Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Martin T. Walsh
June 1993
current address:
kisutu@hotmail.com
EANHS Bulletin 23 (2), June 1993 1
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The following notes provide additional dictionary: which does not mean, of course,
comment to the list of Shambaa tree and that the remainder are wrong. There are, it
shrub names and their uses published by might be added, some differences in the
Jon Lovett (1992). The Shambaa (or transcription of Shambaa, and where
Shambala, also called Sambaa by some of necessary I have taken account of these.
their neighbours) are a Bantu speaking Some of the terms in the Sabuni list are
people who live in the Usambara evidently mistranscribed, e.g. "dwaiu" for
Mountains in North-east Tanzania. We are Sangai's mdwayu, "cherooti" for msheruti,
fortunate in already possessing more "mbakambaka" for mbwakambwaka, and
information on Shambaa ethnobotany than "mshiwhi" for mshihwi. It is also evident
for many East African people: in addition that a few of the terms given by Sabuni
to work by Fleuret (1979a; 1979b; 1980) on have been translated in part or whole from
different aspects of Shambaa plant Shambaa into Swahili: thus "mpiga
classification and use, there also exists a magasa" for the proper Shambaa mtoa-
cyclostyled dictionary of plant names in maghasa (literally "hand-clapper").
Shambaa and two closely related Sabuni's "mti wa paa" (Swahili "antelope
languages, Bondei and Zigua/Nguu tree", identified as Dovyalis abyssinica),
(Sangai, 1963). This dictionary gives well not present in Sangai, also seems to fall into
over 1,000 names (including cognates) in this category; likewise his "mweti misitu"
the three languages, together with their or "mweeti of the forest" (given as Rananea
botanical equivalents. Despite its melanophloeos), where the unqualified
comparatively modest size, the list Shambaa name mweeti (also mweleti) refers
reproduced by Lovett is an important to Rauvolfia caffra according to Sangai.
addition to the literature on Shambaa At the same time, 38 (or 83%) of the
ethnobotany, and in the following notes I 46 terms common to both lists are given
hope to indicate why this is so, as well as substantially similar (or overlapping)
make further observations about the botanical identifications, i.e. corresponding
Shambaa list and East African ethnobotany at the generic level. Again, this does not
in general. mean that the remainder are incorrect: this
The list comprises 53 names provided could only be established by further
by Mr Mgaa Sabuni, a resident of Mgwashi investigation. To the extent that they
village and forest guard at the University of corroborate one another, however, this does
Dar es Salaam's forest reserve at Mazumbai increase our confidence in the accuracy of
in the West Usambara Mountains, both lists. In one important respect, though,
Tanzania. Lovett remarks that subsequent the Sabuni list is much less complete than
users of Sabuni’s list (using different local the Sangai dictionary. Where only three
guides) have commented that it is not (6%) of the names in the former list are
wholly accurate and notes that there is given double identifications, more than half
obviously considerable local variation in of their equivalents in Sangai (24 of the 46,
the application of names to plants that are or 52%) are given two or more botanical
not commonly used. However, comparison equivalents, and in 63% of cases (15 out of
of the Shambaa terms in Sabuni’s list with 24) these multiple identifications are not
Sangai's (1963) dictionary reveals a high confined to a single genus. Thus msheruti,
degree of correspondence (and presumably mentioned above, is identified as both
accuracy). 46 (or 87%) of the 53 names in Philippia benguelensis and Pterolobium
Sabuni’s list can also be found in Sangai’s stellatum. In this respect the Sabuni list is
EANHS Bulletin 23 (2), June 1993 2
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not inaccurate: it is simply incomplete, of an unfamiliar plant with one they know
though this may help to explain why it has from their original home). In this way what
appeared inaccurate to other observers. begins as collective error can result in
Lovett suggests that local variation in linguistic variation.
the application of vernacular names to less
commonly used plants may explain the 2. Linguistic Variation. Where the names
apparent inaccuracy of Sabuni’s list. This for plants vary in a regular way from one
is, however, only one a number of possible location to another we can ascribe this to
explanations for the discrepancies in dialect differences. Dialects often form
naming which occur. These different continua of mutual intelligibility and it is
explanations can be grouped under four not always easy to draw hard and fast
main headings, as follows: boundaries between them. Whereas most
languages in East Africa have been
1. Informant error. There are different classified and described, at least in outline,
kinds of errors to be considered. One of the description of the dialects which
these is plain linguistic error, the comprise them is not as well advanced.
misquoting of a name by an informant or its Shambaa (or Shambala: the presence or
mistranscription by the recorder. The absence of /l/ varies according to dialect) is
translation of vernacular terms into Swahili no exception. Besha (1989) notes that the
(often for the benefit of a particular listener, Shambaa dialects have not been studied at
though sometimes as the unintended all, and for the purposes of her own
consequence of a more general process of analysis of the language provisionally
linguistic change) is a special and fairly distinguishes between three main varieties,
common case of this. The misidentification centring on Mlalo, Lushoto and Korogwe
of plants and misapplication of terms also respectively. Given the existence of such
undoubtedly occurs. Although it is not differences it is important for researchers or
difficult to find young informants from a their assistants to transcribe vernacular
rural background with a ready command of names as accurately as possible, and for the
more than 100 vernacular plant names, former to be aware of existing orthographic
knowledge of local vegetation and its uses conventions (which may conceal linguistic
clearly varies considerably between variation, as widespread use of standard
individuals according to a number of Kikuyu orthography does in central
factors (including age and sex), with Kenya). It is perhaps even more important
herbalists and similar specialists often for them to note relevant details about the
having the widest knowledge. It is also background of individual informants and
evident that this knowledge will vary from their speech. At the very least informants
one locality to another depending upon should be identified by their residence or
differences in the local vegetation: place of origin, as Lovett has done for
informants in an unfamiliar environment Mgaa Sabuni. Unfortunately, Sangai's
will be much more prone to making errors dictionary tells us nothing about his sources
than on their home ground. At the same or the dialects concerned, though the range
time, and in the absence of any standard of cognates in some cases might lead us to
other than common agreement, there may suspect that terms from a number of
also be borderline cases between erroneous different dialects are included. Thus
identification (beginning with individual Sabuni's "mula" (Parinari excelsa) is given
errors) and its possible consolidation into the following Shambaa variants by Sangai:
unorthodox opinion (which may develop muula, muwa, mbula and hula. Mula, with
into local orthodoxy). This process may a short or single vowel, is identified by
occur when a number of people move from Sangai as the Zigua version of the name,
one area to another, and consistently make though it is difficult to judge how reliable
the same mistakes of identification for the either his or Sabuni’s transcription is in this
same reasons (e.g. because of the similarity case. Another factor which can complicate
EANHS Bulletin 23 (2), June 1993 3
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Martin T. Walsh, P.O. Box 99187,
Mombasa, and School of African and
Asian Studies, University of Sussex,
Falmer, Brighton.