. the name of the white padi bird.) Syn. bafuri, and fara saura, q.v.

baleno, vide under [bagayi].

bambami (Kontagora, &c.), Alchornea cordata, Benth. (Euphorbiaceæ); a tall woody climber in ravines.

bambamko (East Hausa), vide [falfoli].

bambana, the flowering spike of [shalla], q.v. a tall bulrush of marshes.

bambus (East Hausa), a variety of Water-Melon; vide [guna].

barabutu, a corruption of “Bread-fruit” (Artocarpus incisa); a name used by Hausas in Lagos, &c.

barambo (Gobir). Syn. [zogalagandi], q.v.

ḅarankachi or ḅaranchaki, Canavalia ensiformis, DC. “Sword Bean.” “Overlook Bean” of the West Indies. A large climbing bean common about native houses; not much eaten by Hausas; ripe pods used as a rattle by children. Syn.? [ladiko], q.v. vide also [waken Ankwa]. ḍan zago (Kano), is a red-seeded variety of the same. (Etym. chăki = a rattle).

barbaji (East Hausa), Randia nilotica, Stapf (Rubiaceæ); a thorny shrub or small tree found in the north. Syn. tsibra or tsura (Sok.).

ḅare, half a kola nut; vide under [goro].

ba reshe? (Kontagora). Syn. [aduruku], q.v.

barkono, Capsicum frutescens, Bl. (Solanaceæ). “Shrubby Capsicum,” “Spur Pepper,” &c., and C. annum, Linn. “Chillies” or “Red Pepper,” &c. Synonyms and varieties are:—tanka or tankwa (Sok.) = toshshi or twashshi (Sok. Gobir and Zanfara), small red peppers; tsidufu = the smallest and hottest peppers; bunsurun barkono, a small spherical variety; tatasai (Sok. and Kats.) or tugandai (Kano, &c.) = large and less pungent chillies. vide also [filfil].

barkonon biri, Cephalandra sp. (Cucurbitaceæ); a wild twiner with scarlet fruit having a superficial resemblance to capsicum; not edible.

barmatabo (Katagum, &c.), Merremia pentaphylla, Hall. f. (Convolvulaceæ); a convolvulus of fences, &c. with digitate leaves and white flowers. namijin barmatabo, Ipomœa pilosa, Sweet (Convolvulaceæ). Syn. yako (Sok. and Kats.); a coarse-leaved convolvulus or “Morning Glory,” with blue or purple flowers, common on fences. (The native names include several species.)

ḅarna chiki or ḅata wandon Buzu, a species of edible bean over-indulgence in which causes unpleasant effects.

bartake, vide under [abduga].

ba ruwana, Salix sp. (Salicaceæ). Willow; found along the banks of rivers. (Etym. from the treacherous yielding of the branches when grasped by a drowning person). Syn. rimni (Sok.).

ba samu (Sok. and Zanfara). Syn. hano (Sok. and Kats.), and [ararabi], q.v. Boswellia odorata, Hutch. and Boswellia Dalzielii, Hutch. (Burseraceæ). (The two species are scarcely distinguished under the different native names). Species of “Frankincense Tree,” with pale parchment-like bark and white flowers; yielding a fragrant resin.

basgo or basko, a tuber, vide under [akwalu].

ḅata wandon Buzu, vide [ḅarna chiki].

ba tuka, a variety of cotton, vide under [abduga].

Ba-Ude, a variety of bean, vide under [wake], and [ḍan Uda].

bauje, an Asclepiad plant with milky juice and a turnip-like edible tuber; probably Xysmalobium Heudelotianum, Decne. (Asclepiadeæ). Syn.? rojiya; cf. also [saniya] and [daiyo].

bauji (East Hausa), Acacia Sieberiana, DC. (Leguminosæ). Syn. [fara ḳaya], q.v.

baurairai, Gloriosa superba, L. (Liliaceæ); a climbing lily with splendid crimson and yellow flowers and a tuberous root. Syn. gatarin kurege (Sok.), and gudumar zomo (Kano and East), from the shape of the versatile stamens.

