Mugumo
/muːˈɡuːmoʊ/noun
A sacred wild fig tree, especially Ficus thonningii, traditionally revered by the Kikuyu people of Kenya.
Did you know?Kikuyu traditions associated mugumo trees with ritual authority and communal ceremonies, and the felling of one could be treated as a deeply serious act.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Gikuyu
mũgumo
“Name for a sacred wild fig tree”
19th Century
Gikuyu
mũgumo
“A revered fig associated with ritual and communal life”
Late 19th Century
English
Mugumo
“Transliterated African tree name recorded by European travelers and missionaries”
20th Century
Botanical English
mugumo
“A common name for African wild fig species, especially Ficus thonningii”
Modern English
English
mugumo
“A sacred fig tree of cultural and religious importance in Kenya”