kari

Agelaea pentagyna (syn. A. heterophylla)


noe

Phaseolus lunatus
Phaseolus lunatus#Translingual

Lima bean(s), butter bean(s), Madagascar bean(s) (Phaseolus lunatus)


minji

Pisum sativum
Pisum sativum#Translingual


ruai

whistling thorn (Vachellia drepanolobium, syn. Acacia drepanolobium)


rũhonge

/ɾò.hɔ̀.ᵑɡɛ̌/


mũtĩ

LL-Q33587 (kik)-Samuel Waina (WikiLucas00)-mũtĩ.wav

From Proto-Bantu *-tí. Cognate to Kamba mũtĩ.
Hinde (1904) records muti (pl. miti) as an equivalent of English tree in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also “Ulu dialect” (spoken then from Machakos to coastal area) of Kamba muti (pl. mitino), “Nganyawa dialect” (spoken then in Kitui District) of Kamba mti and Swahili mti (pl. miti) as its equivalents.

mũikari mũtĩ gĩtina nĩwe ũĩ kĩrĩa thambo ĩrĩaga

gĩtinainĩ kĩa mũtĩ


ithangũ

LL-Q33587 (kik)-Samuel Waina (WikiLucas00)-ithangũ.wav

Hinde (1904) records mathangu as an equivalent of English leaves and foliage in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also Kamba mathaangu (“leaves”) or mathangu (“foliage”) as its equivalent.


mũratina

/mòɾáːtìnáꜜ/

sausage tree; its ripe fruits are used for fermenting sugar-cane beverage and in Nyeri County, decoction of the leaves, barks and fruits is allegedly used for treating gonorrhoea, syphilis, measles, etc.


mũkũyũ

certain species of the genus Ficus.
sycamore (F. sycomorus)

certain species of the genus Ficus.
Cape fig (F. sur)


mũgumo

/mòɣùmɔ̀(ꜜ)/

Hutchins (1909) records m'Gumu as the Kikuyu name for Ficus sp..

Ficus thonningii
Ficus thonningii#Translingual

Any of several species of the genus Ficus; regarded as sacred by Kikuyu people and decoction of its bark with milk is used for treating dysentery

wild fig, stranger fig (Ficus thonningii)


mũthandũkũ

/mòðàⁿdókóꜜ/


mũgaa

Hinde (1904) records mugaa as an equivalent of English mimosa in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu.

red acacia (Vachellia seyal, syn. Acacia stenocarpa, A. seyal)


ndabibi

Benson (1964) suspects affinity with Maasai ol-dabibi.


mũkĩndũ

Hinde (1904) records mukindu as an equivalent of English palm (borassus) in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also Kamba ikindu and Swahili mkindu as its equivalents.

Senegal date palm, wild date palm (Phoenix reclinata)


mũhũgũ

Hutchins (1909) records m'Hùgu as the Kikuyu name for Ibean Sandal, or Brachylaena sp.

muhugu, muhuhu (Brachylaena huillensis), syn. B. hutchinsii); Kikuyu people have used this species for firewood, poles, partitioning walls (mĩhĩrĩgo), etc.


mũbariti

silky oak, southern silky oak (Grevillea robusta)


njahĩ

Lablab purpureus
Lablab purpureus#Translingual

seed(s) of hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus, syn. Dolichos lablab)


mũkorobia

/mòkɔ̀ɾɔ̀βíːà(ꜜ)/

Persea americana
Persea americana#Translingual


mboco

/ᵐbɔ̀ːɕɔ̀(ꜜ)/

Phaseolus vulgaris
Phaseolus vulgaris#Translingual


mũtuuya

Hutchins (1909) records m'Tuyu as a local name for Myrianthus arboreus.

giant yellow mulberry (Myrianthus holstii and Myrianthus arboreus)


mũrera

From kũrera (“to float, to hover, to glide”).

fever tree, Naivasha thorn (Acacia xanthophloea)


mũringa

/mò.ɾí.ᵑɡà(ꜜ)/

Hutchins (1909) records m'Ringa as the Kikuyu name for Cordia holstii.

large-leafed cordia (Cordia africana, syn. C. abyssinica, C. holstii); traditionally used for making hives and stools


mũhethu

charcoal tree, gunpowder tree (Trema orientalis, syn. T. guineensis)


mũiri

From kũira (“to be black”)
Hutchins (1909) records m'Wère as the Kikuyu name for Pygeum africanum.

red stinkwood, African cherry, African plum, African prune (Prunus africana, syn. Pygeum africanum)


mũcũthi

Agelaea pentagyna (syn. A. heterophylla); according to Leakey (1977), it was used for making tonic soup.