ḅaure, Ficus gnaphalocarpa, A. Rich. (Urticaceæ). Rough-leaved fig-tree, with edible figs. ḅauren fadama, ḅ. rafi &c. = various spp. of Ficus, large broad-leaved trees of ravines; farin ḅaure, vide [uwar yara]. lubiya or rubiya = edible figs of ḅaure and other spp. of Ficus (vide [durumi], [cheḍiya], [gamji]).

ḅauren kiyashi; 1. Chrozophora Senegalensis, A. Juss. (Euphorbiaceæ); a common weed used medicinally. Syn. [damaigi], q.v. (kiyashi = a species of ant). 2. A species of fig-tree (Ficus sp.).

baushe, Terminalia sp. nr. T. macroptera, G. et P. (Combretaceæ); a large tree with flat winged fruits. Bows and walking-sticks are made from the roots. (More than one species is included, e.g. T. Elliotii, Engl. and Diels. T. Baumannii, Engl. and Diels. T. avicennioides, Guill. et Per.).

bawu, vide under [shinkafa].

baya (Katag. and East), baina (Kano), Panicum albidulum, Kunth. (Gramineæ); a wild grass with an edible grain used as food, common in East Hausa. Syn. saḅe, and ?[garaji], q.v.

bayama (Kontagora, &c.), Swartzia madagascariensis, Oliv. (Leguminosæ); a tree of the Cassia tribe, with white flowers and cylindrical pods; (probably including other species, cf. [bogo zage], [gamma faḍa], &c.).

bayan mariya, Andropogon ceresiæformis, Nees. (Gramineæ); a common bush grass much used for thatch. (Etym. “cob’s back,” from its russet colour when mature).

bazaḳa (Gobir). Syn. zaḳo, a var. of bean; vide under [wake].

Ba-Zanfare (Katagum, &c.), Cassia occidentalis, L. (Leguminosæ). Syn. [rai ḍore], q.v.

bazana (Zaria and Kano), Commiphora Kerstingii, Engl. (Burseraceæ). Syn. [dali], q.v. a tree with green smooth bark, planted around native compounds.

bazaume or bazarme (a corruption of Ba-Zabarme); a var. of [gero], q.v.

bidi, 1. a var. of earth-nut; vide under [gujiya]. 2. A speckled var. of bean; vide under [wake].

bijaje (Ful.), Ficus sp. nr. F. populifolia, Vahl. (Urticaceæ); a fig-tree with pale bark and drooping branches, found on rocky hills in Yola province, &c., said to be an ingredient in arrow-poison.

bi ni da zugu, or chi ni da zugu, Jatropha Curcas, L. (Euphorbiaceæ). “Purging Nut;” “Physic Nut,” &c. A soft-wooded shrub with broad leaves, commonly planted as a hedge; one of the less important oil-seeds; seeds used in native medicine (vide [kufi]). (Etym. from the purging property and the suggested necessity of being prepared with grave-cloth).

bi ni zwei zwei (bi ta zei zei); a native medicine used by youths as a love-charm, &c., hard shining seeds of a plant—Nat. Ord. Acanthaceæ. (Etym. haste or eagerness in following the object of desire.)

bishiya, pl. bishiyoyi, generic for tree.

bi ta ka tsira, Vangueria Dalzielii, Hutch. (Rubiaceae); a shrub with globular berries; used medicinally. (The name is probably applied to several plants supposed to act as antidotes to arrow-poison—[makarin dafi], q.v.).

biya rana or bi rana, Crotalaria obovata, Don. (Leguminosæ); a yellow-flowered undershrub with inflated pods. (Etym. similar to “heliotrope,” from the expanding of the leaf-surfaces towards the sun). b. awaki, or geḍar awaki, gujiyar awaki, hudar awaki, are names given to various species of Crotalaria, used as fodder; vide [geḍar awaki].

bogo zage (Zanfara), Swartzia madagascariensis, Oliv. and other species (Leguminosæ); a tree with long cylindrical pods used to stupefy fish. vide [ago]. Syn. gwazkiya, and cf. [gamma faḍa], and [bayama].

bubuchi (Sok.), Panicum interruptum, Willd. (Gramineæ); a grass of marshes and rivers, 2 or more feet high, with long narrow green flowering spike.

