What's in a name ?

This piece finds place in September issue of SAEVUS.

Local names of species in different languages and dialects gives us a glimpse of the knowledge and beliefs of the people who share the landscape with them. And in some cases, it reveals stories about species that these landscapes have unfortunately lost!

At Mokokchung in Nagaland, 2 villages, which not only lie adjacent to each other but also belong to the same tribe (Ao) used identical names for some species and different ones for others. The Asiatic Black Bear, for example, was sheom at Ungma and shirem at Longsa. I was surprised when the Lesser Bandicoot-rat had a local name - por while the Himalayan rat was called chuha. I was told that Asian Elephants - shoti went locally extinct about five centuries ago.

During a recent trip to Zunheboto the Semas in Awatsakilimi shared of their village having got its name from the Brown Hornbill while a local stream was named after the Barred Cuckoo Dove (Ashughuzuye). Amur Falcons visit Nagaland in large numbers at this time of the year, but when I asked for the local name they said they don’t have one as these hadn’t occurred here the ‘50s and ‘60s!

I was based earlier at Baghmara in the Garo Hills (Meghalaya), which was named after a leader slayed (mara) a tiger (bagh). Asian Elephants, of whom Garo Hills boast of a large population, are referred to as mongma and also as dalgippa (elder). While pig is wak and cow is matchu; Wild Pig and Gaur are wak burung and matcha burung respectively; burung being a forest. I realized that Garos also have a name for the Rhino - gondu and wondered what species of the pachyderm could have occurred in the landscape? During discussions with a friend I was told Garos also have a name for Yeti - mande burung!

At Saiha (Mizoram), Sai (elephant) and ha (teeth) in Mara (tribe) literally stand for ivory! Elephants used to move all across the landscape and books that describe earlier times talk of a high number of elephant traps; today there are none. While a recent forest department publication lists six Mizo names for the four species of civets occurring in the state a Mara dictionary written Reverend Lorrain during the first half of the previous century has an amazing eighteen references!

Some species names are confusing, while others like hornbills are well represented. Interestingly four species of hornbills have separate Mizo names. Wreathed Hornbill - Kawlhawk, Great Hornbill – Vapual, Brown Hornbill – Vangai and Oriental Pied Hornbill - Vahai. Vahai also being name of a village in Saiha district. Slow loris is referred to as ruleipa (boneless) as its movement reflect lack of bones. People believe it brings bad luck and are quite scared of it; during a conservation education event a local teacher actually dropped the mammal field-guide he was holding when he came across a page bearing the animals photo. Maras too have a word for the Rhino - kawra. References point to a two horned rhino species occurring in the region during the beginning of the last century. However we may never know for sure.

Many thanks to Sree, Dipankar and SAEVUS.