mwarobaini

Swahili

Alternative forms

Etymology

From mw- +‎ arobaini (“forty”), in reference to the belief that it can cure forty ailments.[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Kenya):(file)

Noun

mwarobaini class III (plural miarobaini class IV)

  1. neem tree (Azadirachta indica)

References

  1. ^ National Research Council (1992), Neem: A Tree For Solving Global Problems‎[1], Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, →ISBN, page 66: “In Kiswahili, the tree is called mwarubaini, which means '40 cures.' It's said to be able to cure 40 diseases, and everybody wanted some of that medicine.”
  2. ^ Obara, Alex O.; Höft, Martina G.; Höft, Robert (2004), Economic Botany, volume 58, number 1, page 98 of 98-111: “Its Swahili name mwarobaini refers to its reputation of healing 40 different diseases.”
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