bubukuwa or sabko bubukuwa, Tripogon minimus, Hochst. a small tufted grass. (Etym. from its habitat where the pelican is supposed to alight, and supposed to be the earliest grass of spring).

buḍa yau, the same as ayana or [yakuwar fatake], q.v. and perhaps other plants with acid leaves which are used to relieve thirst; (yau = saliva).

buddari, Eragrostis major, Hochst. (Gramineæ); a grass about 1 to 2 feet high, with an unpleasant smell. Syn. [amai mussa], q.v. and bunsurun fadama. (Etym. buddari, a malodorous animal).

bugundare (a corruption of Ba-Gwandare), a var. of cotton and a var. of Guinea Corn.

bundin kurege, vide [wutsiyar kurege].

bununi, the exserted stamens of any grass; most commonly applied to [gero] and [dawa].

bunsuru, a synonym for [burtuntuna], q.v.

bunsurun daji, a name applied to more than one species of rough grass, e.g. Heteropogon contortus, R. and S. (“Wild oats”), and others.

buran jaki, vide under [gwazar giwa].

buran kare, vide under [ḳwododon kwaḍo]. (The name is also used for certain fungi).

buran zaki, Cucumis metuliferus, E. Hey. (Cucurbitaceæ). Syn. [nonon kura], q.v.

burburwa (Sok., &c.), Eragrostis tremula, Hochst. (Gramineæ); a wild grass about 2 feet high; an excellent fodder; seeds eaten in scarcity. Syn. komaya (Kano, &c.). burburwar fadama, komaya ta fadama, Eragrostis biformis, Kunth. and perhaps other species; grasses 2 to 4 feet high in meadows, &c. vide also under [tsintsiya].

burtuntuna, Ustilago sp. a smut fungus which affects the fruiting [dawa], forming a black powder; also called bunsuru.

burugu (Sok.), Panicum stagninum, Koen. (Gramineæ); a grass whose growth chokes up swampy streams; a good fodder; the soft juicy stems are sucked or made into sugar-water.

burungu, unhusked rice. Syn. shanshera; vide under [shinkafa].

ḅurzu, Vernonia Perottetii, Sch. Bip. (Compositæ); a weed of cultivated fields, with blue thistle-like flowers. ḅurzun ḍinya = the stone of the fruit of [ḍinya], q.v.

bushi (Sok.), Bergia suffruticosa, Fenzl. (Elatineæ); a low heath-like plant, used medicinally. Syn. babar giwa (Hadeija, &c.).

buta, one of the varieties of the “Bottle-gourd;” vide under [duma].

bututu, the narrow end of some forms of the “Bottle-gourd” used as a blowing-horn; vide under [duma].

C

chauchaka? (Zanfara), Capparis tomentosa; vide [ḳabdodo].

checheko, vide [zamarke].

cheḍiya, Ficus Thonningii, Blume (Urticaceæ); a very common tree with dark green foliage and small figs; much planted as a shade tree.

cheyi, a fibre, vide under [yawa].

chichiwa (Sok.), Mærua angolensis, DC. (Capparideæ); a small tree with white flowers and elongated beaded fruit.

chi ni da zugu, vide [bi ni da zugu]; Jatropha Curcas, “Physic Nut.”

chiriri (Sok. and Zanf.), Combretum Kerstingii, Engl. and Diels. (Combretaceæ); a gum-yielding tree with smooth leaves and 4-winged fruit. Syn. [dagera] and probably also [zindi], q.v.

chitta, Amomum Melegueta, Roscoe (Scitamineæ). “Guinea Grains.” “Grains of Paradise.” “Melegueta Pepper.” A capsular fruit containing small red aromatic seeds used as a spice. chitta komfa, or chitta yaji = another var. of spice.

chitta Afu, Zingiber officinale, Roscoe (Scitamineæ). Ginger. (Afawa, a pagan tribe in Nassarawa).

chiwo or chuwo, Landolphia owariensis, Beauv. and L. florida, Benth. (Apocynaceæ). Rubber Vines; tall woody climbers with white fragrant flowers and orange-coloured edible fruit. (The latex of L. owariensis forms a good rubber, that of L. florida is useless).

chizaki, probably the same as [ḳabdodo], q.v.

chuchun kariya or gaton kariya, vide [gujiyar hankaka].

chukwi, a var. of cotton; vide under [abduga].

chusar doki, a medicine or food to keep horses fit; made from leaves of [kuka], q.v. with dusa and kanwa.

