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p. 385

GLOSSARY

ACOURI or AGOUTI, ADOURI. Species of Dasyprocta; small game animals of great food value.

BABOON. The almost invariable Creole term applied to the Howling Monkey (Mycetes seniculus).

BABRACOTE (a corrupted form of Barbecue). A small three-legged or four-legged wooden staging upon which meat is laid to be smoke-dried.

BANAB or BENAB. A temporary shed built of sticks and leaves for shelter from sun, rain, or dew.

BARBECUE. To smoke-dry.

BELTIRI. A fermented drink, made from cassava, essentially for home consumption.

BUCK (feminine, BUCKEEN). A term originally applied by the Dutch to any aboriginal Indian.

BULLET TREE. The Mimusops globosa, a timber tree with excellent fruit and valuable "milk."

BUNIA. The "stinking-bird" (Ostinops spp.).

BUSH-COW. Another name for the tapir.

BUSH-HOG. Dicotyles sp.

BUSH-MASTER snake. Lachesis mutus.

BUSH-RAT. The name applied in the Pomeroon District to the opossum. There are, however, several bush-rats proper (Muridæ).

CAMUDI, CAMOODIE. The land (Boa constrictor) or water (Eunectes murinus) boas.

CASSAVA bread. The Indian's "staff of life," made from the Manihot.

CASSIRI, CAXIRI. A fermented drink, similar to beer, made from cassava; drunk in large quantities to intoxicate.

CHIGOE. A species of flea which, penetrating the flesh, may cause great irritation.

CORIAL. A dug-out canoe.

CREOLE. A British Guiana term applied to any person born in the colony, of parents other than aboriginal Indians.

CURARE (known also as URALI, WURALI). The well-known deadly poison of which the chief ingredient is derived from Strychnos toxifera.

GILBACKER. A food-fish (Sciadeicthys parkeri).

HAIAMARA. A food-fish (Hoplias macrophthalmus).

HAIAWA, HAIOWA. The Incense tree, from which a very fragrant resin is derived.

HARRI-HARRI. See YARRI-YARRI.

HOBU. The Hog-plum (Spondias lutea).

HOWLING MONKEY. See BABOON.

HURI. A food-fish (Hoplias malabaricus).

IGARIPE. A water-channel.

ITABO. A water-channel.

ITE (written also ITA and ETA). The Mauritia palm; of immense economic value to the Indians.

ITIRITI. A plant (Ischnosiphon) with a reedlike stem, which is split down to form strands for plaiting.

JIGGER. See CHIGOE.

KESKEDEE. The onomatopœic term for a certain bird (a species of Lanius).

KOKERITE. The Maximiliana regia palm.

KURAUA (written also CROWA). A species of Agave from the fibers of which very strong cords are made.

KUSHI. A leaf-cutting ant; very destructive on the plantations.

LABARIA. An exceedingly poisonous snake (Lachesis lanceolatus).

LABBA. One of the most savory of the rodents (Cœlogenys paca).

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LUKUNANNI. A food fish (Cichla ocellaris). The Pomeroon Indians sometimes speak of it as "sunfish," owing to its brilliant coloration.

MAAM. See SCRUB-TURKEY.

MAIPURI. The Indian name for the tapir.

MALOKA, MALOCCA. A large house in which several families live a more or less communal life.

MANICOLE. The Euterpe edulis palm.

MARABUNTA. The Creole term for several species of wasp.

MARAKA. The Calabash-gourd rattle.

MARUDI. A black fowl (Penelope sp.) with a scarlet neck.

MATAPI. The plaited snakelike press for squeezing the poisonous juice out of the cassava.

MORA. One of the giants of the forest trees the wood of which is very hard.

MOROKOT. A food fish, something like the pacu (Myletes).

"NANCY"-STORY. One of the many African stories having the mythical spider, or anansi, as hero; hence applied by the Creoles to any legend, myth, or fairy tale

NEGROCOP. "Crane" or "stork" (Mycteria americana).

OPOSSUM. See BUSH-RAT; YAWARRI.

OÜICOU. A fermented drink, or paste, made from cassava and potatoes.

PAIWARRI. A blackish fermented drink made from cassava used on occasions of feasting and sport.

PARIPI or PEACH-PALM. Guilielma sp.

PECCARY. The kairuni or abuya, two of the bush-hogs.

PEGALL. A basket having a plaited body and cover, much like a European woman's traveling dress basket.

PEPPER-POT. A meat stew containing capsicums and cassareep, kept good by daily sterilizing (boiling).

PIMPLER PALM. From "pimple," meaning a thorn; species of Bactris.

PIRAI. A very voracious carnivorous fish (Pygocentris sp.) with exceedingly strong and sharp incisors.

POWIS. An excellent bird (Crax sp.) for the table.

PURPLE-HEART. A strong timber (Copaifera sp.) used in making dug-out canoes house posts, etc.

QUAKE. A term applied indiscriminately to all open-work Indian baskets.

QUATTA. A monkey (Ateles paniscus).

QUERRIMAN. A food fish (Mugil brasilianus).

SALAPENTA. The Creole term for the larger lizards.

SAWYER BEETLE. A beetle (Macrodontia dejani) which "rings" branches of trees.

SCRUB-TURKEY or MAAM. Tinamus subcristatus.

SEA-COW. A Creole term for the Manatus.

SILK-COTTON TREE. A large deciduous tree (Eriodendron, Bombax).

TIGER. The Creole term applied to practically all the members of the feline tribe—jaguar, puma, wildcat, and others.

TRULI or TROOLIE. The Manicaria palm, the leaves of which are used for thatch.

TRUMPETER. The Warracabba bird (Psophia sp.).

URALI. See CURARE.

VULTURE. The carrion-crow "governor," or "Boss" (Sarcoramphus papa).

WATER-DOG. The Creole term for otter.

WOODSKIN. A canoe made of a single sheet of bark.

WURALI, URALI. Other forms of the word CURARE.

YACKMAN. The Jagd-man's, or Huntsman's, Ant, which comes at regular intervals and clears out all the other ants.

YARRI-YARRI. The Indian flute.

YAWARRI. Species of opossum (Didelphys).


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