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Muti

2 stages from Zulu to English.

Today it means traditional herbal medicine, especially in southern Africa

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
umuthi
Zulu · 1850s
"tree"
extended to mean medicine, since traditional remedies were made from tree bark, roots, and leaves
2
Stage 2 of 2
muti
English · 1900s
"traditional medicine"
adopted into South African English and Afrikaans as a word for medicine
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