D

dabagira, vide under [aduwa].

dabino, Phœnix dactylifera, Linn. (Palmeæ). Date Palm. Varieties of date are:—zabiya or jan dabino, a long red sweet variety; maga or ḍan damana, a stoneless date. kilili = flowers of the date. dabinon biri, a low species of palm with small yellow date-like fruit, found in ravines; used in weaving mats, straw hats, &c. Syn. kajinjiri. (Phœnix reclinata?).

dabrin saniya, vide under [gadon machiji].

dadawa or dawa dawa, a grass; vide [gyazama].

daddawa (Kano), or daudawa (Sok.), black fermented cakes made from the seeds of the [ḍorowa], q.v. Syn. takaluwa.

ḍaḍori or ḍoḍoriya (Kano and Sok.), Vitis quadrangularis, Linn. (Ampelideæ); a vine with quadrangular succulent jointed stems, climbing on trees. (Etym. connected with the multiple branching at the joints). Syn. tsatsarar kura. “Edible-stemmed Vine.”

dafaddu, Elk’s-horn fern; an epiphyte. Platycerium æthiopicum.

dafara, Vitis pallida, Baker (Ampelideæ); a vine bearing a kind of wild grapes; the root-bark forms a viscid solution which is mixed with native cement for lining dye-pits, &c. Syn. loda or lodar marina, cf. also [baba rodo]. The fruit, used in soup, is sometimes called [lubiya], q.v.

dagera, Combretum sp. (Combretaceæ). A gum-yielding tree. Syn. chiriri.

daiyo (Ful?), vide under [lojiya], [bauje], &c.

dakushe, vide [kas kaifi].

ḍakwora, Acacia Senegal, Willd. (Leguminosæ); a thorny acacia, with spikes of white flowers and grey bark; the source of the true “gum-arabic.” Ar. hashab. vide also [yawa] and [meḍi]. The name includes the similar Acacia Dudgeoni, Craib.

dalaka, a variety of kola nut; vide under [goro].

dali (Kano, Katsina, &c.), also dala, Commiphora Kerstingii, Engl. (Burseraceæ). A soft-wooded tree with smooth green bark, planted around native compounds. Syn. bazana (Kano and Zaria), gurzun dali (Katagum, &c.), hana gobara (Zanfara, from the wood and foliage being difficult to ignite). ka ḳi ganin bula (Zanfara); also bar na gada (because long-lived and inherited).

dalo, Combretum glutinosum, Perr. (Combretaceæ); a tree resembling [chiriri] and [taramniya], q.v.

damaigi, Chrozophora senegalensis, A. Juss. (Euphorbiaceæ); a common weed with small red flowers; used medicinally. Syn. [ḅauren kiyashi], q.v. One of the ingredients in the native prescription [rigya kafi], q.v.

damana biyu, vide [ḍan arbain], a variety of bean.

damba = ?Andropogon tectorum, Sch. et Th. (Gramineæ); a tall grass of marshes, &c., used as fodder when young, and for zana when mature.

damro or dauro, a variety of millet (Pennisetum spicatum, B. and S.), similar to [maiwa], q.v. cf. [gero].

ḍan arbain, a variety of bean planted near water and supposed to ripen in 40 days. Syn. damana biyu (Sok. and Kano), and kaka biyu (Gobir).

ḍan damana, a variety of date; vide under [dabino].

dandami, vide under [lallen shamuwa].

dandana, Schwenkia americana, Linn. (Solanaceæ); a herb with narrow tubular flowers; used medicinally. Syn. parpatse or farfatse (Kano).

ḍan ḍata (ḍan ḍwata), vide [ḍataniya], a bitter grass. Thelepogon elegans, Roth.

ḍan farkami (Sok.), Monechma hispida, Hochst. (Acanthaceæ); a common weed of pastures, with rough leaves and white flowers. Syn. ?fiso (Sok. and Kats.), fisawa (Katagum).

ḍan garraza = flowers of the tamarind tree—(hudar [tsamiya]).