mũtarakwa

/mòtàɾákoáꜜ/

Benson (1964) suspects that this term is related to Maasai ol-tarakwai (“Juniperus procera”). Compare also Kalenjin (Markweeta tarakwet and tarokwa, Nandi tarakwet and turkwet, Pökoot tarokwa, Sabaot torokio, Tugen tarokwa).

cog

Juniperus procera
Juniperus procera#Translingual

African pencil cedar, East African cedar (Juniperus procera)


mũthaithi

/mòðàìðì(ꜜ)/

Hutchins (1909) records m'Saizi as the Kikuyu name for Pillar-wood, or Weihea africana.

certain species of the genus Cassipourea (Rhizophoraceae)


mũrũrũe

/mòɾòɾòwɛ̀(ꜜ)/

forest pepper, Lopez root, wild orange tree (Toddalia asiatica); formerly its leaves and roots were used for treating feverish colds, and recently leaf decoction for colds, asthma, chest pain and toothache


mũrũrũa

/mòɾòːɾòːáꜜ/


mũraraciĩ

Hutchins (1909) records m'Lalàchi as a local name for Chestnut (wild).


mwĩnũ

Hutchins (1909) records Muvènu as the Kikuyu name for Cassia didymobotria (sic!).

peanut butter cassia, candelabra tree (Senna didymobotrya, syn. Cassia didymobotrya); traditionally used as a purgative, etc.


mũthaitĩ

Hutchins (1909) records m'Zaiti as the Kikuyu name for Ocotea usambarensis.

East African camphorwood (Kuloa usambarensis; syn. Ocotea usambarensis) or Ocotea kenyensis; wood of at least the former one was used for making partitioning walls (mĩhĩrĩgo), containers related to honey, etc.


mũtamaiyũ

Hutchins (1909) records m'Tamàyu as the Kikuyu name for Olea chrysophilla (sic!).

wild olive, brown olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, syn. O. africana, O. europaea subsp. africana, O. chrysophylla)


mũcarage

/mòɕàɾáɣɛ̀(ꜜ)/

Hutchins (1909) records m'Sharàge as the Kikuyu name for Olea hochstetterii (sic!).


mũbĩngũ

Swahili mpingo (“ebony; African blackwood”).

bor

African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)


mũmondo

/mòmɔ̀ⁿdɔ̀(ꜜ)/

African redwood (Hagenia abyssinica, syn. Brayera anthelmintica)


mũgaita

Hutchins (1909) records m'Gàiyìtà as the local name for Rapanea rhododendroides.

Certain species of Primulaceae producing fruits (ngaita) used as a vermifuge.

Myrsine rhododendroides, syn. Rapanea rhododendroides


mũthũũri

Hinde (1904) records muthuuri as an equivalent of English cactus in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu.

candelabra tree (Euphorbia ingens); its latex may cause temporary blindness if applied to the eyes.


gĩthũũri

candelabra tree, naboom (E. ingens); its latex may cause temporary blindness if applied to the eyes.

some succulent species of Euphorbia
E. bussei var. kibwezensis

some succulent species of Euphorbia
E. cussonioides


mũkongoro

mortar for making sugar-cane beer; according to Leakey (1977), it was made of red stinkwood (mũiri).


mũcũgi

white pear (Apodytes dimidiata); produces hard timber.


mũtatĩ

Polyscias kikuyuensis; produces soft timber, used traditionally for making beehive and mole-trap.


muunjuga

/muùᶮd͡ʑùɣà(ꜜ)/

(blue) butterfly bush (Rotheca myricoides, syn. Clerodendrum myricoides)


muunjuga-iria

ki-noun

muunjuga-iria class 3 (plural miunjuga-iria)

Literally means “the milk-stirring plant”. According to Benson (1964), twigs of blue butterfly bush were used as swizzle sticks.


kaiyaba

Kei apple (Dovyalis caffra); introduced from Southern Africa, fruit edible, also used for hedging.


mũciciũ

Premna maxima, a tree species of the family Lamiaceae (formerly Verbenaceae); endemic to Kenya, producing timber, but in the IUCN Red List evaluated as 'Endangered' due to probable habitat loss caused by local development.


mũkarakaba

cypress, especially Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)


mũkorombothi

mũkorombothi class 3 (plural mĩkorombothi)

/mòkɔ̀ɾɔ̀ᵐbɔ̀ðì(ꜜ)/

Afrocrania volkensii, a timber-tree of the family Cornaceae


mũcemeki

/mòɕɛ̀mɛ́kì(ꜜ)/

Afrocrania volkensii (syn. Cornus volkensii), a timber-tree of the family Cornaceae.


mũkoigo

/mòkɔ̀ìɣɔ̀(ꜜ)/

coast goldleaf, coastal goldenleaf, sweetberry (Bridelia micrantha); traditionally used for building material


mũtomoko

/mòtɔ̀ːmɔ́kɔ̀(ꜜ)/

Borrowed from Swahili mtomoko (“custard apple”).

