Mukuyu
/məˈkuːjuː/noun
An East African fig tree, especially Ficus thonningii, known in some regions as a sacred or culturally important tree.
Did you know?Among the Kikuyu of Kenya, the related mugumo fig has traditionally been associated with sacred sites and ceremonies, although mukuyu and mugumo are not interchangeable names in every context.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Kikuyu
mũkũyũ
“A name for a fig tree, conventionally written mukuyu in English-language sources.”
19th Century
Swahili
mkuyu
“A fig tree; the Swahili form commonly used for several Ficus species.”
19th–20th Century
English
mukuyu
“An East African fig tree, adopted into botanical and colonial writing.”
20th Century
Botanical Latin
Ficus thonningii
“A scientific name applied to a widespread African fig species often identified as mukuyu.”
Modern English
English
mukuyu
“An English loanword for an East African fig tree, with regional variation in the exact species intended.”