ḍan kaḍafi or hankaḍafi, the name of a crab-louse, hence applied to more than one plant with seeds which adhere to the clothing like burs. (Etym. similar to “Cleavers”). Chiefly = Desmodium lasiocarpum, DC. (Leguminosæ). Syn. [maḍaḍafi], q.v. Also Triumfetta pentandra, A. Rich. (Tiliaceæ), vide [suren fadama].

dankali (Kano, &c.), Ipomœa Batatas, Lam. (Convolvulaceæ). Sweet Potato. Red and white varieties are known. Syn. dukuma and kudaku (Sok. and Zanfara), generally = the red one; lawur = the white one. kugundugu, a name used on the Benue, Yola, &c. = Yor. kukun duku.

dankon kuyangi, dried leaves of the convolvulus Ipomœa pilosa, Sweet, and other species; vide [yako] and [barmatabo]; used medicinally.

danko maiwari, Ficus sp. a tree in the south, yielding an inferior rubber.

ḍan kwataho, a variety of kola nut; vide under [goro].

ḍan kwoloje, a variety of bean; vide under [wake].

ḍan marike (Katagum, &c.), Indigofera secundiflora, Poir. (Leguminosæ). vide under [marike].

ḍan Tunuga or kajiji ḍan Tunuga; the fragrant tuber of a sedge, Cyperus sp. (Tunuga = a town in French Borgu). Probably Cyperus rotundus, cf. [aya aya] and [kajiji].

ḍan Uda or Ba-Ude, a variety of bean, half white half black; (cf. a variety of sheep of the same name. Udawa a section of Fulani); vide under [wake].

danya, Spondias sp. (Anacardiaceæ); a tree with pinnate leaves and yellow plum-like fruit of pleasant flavour. The fruit is called nunu. cf. also [tsadar Masar].

ḍanyen gumi = husked but unboiled rice; vide [gumi] and [shinkafa].

danyi (Sok.), vide [dayi].

ḍan zago, a kind of bean, vide under [ḅarankachi].

darambuwa = armlets made of plaited grass, hence applied to several species of grass; vide [karani], [gaji], [jema], &c.

dargăza, Grewia mollis, Juss. (Tiliaceæ); a shrub with small yellow flowers; the bark is mucilaginous and used in soup, and occasionally to harden mud floors.

dashi, Balsamodendron africanum, A. Rich. (Burseraceæ). “African Myrrh.” “African Bdellium.” A shrub with the habit of the Blackthorn, yielding a fragrant gum-resin used medicinally and as a scent for clothing. namijin dashi, Balsamodendron pedunculatum, Kotschy. et Peyr. A shrub somewhat similar to the above but less fragrant.

dashishi, vide under [alkama].

ḍata or ḍwata, a small bitter native tomato; vide under [gauta].

ḍataniya or ḍwatana, Thelepogon elegans, Roth. (Gramineæ); a bitter grass given to horses as a tonic. Syn. gishirin ḍawaki and ḍan ḍata. (Etym. from the bitter taste).

datsi, Aristida Sieberiana, Trin. (Gramineæ); a long-awned grass, common in the north. jan datsi vide [jan bako].

dauḍa or kwardauḍa, Dicoma tomentosa, Cass. (Compositæ); a small thistle-like weed. Syn. farin dayi. (Etym. perhaps from use as a local application to putrescent wounds).

dauḍar Maguzawa, ?Blepharis linearifolia, Pers. (Acanthaceæ); a prickly plant with blue flowers. Syn. [faskara toyi], and ?[gigi], q.v.

dauḍar ruwa, vide [limniya].

daudawa (Sok.), vide [daddawa] and [ḍorowa]; vide also under [kiriya]. daudawa beso, seeds of [yakuwa] (Hibiscus Sabdariffa, Linn.), q.v. boiled and prepared either for food or as a medicinal vehicle, daudawar kuka, seeds of kuka (Adansonia digitata), made into cakes, &c.

dauro, vide [damro].

dawa, Sorghum vulgare, Pers. (Gramineæ). “Guinea Corn.” “Great Millet.” “Durra.”

