The Language of the Modhupur Mandi (Garo), Volume 2
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5.2 Crops, Cultivated Plants
pp. 157A glance through the lists of various kinds of crops that are named by the Mandis will suggest the relative importance of different categories. There are many kinds of fruit trees and large numbers of vegetables. Rice and tubers have attracted enough words to warrant categories of their own. The large number of Bengali borrowings suggest that many crops have been introduced within the last few generations, bringing their Bengali names with them.
5.22 Cultivated Trees and Fruits
pp. 157a-ta-pol n. custard apple. <B
bel˙-et-ti n. bel fruit from tree with 5 cm. somewhat pointed leaves.
cham-bil n. a citrus fruit somewhat like a jam-bu-ra (pomelo).
de-but-a-ru bi-pang n. tree with whorled, vaguely poinsettia like leaves, planted by the forest department. <B
gu-a n. areca palm, areca nut.
jam-bu-ra n. pomelo, a large citrus tree and fruit.
jau n. tree with inedible fruit but planted by people because they find it pretty. <B
joi-pol, jol-poi, joi-na n. nutmeg tree. <B
ka-go-ji, ka-gu-ji n. a small variety of lime. <B
Page 158kai-jol, ke-jur n. a palm tree that is tapped for its sap. <B
ko-mil-a, ku-mil-a n. orange tree, orange fruit. <B
le-bu n. large green lime. <B
le-chu, li-chu n. litchi fruit. <B
mat-chok-grong te˙-rik n. kind of banana that is sometimes cooked, but sometimes eaten raw, (lit. deer-horn banana).
mel-e-ri-a bi-pang n. tall skinny tree with somewhat sparse leaves that is planted by forest department; a kind of eucalyptus. <B
mo-du n. papaya, honey. <B
na-rang n. orange tree, orange fruit.
na-ri-kel, nai-rol n. coconut. <B
pe-pe n. papaya. <B
su-ri-bit-e n. fruit of the wild su-ri tree, that has a nut like core.
te˙-, ti˙- cp. prefix for various fruits: te˙-rik banana; te-brong jackfruit; te˙-ga-chu mango; bi-te, bi-ti fruit.
te˙-brong, ti˙-brong n. jackfruit.
te˙-ga-chu, ti˙-ga-chu n. mango.
te˙-mat-chu, ti˙-mat-chu n. lime, (same as le-bu ).
te˙-rik, ti˙-rik n. banana.
te˙-rik so-bak n. the large edible bud of a banana tree.
5.23 Cultivated Plants, Mostly Vegetables
pp. 158a-na-ros n. pineapple. <B
ak-ka-ru n. a kind of squash.
ang-gur n. grape. <B
ba-da ko-pi n. cabbage. <B
ba-dam n. peanut. <B
ba-ring n. eggplant, brinjal.
ba-ring bel-a-ti n. tomato, (lit. foreign eggplant).
bi-jak ko-pi n. cabbage.
bil˙-ik n. short green beans with narrow, edible pods.
cha-pa-ta n. tea leaves. <B
chi-rot-ta n. bitter tasting weedy plant, 60 cm. tall with purplish leaves, that is planted, dried, and later boiled into a bitter drink that is good against malaria and kala-azar.
dail, dal n. pulse, dahl. <B
de-ros n. small green vegetable, lady finger, okra. <B
deng-ga n. a red spinach-like vegetable of which the leaves are eaten, larger than lal-sak. <B
e˙-ching, i˙-ching n. ginger.
ga-jur n. carrot. <B
gan-di mo-sol-a n. a dill-like crop with tiny whitish spray flowers, which is grown and eaten.
Page 159ge-na-si, gi-na-si n. a green bean with a broad pod that is eaten along with the seeds.
go-min-da, gu-min-da n. a round squash that lies on ground when growing.
go-ru, gu-ru n. a plant with edible leaves, (same as men-da).
gom n. wheat. <B
grit, grik n. sugar cane.
gu-a-mu-ri mo-sol-a n. carroty looking plant with an edible fruit. <B
jal˙-ik n. chili pepper.
jal˙-ik bal-ju-ri n. a long variety of chili pepper.
jal˙-ik do˙-bi-ma n. a large round variety of chili pepper.
jal˙-ik do˙-bi-ma gi-sim n. a black fruited chili pepper.
jal˙-ik do˙-mi n. a variety of chili pepper with long fruit.
jal˙-ik man-di n. a variety of chili pepper, said to be found in A˙ rongga but not in A˙ bima.
jal˙-ik mi-sek-ki n. a small and strong variety of chili pepper.
