Boze medical terminology and diseases
Roger Blench
Kay Williamson Educational Foundation
8, Guest Road
Cambridge CB1 2AL
United Kingdom
Voice/ Ans (00-44)-(0)1223-560687
Mobile worldwide (00-44)-(0) 7847-495590
E-mail [email protected]
http://www.rogerblench.info/RBOP.htm
This version: Belmopan, 28 November, 2013
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Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. BOZE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
3. BOZE TERMS FOR DISEASES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS
I
1
1
3
TABLES
Table 1. Nomenclature of the Boze peoples
Table 2. Boze medical terminology
Table 3. Boze terms for diseases and medical conditions
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Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
1. Introduction
The Boze (Buji) language forms part of the ‘Jere cluster’ and is in turn part of the Northern Jos group of the
East Kainji languages spoken north of Jos town in Central Nigeria. Very little has been published on this
group, with a mimeo by Shimizu (1971) and some short wordlists (Shimizu 1980, 1982). SBoze is the
language of the AnaBoze people. The correct name for one Boze person is unaBoze and for the people
anaBoze, while the name of the language is εBoze. The Boze are divided into two main dialects, εGorong
and εKɔkɔŋ as well as a third rather divergent speech form, εFiru. The ‘original’ Boze are considered to be
the anεKɔkɔŋ.
Table 1. Nomenclature of the Boze peoples
Language
One
People
person
εBoze
unaBoze
anaBoze
εKɔkɔŋ
unaKɔkɔŋ
anεKɔkɔŋ
εGorong
unaGoron
anaGorong
g
εFiru
unoFiru
ànoFíru
Short
form
B
K
G
F
The Boze live east and west of the Jos-Zaria road which runs northwest of Jos, in Bassa Local government
area. The number of εBoze speakers is hard to gauge as Hausa has made inroads into many areas. But taking
all three groups together, there must be 6-7000, not all of whom will be fully competent.
Very little has been written about the medical systems among the peoples of the Jos Plateau. This paper is an
adjunct to my Boze dictionary, prepared in conjunction with the Boze literacy committee. It is intended to
help people identify terms in the Boze language with modern medical terms and to lessen misunderstandings
in diagnosis when people come to clinics. It must be emphasised this is highly preliminary. Ideally we would
work through the whole list with a doctor familiar with tropical medicine, but this isn’t possible at present.
The Hausa language is often used as an intermediary language in clinic, but not all Boze words translate
asily into Hausa. I have included the Hausa term in the tables below where possible.
Boze people do not always classify disease in European categories. For example, it may seem unusual to
have a special word for bleeding when you stub your toe or to give scabies and syphilis the same name.
However, this is why medical anthropology can be useful.
2. Boze medical terminology
Table 2 lists Boze medical terminology as presently used, together with the Hausa equivalents, where
known. Some of the terms are recent constructions, such as the term for ‘hospital’. In other cases, older
terms have been modernised to include ‘doctors’ and other personnel.
Table 2. Boze medical terminology
s.
pl.
Hausa
English
Notes
gidan magani
clinic, hospital
modern term
duba
diagnosis from experience
also applied to diagnosis
in a hospital
ù-kɛzɛ
gawa
màkpenekpene
ciwo
ò-bèrè
à-bèrè
boka
ɔ̀nɔ̀ɔ́-kpènè
ànòó kpènè
masu jinya
corpse
witchcraft
illness, disease
note irregular plural
sorcerer, someone who
performs injurious rituals
traditional doctor, healer, This skill may be inherited
herbalist
or acqired
sick person
à-kùrà
tuka
ánárù
tì-kùrà tì-tuka
ɛ̀-kɛzɛ
kìkìrì
màkpene
nune rara
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Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
s.
pl.
Hausa
English
ù-bənzi
à-bənzi
likita
ù-kiri
ù-láw
à-kiri
tì-láw
fatalwa
laya
diagnosis following a
ritual performed by obèrè
cupping horn
amulet holder consisting
of a string around the
waist
amulet attached to the
upper arm
medicine
charm placed on the farm
to prevent theft of crops
traditional bonesetter who
dealt with fractures and
also
gynaecological
problems
witch
charm, amulet
ù-vùnù
ù-wárè
ù-wə́nə́
à-wárè
ù-wíjù
iskoki
majin yata
mutuwa
evil spirits
patient
death
rèbèrè
rɛ̀-kɛ́rɔ̀
rì-gùúrù
à-kɛ́rɔ̀
sì-gùúrù
kaho
guru
rì-laga
à-laga, si-laga
laya
tùká
tùka tuùrù
magani
maganin gona
–
2
Notes
< Hausa
now adapted to apply to
modern western-trained
doctors
witchcraft is ti-kiri
? < Hausa. Amulet
attached to the ri-guru
note suppletive plural
Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
3. Boze terms for diseases and medical conditions
Table 3 lists the Boze terms for diseases and medical conditions. Where I have been given a word by one person, but it hasn’t been confirmed in a different village, I
have marked it ‘not confirmed’.
Table 3. Boze terms for diseases and medical conditions
s.
pl.