The following are some of the numerous varieties:—abantoko (Illo); a chi da gero—grows rapidly and is ripe with the gero;

a chi da kara, matures at the same season as sugar-cane (takanḍa);

a chi da nono (like farafara), a soft grain only used for kunu and not for tuwo;

akwuya, a yellow grain used for horses;

bakin kada, a variety with a long head;

bakin raḳumi (from the slender quivering habit), the same as ḳerama;

bugundare or Ba-Gwandare, a variety with a compact head; (cf. a variety of cotton; vide [abduga]);

farafara, a white variety;

giwa kamba, a white variety larger than farafara, late maturing;

hannun giwa, white with a large head of grain;

janjari (Sok. = jigari, Ful.) or janari, a red inferior grain which makes red kunu and tuwo;

jar dawa, a red grain used for horses;

kaura, considered the best for horses, common in Zanfara; in two varieties, viz.:—kaura mai farin kwono (or mai farin soshia), and kaura mai baḳin kwono;

ḳerama, a red grain with loose nodding panicle (= bakin raḳumi);

maikeri, early maturing and considered one of the best;

makafo da wayo, a soft sweet variety, a luxury (dawar sarakuna);

malle (Sokoto West), planted in wet places;

mallen Kabi, the same as ḳerama;

mallen mama or mallen Zanfara, a larger nodding variety like the last;

marmare, a soft sweet variety, nearly the same as makafo da wayo; eaten whole;

masakowa or mazakwa (Ful. maskwari), a dry-season corn, grown in alluvial soil left as the rivers fall; (chiefly in Adamawa and Bornu); sometimes eaten whole after cooking;

wayo, a red or yellow variety;

zago, the same as kaura.

Burtuntuna = Ustilago sp. a guinea corn smut, forming a black powder in the ear; also called ḳatsa ḳatsa, and bunsuru.

gyamro = secondary shoots of guinea corn from the roots left at harvest; said to be injurious to animals.

domana, a gummy blight; (?Aphis Sorghi).

karan dafi, the red leaf sheaths of certain forms of dawa, used as a red dye.

kusumburuwa, corn growing up anywhere from stray seeds; sometimes popularly believed to grow from an unhusked grain and not always maturing. The stems are used for flutes (sarewa).

sambara, dawa or gero half-grown at harvest and left to mature later. cf. also karmami and yabainya.

dawa dawa or dadawa, a grass; vide [gyazama].

dawar kada (d. rafi, d. dorina, &c.), Sorghum halepense, Pers. a very tall riverside grass with pith in the stems; the probable ancestor of cultivated dawa; one of several called “Elephant Grass.”

dawo (?Hausa; Yoruba ai-da), Tetrapleura Thonningii, Benth. (Leguminosæ); a large tree with thick 4-angled pods sold as a market drug in the south; cf. [kalangon daji] and [sandan mayu].

dayi, Centaurea Calcitrapa, Linn. (Compositæ). “Star-thistle.” A thistle with long straight spines, common in fields, &c.; eaten by camels; one of the plants sometimes called “caltrop;” cf. [Tsaido]. Syn. ḍanyi (Sok.), and surendi (Kats.). namijin dayi, Lactuca sp. a species of wild lettuce; probably including several field plants of the Nat. Ord. (Compositæ).

dayin giwa, vide under [sare gwiwa].

ḍeiḍoya (ḍoiḍoya or ḍoḍoya), Ocimum americanum, Linn. (Labiatæ); a fragrant herb allied to basil. (The name includes other introduced species planted near houses:—Ocimum viride, Willd. Fever plant of S. Leone and Liberia. Oc. basilicum, Linn. Sweet Basil. Æolanthus Buettneri, Gürke, &c.)

ḍeiḍoyar kare or ḍ. fadama, Hyptis Spicigera, Lam. (Labiatæ). A weed of waste places. Syn. riḍin kada. ḍ. gona, Leucas martinicensis, R. Br. (Labiatæ). An odorous weed with whorls of small white flowers. Syn. sarakuwar sauro (Kats.).

dinkin, the young leaves of certain plants used fresh with ground-nuts, salt, pepper, &c. made up as food; chiefly d. ḍinya (v. [ḍinya]); also of [zuwo], q.v. and sometimes used of rama and other plants with edible leaves.