jal˙-ik na-reng-ku-la n. a variety of chili pepper.
jing-ka n. a long striped vegetable used in cooking. <B
jung-ki-ba-ring n. a thorny plant, a small kind of brinjal or eggplant.
ka˙-rek n. beans with a long narrow edible pod.
ka˙-rek gi-sim n. a long kind of black bean.
ka˙-rek gip-bok n. a long kind of white or ash-colored bean.
ke-sa-ri n. a kind of dahl. <B
koi-sak n. a fairly bland green leafy vegetable, a climbing plant with red stalks and 2 cm. heart shaped rather succulent and edible leaves. <B
kon-jon bi-jak n. edible leaves of the kon-jon (locust?) tree.
lal-sak n. edible spinach-like leaves of a small reddish plant. <B
lau, rau n. gourd, a long edible squash that hangs from a climbing vine. <B
man-de ba-ring n. a small type of eggplant that was cultivated in the past.
me-ga-ru, mi-ga-ru n. an edible grain, Job's-tears or pop sorghum.
me-kop, mi-kop n. maize.
me˙-a, mi˙-a n. edible bamboo shoots.
men-da n. sour vegetable with large buds and edible leaves and outer flower petals.
men-du n. a yellow flowered pea with edible seeds.
mi-si-mi, mi-si n. millet.
mu-su-ri, mu-su-ri dail n. red dahl.
mul-a sak n. edible radish leaves, greens of mul-a.
na-sin-do˙-ki n. garlic.
ol-ko-pi, ul-ko-pi n. a member of the cabbage family with a bulbous, edible stalk.
Page 160pa-sim-bi-dil n. thin cultivated vine with little clumps of leaves along it that can be cooked with meat.
pal-ong-sak n. a small, 15 cm. diameter vegetable that has odd white and brown flowers on a stalk, and with star-like spreading edible leaves. <B
pul-ko-pi n. cauliflower. <B
ra-ja-gu-ru, ra-ja-gu-ru men-da n. a vegetable with tiny green-pink lantern-shaped flowers on a stalk that gets smaller toward the top, and 5 cm. leaves. A kind of men-da.
ro-sun, ro-sin, ra-sin, na-sin n. onion, garlic. <B
ro-sun gip-bok, na-sin gip-bok n. garlic.
ro-sun git-chak, na-sin git-chak n. onion.
sil-so, sil-su, sul-so n. mustard, mustard seed.
so-sra, so-sa, su-sra, su-sa, su-su-ra n. cucumber.
su-a-biin, su-a-piin n. soybean. <E
su-na-muk dail n. a variety of dahl, the only kind grown in Modhupur. <B
ta-kri, ta-kri dail n. white dahl, a variety of dahl. <B
to-ma-to, to-me-to, to-mo-to n. tomato, (same as ba-ring bel-a-ti). <E
tom-ba ba-ring n. a large round type of ba-ring (eggplant).
tor-mus n. watermelon. <B
5.25 Rice
pp. 160In addition to the traditional varieties of rice whose names are given here, other new high-yielding varieties have been introduced along with their names. The rice that Mandis call i-ri is named for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and one of its varieties is called chai-niis i-ri. presumably because China has played some part in its origin. Bi-ar e-ga-ro (BR-11, e-ga-ro being Bengali for 'eleven') is grown, as well as many others with less exotic names.
Mi is the word for both unhusked rice and cooked rice in all dialects of Garo that I know of. In A˙ chik husked but uncooked rice is me-rong. In Mandi, the change of syllable final e to i has had the effect of making it look more closely related to mi, as if mi-rong is a kind of mi.a-mon n. one of the three paddy crops, (June-December). <B
aus, a-su n. one of the three paddy crops (March-July). <B
ba-si-ras n. variety of rice now in use, grown as an a-mon crop. <B
bo-ro, bu-ru, bu-ro n. one of the three paddy crops (January-June). <B
i-ri, i-ri mi n. a new variety of rice from IRRI, the International Rice Research Institute. <E
Page 161jal-a n. rice seedling during stage when it grows in a seedbed. <B
kal-i-ji-ra n. a small variety of rice that has black husk and a good smell, grown as an a-mon crop. <B
me-rong, mi-rong n. husked rice.
me-rong-chek-chek n. rice that is free from husks, well cleaned rice.
mi n. rice plant, unhusked rice, cooked rice.
mi-bi-pang, mi-pang n. rice plant.
mi-go-ra n. thick uncut rice plants.
mi-kot-chu n. a traditional variety of rice grown by slash and burn methods, one kind of mi-man-de.
