Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
This study sought to examine the socio-cultural significance of the meanings of the plant names among the speakers of Chasu in rural areas in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Data were collected using free-listing, elicitation and walk-in-the-woods interviews. The study was guided by the cognitive se...
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2457827 |
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| author | Peter Rabson Mziray Amani Lusekelo |
| author_facet | Peter Rabson Mziray Amani Lusekelo |
| author_sort | Peter Rabson Mziray |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study sought to examine the socio-cultural significance of the meanings of the plant names among the speakers of Chasu in rural areas in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Data were collected using free-listing, elicitation and walk-in-the-woods interviews. The study was guided by the cognitive semantic theory and a thematic analysis of the data was employed to generate different themes. Generally, findings indicate five socio-cultural significances of the meanings expressed in Chasu plant names. These include the physiology of plants as depicted in their names, habitation and weather as sources of plant names, plant names emanating from diseases, parts of the body healed and medicament process, naming of plants based on spiritual and ritualistic values and names of plants deriving names of persons. We argue that folk names of plants act as a vehicle to convey various messages to a given community about life experiences, philosophical experiences, and other cultural information. Consequently, such names call for their documentation and preservation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8abe10ac09b3446588589a96184dd667 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2331-1983 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
| spelling | doaj-art-8abe10ac09b3446588589a96184dd6672025-01-27T10:20:18ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832025-12-0112110.1080/23311983.2025.2457827Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, TanzaniaPeter Rabson Mziray0Amani Lusekelo1Department of Language Studies, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, TanzaniaDar es Salaam University College of Education, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaThis study sought to examine the socio-cultural significance of the meanings of the plant names among the speakers of Chasu in rural areas in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Data were collected using free-listing, elicitation and walk-in-the-woods interviews. The study was guided by the cognitive semantic theory and a thematic analysis of the data was employed to generate different themes. Generally, findings indicate five socio-cultural significances of the meanings expressed in Chasu plant names. These include the physiology of plants as depicted in their names, habitation and weather as sources of plant names, plant names emanating from diseases, parts of the body healed and medicament process, naming of plants based on spiritual and ritualistic values and names of plants deriving names of persons. We argue that folk names of plants act as a vehicle to convey various messages to a given community about life experiences, philosophical experiences, and other cultural information. Consequently, such names call for their documentation and preservation.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2457827ChasuKilimanjaro regionmeaningsplant namessocio-cultural significance and TanzaniaLanguage & Linguistics |
| spellingShingle | Peter Rabson Mziray Amani Lusekelo Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Cogent Arts & Humanities Chasu Kilimanjaro region meanings plant names socio-cultural significance and Tanzania Language & Linguistics |
| title | Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_full | Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_short | Examining plant names and their socio-cultural significance among speakers of Chasu in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania |
| title_sort | examining plant names and their socio cultural significance among speakers of chasu in kilimanjaro tanzania |
| topic | Chasu Kilimanjaro region meanings plant names socio-cultural significance and Tanzania Language & Linguistics |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2457827 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT peterrabsonmziray examiningplantnamesandtheirsocioculturalsignificanceamongspeakersofchasuinkilimanjarotanzania AT amanilusekelo examiningplantnamesandtheirsocioculturalsignificanceamongspeakersofchasuinkilimanjarotanzania |