muti

Where does the word "muti" come from? It comes from Zulu umuthi, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Muti’s story begins in Zulu: umuthi meant “tree.” Extended to mean medicine, since traditional remedies were made from tree bark, roots, and leaves. It reached English by 1900s as muti. Zulu 'umuthi', tree, since most traditional medicines come from plants. Today, muti means traditional herbal medicine, especially in southern Africa.

1. Stage 1 · Zulu · 1850s umuthi "tree", extended to mean medicine, since traditional remedies were made from tree bark, roots, and leaves.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s muti "traditional medicine", Zulu 'umuthi', tree, since most traditional medicines come from plants.