mi-ma n. big-grained variety of rice, one kind of mi-man-de.
mi-man-de, mi-man-di n. hill rice, dry rice, traditional rice grown by Mandis, of which there are several types.
mi-mil n. sticky rice that has been cooked by steaming, cooked mi-mit-im.
mi-mit-im n. a variety of sticky rice before it has been husked, the kind of rice that, when cooked, will be called mi-mil, a traditional rice from slash and burn times, one kind of mi-man-de.
mi-mit-im mi-rong n. husked but uncooked sticky rice.
mi-na-tik n. a traditional kind of rice from slash and burn times, one kind of mi-man-de.
mi-pang, mi-bi-pang n. rice plant, bigger than a jal-a (seedling).
mi-pi-sa n. a traditional kind of rice from slash and burn times, one kind of mi-man-de.
mi-pil-ek, mi-bil-ek n. very soft boiled rice, rice cooked with lots of water, which can be eaten with gu-ru-ma native sugar or milk.
reng-gun-mi n. a variety of rice that is no longer used.
ro-a, ru-a n. rice seedling after removal from seedbed or after transplanting: ro-a sik-a transplant rice.
sa-rang, mi-sa-rang n. a traditional kind of hill rice, one kind of mi-man-di.
5.27 Cultivated Tubers (cf. 4.653 Wild Tubers)
pp. 161a-mak-greng n. a kind of cultivated tuber, (lit. monkey bone).
al-u-gu-ta n. white potatoes. <B
mul-a n. a large radish; the plant has four-petaled white or slightly lavender flowers, and edible greens in addition to the white or reddish edible root. <B
sal-gom n. a large kind of radish, a round, red and bulbous root crop.
ta˙-a n. any of several edible tubers.
ta˙-bi-rot n. white potato, (same as al-u gu-ta).
ta˙-bol-chu, ta˙-bil-chu n. manioc, cassava.
Page 162ta˙-dam-bu n. a large-leafed cultivated tuber.
ta˙-jong n. a large bulbous cultivated tuber.
ta˙-ma n. a large edible tuber.
ta˙-man-de n. a variety of cultivated tuber.
ta˙-mat-chi n. a cultivated vine with edible root the size of a fist or a bit larger; said to be the favored tuber of the Mat-chi people, a sub-group of Garos who have never been seen, but who are reported never to wash, to eat cats and dogs, and perhaps to live in the Garo Hills.
ta˙-mil-ang n. sweet potato.
ta˙-ring n. huge-leafed tuber, arum.
ta˙-rip-u n. vine with pea-like pods, and an edible white fleshed tuber.
ta˙-ru-ri n. a kind of cultivated tuber.
ta˙-tu-rak n. a small round cultivated tuber.
5.28 Decorative Flowers
pp. 162Some families grow flowers in their courtyards. They are always cared for by the women or their daughters. Most of their names have come from Bengali or from English, suggesting that flower growing is a relatively recent activity.
dal-ia n. dahlia. <E
gen-da-pul n. marigolds, small yellow flowers.
gon-do-ras n. gardenia. <B
gul-ap n. rose. <B
jo-ba-pul, jo-ba-bi-bal n. hibiscus. <B
ka-gos-pul n. bougainvillea. <B
kol-a-pul n. a beautiful orange flower. <B
kos-mos n. an ornamental flower, cosmos. <E
li-li-pul n. lily, a decorative flower. <E
men-di-pul n. ornamental plant with a tall stiff woody stalk.
mol-i-ka-pul n. white many-petaled flower. <B
noi-on-ta-ra n. a five-petaled white or purple flower, phlox. <B
pat-ta-ba-hor, pat-ta-ba-kor n. two kinds ornamental plants, one with yellow speckled leaves, one with yellow or red striped leaves. <B
tol-si, tol-si-gip-bok n. 1 meter tall spicy smelling plant with purple or dark green leaves, and many small green or dark purple flowers in whorls on 12 cm. stalks.
5.29 Nonfood Crops
pp. 162a-ra n. a kind of plant that is grown and tended by a ko-bi-raj or gu-ni-al (herbal doctor) and that is said to be used to kill people: a-ra gi-si dried a-ra, a slow acting form of the plant; a-ra git-ang fresh a-ra, a quick acting form of the plant. a-ra on˙-a give poison, as by an herbalist.
Page 163kil n. cotton.
kil-chi-ri n. a good variety of cotton.
kil-teng n. ordinary variety of cotton.
pat n. jute, burlap, jute thread. <B
