Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
A small lmala naitu for the measure of one collection of cow’s blood.
In the naitu class of lmalasin.
Return to Types of Milk Containers.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
lmala naitu elpayan
Noun
Pronunciation: n-eye’-too ehl-pie’-ahn
A husband’s naitu, made by his wife when they are first married.
In the naitu class of lmalasin.
Return to Types of Milk Containers.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
lkaria
Noun
Pronunciation: ehl-car’-ee-uh
Ochre, used in decorating a lmala.
Return to Types of Milk Containers.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
loisugi (10)
Pronunciation: XXX
Botanical name: Zanthoxylon chalybeum (from Alois Plant List)
Description: Pictured specimen collected near Lengusaka, Kenya. Habitat: lowland. My notes suggest it grows in rocks at the viewpoint between Maralal and Wamba, and that its wood is used for preparing lmalasin. “A deciduous spiny shrub or tree up to 12 m, crown rounded but open. Bark pale grey; smooth dark with scales and prickles. The bole has characteristic large, conical, woody knobs with sharp prickles. The branches also bear scattered thorns with conspicuous dark scales. … Z. chalybeum is a tree of medium to low altitudes in dry woodland or grassland, often on termite mounds.”
Uses: Loisugi makes milk bitter when you repeatedly use it to cleanse a lmala over a long period of time. “Food: When dried, the leaves can be brewed to make a kind of tea. Fodder: The leaves and fruit are eaten by goats throughout the year. The branches are sometimes lopped for feed. Fuel: Z. chalybeum is a good firewood tree; it burns easily. Timber: Timber is very hard, heavy, elastic and highly durable. It works well, although it is difficult to nail; finishes and polishes well and has been used for carving, turnery and walking sticks. The twigs are used as toothbrushes. Medicine: Bark extracts are said to cure malaria.”
Source: Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R , Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree Database:a tree reference and selection guide version 4.0. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp (accessed Jully 16, 2024).
Return to Botanicals for Lmala Preparation.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
naisula nkeek (15)
Pronunciation: XXX
Botanical name: If you know the botanical name, please share in the comments.
Description: Pictured specimen collected near Lengusaka, Kenya, in July 2016.
Uses:
Source:
Return to Botanicals for Lmala Preparation.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
serai (9)
Pronunciation: XXX
Botanical name: Balanites pedicellaris (from Alois Plant List).
Description: Shrub or small tree. Specimen collected near Lengusaka, Kenya, in July 2016.
Uses:
Source: lists both B. pedicellaris and B. rotundifolia for “sarai” as named by the Samburu: Useful Trees and Shrubs for Kenya, Ed. Patrick Maundu and Bo Tengnas; Nairobi, Kenya: World Agroforestry Centre, 2005; https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/B13601.pdf (accessed July 2024). See https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/usefultrees/pdflib/Balanites_rotundifolia_KEN.pdf for information on rotundifolia.
Return to Botanicals for Lmala Preparation.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
lmala ntutua (16)
Noun.
Pronunciation: XXX
Lmala woven from tree roots, for water or milk.
The ntutua looks like it has been woven from reeds, although it is actually made of roots from the arkek tree. Its shape is Turkana. Like the njongor, it has a woven top.
To seal the ntutua, blood is poured into it for the first use. Then, it can be cleaned and used to store water or milk. The liquid contents will remain very cool. The ntutua is cleaned with lorien in the usual way of cleaning lmalasin between uses.
Description
Container capacity: from 1 to 2 liters
Roughly cylindrical container woven from tree roots.
Return to Types of Milk Containers.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
kichungi
Noun.
Pronunciation: kish-uhn’-gee
Sieve.
A sieve for removing curds from milk.
Description
Capacity: XXX liters
Wire mesh ….
Return to Types of Milk Containers.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
skirai
Noun
Pronunciation: sick-ahr-eye’
Cowry shells used to decorate the straps of a lmala. The shells are purchased at a local market.
Return to Types of Milk Containers.
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
Samburu Research 