Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Abstract

This study sought to examine the socio-cultural significance of the meanings of the plant names among the speakers of Chasu in rural areas in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Data were collected using free-listing, elicitation and walk-in-the-woods interviews. The study was guided by the cognitive semantic theory and a thematic analysis of the data was employed to generate different themes. Generally, findings indicate five socio-cultural significances of the meanings expressed in Chasu plant names. These include the physiology of plants as depicted in their names, habitation and weather as sources of plant names, plant names emanating from diseases, parts of the body healed and medicament process, naming of plants based on spiritual and ritualistic values and names of plants deriving names of persons. We argue that folk names of plants act as a vehicle to convey various messages to a given community about life experiences, philosophical experiences, and other cultural information. Consequently, such names call for their documentation and preservation.