ḍinya (Kano), ḍumya (Sok.), Vitex Cienkowskii, Kotschy et Peyr. (Verbenaceæ); a common tree with digitate leaves, fragrant flowers, and a black plum-like fruit used in making maḍi; vide under [dinkin]; ḅurzu or ḳurzun ḍinya = ḳwalon ḍinya, the stone of the fruit.

ḍinyar biri, Vitex diversifolia, Bak., a shrub or small tree with fragrant leaves, and flowers similar to those of ḍinya.

dirin da rani (Kano), a variety of [rama], q.v.

ḍiwa, Rhytachne congoensis, Hack., a tall grass; used for making screens, zana, &c.

ḍiyan hanwawa (Sok.), Ctenolepis cerasiformis Hook. f. (Cucurbitaceæ). A twiner with scarlet berries; (hanwawa or hawainya = chamæleon); syn. namijin garafuni.

ḍoḍoriya, Vitis quadrangularis, Linn. (Ampelideæ), vide [ḍaḍori].

ḍoiḍoya or ḍoḍoya, vide [ḍeiḍoya].

doka, Isoberlinia doka, Craib. et Stapf (Leguminosæ); a large tree with white flowers, shining leaves and large flat pods; very abundant in central Hausaland. fara doka, Isoberlinia Dalzielii, Craib. et Stapf, a large tree closely allied to the last, with paler leaves and bark.

domana, a gummy blight on Guinea Corn and other cereals; (?Aphis Sorghi).

domashi, Vernonia Kotschyana, Schultz. (Compositæ); an under-shrub with bitter root, used as a tonic-medicine, &c. domashin maza? (Katagum), vide under [matsarmama].

ḍorowa or ḍorawa, Parkia filicoidea, Welw. (Leguminosæ). “African Locust Bean Tree;” a large acacia-like tree with pendulous balls of deep-red flowers and bunches of pods; the seeds and the mealy yellow pulp of the pods are used as food. kaluwa = seeds of ḍorowa, which are made into black fermented cakes called daudawa (Sok.) or daddawa (Kano), and also takaluwa; makuba = fermented extract of husks of ḍorowa pods, used for hardening beaten floors, sides of indigo pits, &c. saḅada or safada (Kano) = young fruiting heads of ḍorowa (etym. from resemblance in shape and surface to a plaited garment of that name). tutu (or turu-turu) = the red pendulous flower-balls (sucked by boys); gundar tutu = the unexpanded flower-buds; garda = the unripe pods when bright brown in colour and beginning to form seeds (the name of a brown-winged dove). The successive stages from bud to pod are:—kashin awaki, kashin raḳuma, tutu, safada, garda. harawan ḍorawa = the membranous lining of the pods used as a fibre for tying arrows, &c.

doya, Dioscorea sativa, Linn. D. prehensilis, Benth. D. abyssinica, Hochst. D. alata, L. (Dioscorideæ). Cultivated yams. vide also [sakata], and [ḳarasa] (doyar kudu).

doyar bisa, the edible solid bulbs in the leaf-axils of certain species of Dioscorea. Syn. tuwon biri.

doyar daji, wild species of Dioscorea.

doyar kurege, Curculigo gallabatensis, Schweinf. (Amaryllideæ); a yellow-flowered herb with a stout vertical rhizome. Syn. [muruchin makeruwa], q.v.

doyar giwa, vide [ḳayar giwa].

dufuwa, a dense thorny thicket, cf. [gumbi] and [ḳumchi]; generally applied to the acacia called [sarḳaḳiya], q.v.

dukki or dunki (Sok. and Kats.), Celtis integrifolia, Lam. (Urticaceæ); “Nettle Tree;” a large tree with serrate leaves somewhat like those of the nettle; the young leaves are used in soup and as fodder. Syn. zuwo (Kano, Zaria, &c.). cf. also [dinkin].

dukuma, vide under [dankali].

dulu, Ficus sp. a tree with large figs; common in ravines.