Hausa
English
Notes
zazzabi
fever
ànùkùtù
sore, wound
à-rɛ̀kpɛ̀nɛ̀
tɛ̀-rɛ̀kpɛ̀nɛ̀
discharge of blood from a
bebɔnyɛ
woman
growth on the jaw of a buried This is believed to be the cause of a particular type of illness. If the diviner
bɛfɛtɛ
ɛfɛtɛ
corpse
identified the individual, the skull is disinterred and the growth broken, thereby
curing the illness.
tribal scar
bɛ̀rɛ̀
ɛ̀rɛ̀
sakuwa
hiccups
bɛrɛnkɛ̀nɛ̀
cataracts
Not confirmed
bɛrɛnkɔ
hauka
insanity
bícánzɛ̀
piles (in the anus)
idara igana
bìdàrà
bigànà
fungal infection on the foot
bidara kane
infection of the uvula
bidara
rɛmɛlɔ
tiredness
bi-ganɔ̀
hernia
Not confirmed
bigbaywa
igbaywa
goitre
bígbyàw
ígbyàw
guinea-worm
bigiri gamɔ
scab, hard skin covering wound
bì-gwada
ì-gwada
jiga
jigger, Tunga penetrans
bì-jìgá
ì-jìgá
convulsions
bì-nama
kululuwa
enlarged nodes on groin
bì-rámpɛ́
ì-rámpɛ́
atishawu
sneezing
bì-tìshémù
bakondoro measles
bítùkə̀ri
hysteria
biwɛnkɛru
dry skin
bìyɔ́
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Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
s.
cínjà
ɛ̀pεrεsɛ̀
ə̀rù ùsùrù
gáyàŋ
ibisi
ì-cákùmba
ìdɛ́rà
ìdɛ́rà
inaànuri
ipatɛ
macata
màdere sùrù
madèsè
màlɔ̀
mánìma
manyìmùra
maraku
mashámɔ̀
matir gishi
màzìnà
òkɔ̀tɔ̀
ò-kpènè
ò-kpèn’ɔ̀vɛ̀rɔ̀
pl.
Hausa
amai
mura
tiratù
ùsùrù
kazuwa
hauka
kululuwa
—
rashin karfi
àkɔ̀tɔ̀
fuka
ò-kpènè ɔ̀wɔ̀
ò-kpènè’rɔ̀
agana
ò-kpènè ùsáw
ònì ná nùrì
opɛpɛshɛ
òvɛ́rɔ̀
òvɛ́rɔ̀ mànyì
kanjamau
tipɛpɛshɛ
tari
tari jini
English
vomiting, nausea
cold
lymphoma
healthy
rheumatism
mumps
scabies
syphilis
madness
tapeworm
sexual infection
eczema
heartburn
recovered
whitlow
leprosy
dieting for medical purposes
rheumatism
hookworm
fatigue
leper
general term for chronic disease
tuberculosis,
asthma,
lung
disease
smallpox
sleeping
sickness,
trypanosomiasis
AIDS
madman
scar
cough
coughing
with
blood,
haemoptysis
Notes
min zi gayaŋ I am healthy
women’s disease
lit. ‘sickness of the stream’
Not confirmed
e.g. ra kuna malɔ I have recovered
seems to mean ‘coughing blood’ with the Hausa word incorporated
Not confirmed
Related to the word for ‘health’
‘sickness of cough’
lit. ‘eight’
‘person of madness’
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Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
s.
ògɔɔnì
ɔ̀bɔ̀rɔ̀tɔ̀lɔ̀
ɔ̀pɛ̀pɛ̀rɛ̀
rè-more
re-woo
rɛ̀-bɛ̀tɛ̀
rεkɔtɔ̀
rɛ̀-pɛ̀
rɛ-wɔ
rícò
rì-jì
rimare
pl.
à-more
à-bɛ̀tɛ̀
à-pɛ̀
rì-pùrù
rì-rù
shámò
sukusuku
tí-rù
ù-bììjì
ùcícù
ùgambasa
ùgbə̀ə̀rə̀
ì-bììjìjì
ùjiji əpùrù
ù-kala biyà
ù-kullù
ù-kpènè nǎ
rɔ̀nɛ̀
ukwεnawáy
ù-lèmè
tì-lèmù
Hausa
English
abdominal pain
scrotal swelling, scrotal hernia
farfada
epilepsy
maruru
boil
sharp pain usually caused by
hard work
wart, blister e.g. fire blisters
kuturta
leprosy
kullutu
cyst
pneumonia
bleeding when you stub your toe
kaban cibi
umbilical hernia
growth on throat or tongue of
children or animals
sifa
enlarged spleen
makanta
blindness
lafiya
health, peace
describes unhealthy condition
(frequently person sick)
ramiwa
weight
loss,
leanness,
emaciation
kumburi
swelling
ringworm
peptic ulcer
zawo, kashi diarrhoea, dysentery
jini
macijin ciki intestinal worms
dizziness in children
gingivitis, bleeding from the
gums
ciwon
gonorrhoea
sanyi
gonorrhoea
miki
scar, scratch, abrasion
Notes
also the name of the herb used to cure it
tone?
uncertain identification
Not confirmed
a pene di shamo
Not confirmed
sometimes also adults
distinguished from tribal scar
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Boze medical vocabulary Roger Blench Draft version for circulation
s.
umura
ùnɛ́ nùrì
ùpùù
ùpùú rɛ̀tɛ̀
upisi
ùpuù tini
ùrawày
ù-rù
ùtítírì
ùwə̀ə̀ kùnù
uyarɛ
ùyìì mə̀nyì
wámɔ̀
yɛbə ərunji
yɛ̀wɔ́
pl.
Hausa
—
ciwon kai
ə̀-rù
tìwə̀ə̀ kùnù
shawara
rashin jini
English
health
madness
pain (general term)
headache
nosebleed
waist pain
joint pain
blind person
rash
gangrenous wound
jaundice, hepatitis
anaemia
recovered
piles in the anus in children
pneumonia
Notes
Not confirmed
e.g. na wamɔ
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