Annona cherimola
Annona cherimola#Translingual


mũruma-andũ

mũruma-andũ class 3 (plural mĩruma-andũ)

/mòɾùmà(ꜜ)àⁿdò(ꜜ)/

Bersama abyssinica, a shrub or tree of the family Francoaceae (formerly Melianthaceae)


mũkũngũgũ

Commiphora eminii subsp. zimmermannii (syn. C. missionis, C. zimmermannii), tree of the family Burseraceae; traditionally used by Kikuyu people for hedging, supporter of yam vine, and so on.


mũhoko

endod, African soapberry (Phytolacca dodecandra; though very poisonous, parts of this plant were traditionally used for treating cattle sickness and as aperient for human being.


mũthathumwa

mũthathumwa class 3 (plural mĩthathumwa)

Hypericum revolutum, a shrub or tree of the St. John's wort family (Hypericaceae)


mũtendera

/mòtɛ̀ⁿdɛ̀ɾáꜜ/

forest peach (Rawsonia lucida (syn. R. usambarensis); produces timber.


mũkarara

/mòkàɾàɾà(ꜜ)/

Margaritaria discoidea (syn. Phyllanthus discoideus), a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae (formerly Euphorbiaceae); traditionally used for making planks (mĩhĩrĩgo).


mũita-thũa

orange-milk tree (Harungana madagascariensis); contains red sap and wood used for building material.


mũrũrũ

ramontchi, governor's plum, Indian plum (Flacourtia indica); fruit edible.

forest pepper, Lopez root, wild orange tree (Toddalia asiatica)


icani

Borrowed from Swahili majani (“leaves”).


mũhũri

fried egg tree, snuff-box tree (Oncoba spinosa)


mũigaigua

shrub or tree of the genus Oncoba; branches with axillary spines.

snuff-box tree, fried egg tree (Oncoba spinosa)


mũbirũbirũ

/mòβìɾóβìɾóꜜ/

Canthium oligocarpum subsp. friesiorum (syn. Rytigynia friesiorum)


mũkũndũ

several tree species of the family Rubiaceae

Mitragyna rubrostipulata (syn. Fleroya rubrostipulata); yields timber.


rũathe

Psydrax parviflora, especially subsp. rubrocostata (syn. Canthium rubrocostatum), tree of the madder family (Rubiaceae); yields timber.


mũkomakoma

Psychotria fractinervata (syn. Grumilea exserta)


mũgoro

/mòɣɔ̀ɾɔ̀(ꜜ)/


mũna

Hutchins (1909) records m'Ona as a Kikuyu name for Chrysophyllum sp.).

muna (Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, syn. Aningeria adolfi-friedericii); yields timber.


mũthegethe

/mòðɛ̀ɣɛ̀ðɛ́/

canary-bird bush, birdflower, lion's claw, rattlebox (Crotalaria agatiflora)


mũembe

Mangifera indica
Mangifera indica#Translingual


mũthithe

African sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata, syn. O. abyssinica)


mũringathinga

mũringathinga class 3 (plural mĩringathinga)

/mòɾìᵑɡáðìŋɡáꜜ/

Mussaenda microdonta subsp. odorata (syn. M. odorata); tree or shrub of the family Rubiaceae


mũrera-kĩĩmbu

mũrera-kĩĩmbu class 3 (plural mĩrera-kĩĩmbu)

/mòɾɛ̀ɾà(ꜜ)keèᵐbú/

mũ- (“[CLASS 3]”) + kũrera (“to rear”) + kĩĩmbu (“chameleon”).

Canthium oligocarpum subsp. friesiorum (syn. Rytigynia friesiorum), shrub or tree species of the family Rubiaceae


mũtĩ-mũirũ

/mòtě moìɾóꜜ/

Galiniera saxifraga (syn. G. coffeoides); shrub or tree of the family Rubiaceae

shrub or tree species of the genus Turraea (Meliaceae)


mũbaage

Meronym: (seeds) mbaage

Mauritius thorn (Biancaea decapetala, syn. Caesalpinia decapetala, C. sepiaria); native to Asia, but naturalized to Kenya for a very long time; traditionally used for hedge.


mbaage

Fruit and seeds of plants of species Biancaea decapetala (Mauritius thorn) (mũbaage); seeds were used for divination.