Wambugani
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 8, 2007
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Meaning of Manyara - TANAPA got it wrong
By Thomas Ratsim
Manyara was formerly the name given only to the Lake with an area of 231 square kilometres In 1960s it became the name of the 329 square kilometers, Lake Manyara National Park. Of late the extent of the name has expanded to be of the 25th region in with an area of 46,359 square kilometers, comprising five administrative districts of Kiteto, Mbulu Simanjiro, Hanang and Babati.
Recently I came across a booklet titled Lake Manyara National Park published by the Tanzania National Parks and edited by Ms. Deborah Snelson, where I read that the name Manyara comes from the Maasai word emanyara meaning plant grown for livestock stockade, Euphorbia tirucalli (Indian tree spurge, finger tree or pencil tree).
I am aggrieved by the meaning given for the word manyara as derived from Maasai language and denoting plant grown for livestock stockade. The Maasai word for euphorbia tirucalli is ol aile and not emanyara as it has been rendered in the book
Euphorbia tirucalli is not an indigenous tree, though is a succulent an unarmed shrub now widely grown in dry areas as an ornamental and as its name implies, it may have originated from India or Brazil
.The pastoralists in the area Maasai and Datooga as well as agro-pastoralists Iraqw have never grown the plant for livestock stockades. Due to the reason that they mainly build only seasonal homesteads. As such growing of permanent plants is not at all necessary.
They prefer branches of trees with spikes for building livestock enclosures. Such trees are balanites and some species of acacia. The plants such as euphorbia tirucalli and poison-grub commiphora are planted for hedge or for demarcation of boundaries.
In my opinion, the word manyara has been derived from Mbugwe word manyero, meaning a trough or place where animals drink water. Mbugwe is the tribe occupying the eastern area of the Lake Manyara and west of Lake Burunge in the Tarangire-Lake Manyara ecosystem. They gave the name to the lake as they view the animals coming to the lake to drink water or for salt licks.
Source: ARUSHA TIMES Newspaper
By Thomas Ratsim
Manyara was formerly the name given only to the Lake with an area of 231 square kilometres In 1960s it became the name of the 329 square kilometers, Lake Manyara National Park. Of late the extent of the name has expanded to be of the 25th region in with an area of 46,359 square kilometers, comprising five administrative districts of Kiteto, Mbulu Simanjiro, Hanang and Babati.
Recently I came across a booklet titled Lake Manyara National Park published by the Tanzania National Parks and edited by Ms. Deborah Snelson, where I read that the name Manyara comes from the Maasai word emanyara meaning plant grown for livestock stockade, Euphorbia tirucalli (Indian tree spurge, finger tree or pencil tree).
I am aggrieved by the meaning given for the word manyara as derived from Maasai language and denoting plant grown for livestock stockade. The Maasai word for euphorbia tirucalli is ol aile and not emanyara as it has been rendered in the book
Euphorbia tirucalli is not an indigenous tree, though is a succulent an unarmed shrub now widely grown in dry areas as an ornamental and as its name implies, it may have originated from India or Brazil
.The pastoralists in the area Maasai and Datooga as well as agro-pastoralists Iraqw have never grown the plant for livestock stockades. Due to the reason that they mainly build only seasonal homesteads. As such growing of permanent plants is not at all necessary.
They prefer branches of trees with spikes for building livestock enclosures. Such trees are balanites and some species of acacia. The plants such as euphorbia tirucalli and poison-grub commiphora are planted for hedge or for demarcation of boundaries.
In my opinion, the word manyara has been derived from Mbugwe word manyero, meaning a trough or place where animals drink water. Mbugwe is the tribe occupying the eastern area of the Lake Manyara and west of Lake Burunge in the Tarangire-Lake Manyara ecosystem. They gave the name to the lake as they view the animals coming to the lake to drink water or for salt licks.
Source: ARUSHA TIMES Newspaper