duma, Lagenaria vulgaris, Ser. (Cucurbitaceæ). “Bottle Gourd,” “Club Gourd” or “White Pumpkin;” the common white-flowered cultivated gourd with soft foliage and variously shaped fruits known by different names:—buta, gora, and gyandama, common water-bottle gourds; jallo, a small pear-shaped one used to carry ruwan alwalla; ḳoḳo, kwokwo or kwachiya, a small-sized calabash used as a cup; kumbu, ditto with cover, used as a small box for snuff, &c.; ḳwariya, common larger calabash; masaki and mabakachi, the largest-sized calabash used at market, and for separating grain from husk, &c., &c. ludai or luddai (Sok.), bottle gourd with narrow neck, split to form spoons, ladles, &c. kololo, similar to luddai, with hollow neck; gako (Sok.), like luddai with solid neck; moda, larger bottle gourd with curved neck which serves as a handle, the body pierced for use as a dipper or handled pot; shantu, long narrow gourd used as a musical instrument; bututu, the narrow portion of shantu or luddai, &c. used as a blowing horn; jemo, a short wide-mouthed club-shaped or large pear-shaped gourd, used to hold milk, &c.; zuru and zunguru, club-shaped or cylindrical gourds used in the application of lalle to the hand; kurtu, bottle or club-shaped with narrow neck, the wider portion used for immersing the hand in staining with henna, the narrow half used as a blowing horn; kwoton tadawa, an ovoid tubercled gourd, used for native ink-pots, &c. vide also [kulbutu] or [tsana] (Sok.), an edible variety resembling a cucumber, and kurzunu, a tubercled variety of the same.

dumar dutsi, vide under [gaḍaukuka].

dumar kada, d. rafi, Ipomœa repens, Lam. (Convolvulaceæ); a common trailing convolvulus with broad round leaves and purple flowers.

dumar kwaḍi, Ipomœa sp. a var. of convolvulus.

ḍumya (Sok.), vide [ḍinya] (Kano).

ḍunḍu, Dichrostachys nutans, Br. (Leguminosæ); a thorny shrub like an acacia, with pendulous lilac-coloured flower-spikes, and clusters of twisted pods; fibre from the root-bark. vide under [meḍi] and [yawa].

dunki, vide [dukki].

durumi, Ficus Syringifolia, Werb. (Urticaceæ); a very familiar species of fig-tree with small figs and heart-shaped shining leaves, affording splendid shade.

dushe (Kano), dussa (East Hausa), Acacia Seyal, Del. (Leguminosæ); the “Talh” gum-acacia; a thorny tree with yellow flower-balls and an ochrey powder on the bark. Syn. jimshi (Sok.), and ?gishishiya (Zanfara).

duza (Sok. and Zanf.), Setaria aurea, Hochst. (Gramineæ). “Bristly Fox-tail Grass;” a grass of damp places, used for thatch. Syn. ḳyasuwar rafi or ḳ. ta fadama. cf. [ḳyasuwa].

ḍwata or ḍata, a small native bitter tomato; vide under [gauta].

ḍwatana, vide [ḍataniya].

F

fafewa (Sok. and Zanf.), Pennisetum unisetum, Benth. (Gramineæ); a tall grass with hollow stems and sharp leaf-edges. (Etym. because it rasps the hand—fafe = to scrape.) Syn. karan kauje and korkoro (Kontagora).

falfoli (Sok.), Æschynome sensitiva, Swartz. (Leguminosæ); a tall slender plant of marshes, with spongy pith used for floats (karu), &c. Syn. gombiliki, and bambamko (East Hausa).

fankaso or punkaso, vide under [alkama].

fara doka, Isoberlinia Dalzielii, Craib. et Stapf (Leguminosæ); a large tree; vide under [doka].

farafara, a white var. of [dawa], q.v.

fara geza, Combretum aculeatum, Vent. (Combretaceæ); a shrub with white flowers (somewhat resembling hawthorn), and 4-angled fruit.

fara ḳaya, Acacia Sieberiana, DC. (Leguminosæ); a gum-yielding acacia with long white thorns, dark foliage, and white flower-balls. Syn. bauji (East Hausa).

fara saura, Pulicaria crispa, Clarke (Compositæ); a white-leaved weed with yellow flowers, common in fields. (Etym. saura or sabra = fallow fields). Syn. [bafuri], and [balbela], q.v.

farfatse or parpatse, vide [dandana].

fari, vide under [abduga].

fari, a var. of Water Melon; vide under [guna].