APPENDIX B.

NOTES.

The Wambutti knew a donkey and called it “atti.” They say that they sometimes catch them in pits. What they can find to eat is a wonder. They eat leaves.

Bakiokwa language of Indekaru.

Wambutti call their language Ku-mbutti, or that of Bakwa, pronounced Bakkvwa. I fancy Schweinfurth may have been unable to detect the subtle sound of v-w and called his dwarfs Akka.

The Ku-mbutti or Bakkwa, the Bakiokwa or Bukumu, and the Babira, between Kinnena and Kabongé on the Congo, we perceive speak three dialects closely resembling one another, especially the first and last are remarkably similar, yet there is a distance of forest between them of several hundred miles, and the Lindi, Lenda and Ituri rivers separate them.

The Bavira and Babusessé, separated only by the Ituri, both countries being grass land, speak a dialect remarkably alike. Formerly it was one language; but in two generations the Baviras have become corrupted by using daily the Rukobé, or that of the Wahuma. They migrated from the banks of the Ituri, crossed the Ruki, and dwelt among the Wahuma, who are an exclusive and proud people.

The Rukobé or Wahuma have no single word for thanks, but yo simire-kurungi literally means, “I take it to be good of you,” or “I accept it kindly.”

Wahuma, when children, call their father “baba,” equal to our papa; when adults, “tata.”

Wahuma, when children, call their mother “mama,” equal to our mamma; when adults, “man.”

Wahuma, on the other side of the lake, are called Wachwezi.

The number three is the most universally similar. Take from Zanzibar on to the East Coast to Banana on to the West Coast there is but little variation, and through the forest region to Lake Albert, water is almost pretty near alike, especially on the Western half, varying from riba, liba, libu, libo, ibo, rubu.

Chicken = kuku, kokko, ngokko, bukoko.

—These words seem
most popular across
Africa.

Spear = ikunga, kunga.

Goat = me-me.

Ten = kumi.

Dog = mbwa, mbua.

One would imagine a confusion of languages, as for instance:—

Hottentot Eye = mu	Babusessé Head = mu	Kumbutti Head = mo	Mandingo. Man = mo
Wahuma Milk = mata	Galla Head = matta
Danakil Cow = la	Arabic. la = no
Tuarik. Hair = zau	Kikongo Elephant = nzau
Kiyanzi. Friend = koi	Bakiokwa. Eye = koi
Kisawahili. Bana or Bwana = Master	East Manyuema. Bana = four
Kisawahili. Kiboko = Hippo	Bavira Head, hand, finger = Kiboko
Somali. Boro, mountain	—is in Swahili a vile slang word; and country in Niam Niam.

Semmé in Hurrur is sky; in Soudanese Arabic it means good.

Kuba in Bavira is sky; is dog in Adaiel, big in Swahili.

Barra in Adaiel is woman; is continent in Swahili.

Ina in Kiyanzi is four; in Yoruba means fire.

Afi in Babira means road; in Ku-mbutti means river.

A-é in Somali means dog, but means mother in Hurrur; so that son of a female dog in Somali, would in Hurrur be a mother’s son.

Ariho in Wahuma, or, are you here, is sky in Niam Niam.

Happa, here, in Swahili, becomes yes in Monbuttu.

The ibuka of the forest, approaches the ebbugu of Monbuttu (Banana).

The Niam Niam have no words for numerals higher than five; six becomes the second one battisa; seven the second two battiuwi, &c., &c.

The Wabarukuru likewise.

Posyo, meat in Niam Niam, approaches the Posho, rations, Swahili, and podzio, Russian for hurry.

Rubu, rain, of the Adaiel is a common name for perhaps a score of African rivers. Lufu, Ruvu, Rufu. The Danakil word for rain, robé, is as nearly related to libo (water). Monbutti, ruba of Mbarukukaru; ibo of the Babira; libu Babusessé.

The ba (father) of the Niam Niam becomes mother in Mandingo.

While Dé, woman of the Niam Niam, is the same as the Jalif to the W.N.W. for far, but dé is four in Dinka.