Abstract
This paper presents a morpho-semantic analysis of Kuria medicinal plant terms documented in the study 鈥淚ndigenous Knowledge and Use of Medicinal Plants Among the Kuria Communities in the Tarime and Serengeti Districts of Mara Region, Tanzania.鈥漑1] Employing a methodology that integrates linguistic morphology and semantics within an ethnolinguistic framework, the study investigates the structural components and encoded meanings of these plant names. The analysis identifies recurring morphological patterns and categorizes the semantic fields reflected in the Kuria ethnomedical lexicon, revealing how plant names often encapsulate information about their physical characteristics, habitat, and perceived medicinal properties. Furthermore, the paper explores the naming practices associated with these plants, examining the cultural, environmental, and practical considerations that influence their identification and nomenclature within the Kuria community. By analyzing how the Kuria language structures and imbues meaning into medicinal plant terms, this research illuminates the intricate connections between language, traditional ecological knowledge, and cultural practices, underscoring the role of language in preserving and transmitting vital ethnobotanical knowledge. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of indigenous knowledge systems and the rich linguistic resources associated with traditional medicine.
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Biography
Dr. Mary Zacharia Charwi is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages and Literature at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). She holds a Ph.D. in African Linguistics from the University of Bayreuth, in addition to prior degrees from UDSM. Her research interests include Bantu Linguistics (specifically Bantu morphology, syntax, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics), Language, Gender and Culture, Second language learning, indigenous knowledge, lexicography, and ethnolinguistics. Dr. Charwi has actively participated in numerous research projects and consultancies, including a collaboration on the indigenous knowledge of the Kuria Society, and her work has been published in both local and international journals.
mary.charwi@udsm.ac.tz
mary.charwi@duce.ac.tz
