Reconstruction:Proto-Bantu/mʊ̀téndé

This Proto-Bantu entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Bantu

Etymology

From Proto-Niger-Congo: compare Usaghade útén (“oil palm”), Mandinka téē (“oil palm”), Ga tɛŋ, Yoruba ùdín (“kernel oil”).

Noun

*mʊ̀téndé class 3 (plural *mɪ̀téndé class 4)

1. oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) (possibly originally referring to a young oil palm)

See also

• *ìbídà
• *ìbá
• *ngàdí

Descendants

• Akoose (A15C): atên (“raphia palm”)
• Batanga (A32): ilende (“oil palm”)
• Duala (A24): lɛ́ndɛ́ (“oil palm”)
• Kikuyu (E51): ndende (“date palm”)
• Luvale (K14): ndende (“palm oil”)
• Myene (B11): ntɛ́ndɛ́ (“black-fruited oil palm”) (Orungu), ntende (“black-fruited oil palm”) (Nkomi)
• Ntandu Kongo (H16): ntééndé (“young oil palm”) (used in compounds)
• Nyakyusa (M31): ʊnteende (“date palm”)
• Shambala (G23): mténdé (“date palm”)
• Swahili (G42): mtende (“date palm”)
• Tunen (A44): hɛlɛndɛ (“young palm”)
• Umbundu (R11): ondende (“palm oil”)

References

• Bostoen, Koen (2005), "A diachronic onomasiological approach to early Bantu oil palm vocabulary." Studies in African Linguistics 34 (2): 143–188.