olitiau

English

Etymology

Probably a fusion of the Ipulo words ole and ntya.

Noun

olitiau

1. A gigantic cryptid of Central Africa, said to resemble a bat or flying reptile.
   • 1943, Clifton Fadiman, Sinclair Lewis, Carl Van Doren, The Three Readers:

     "What kind of a bat is it," I asked, "that has wings like this (opening my arms) and is all black?" "Olitiau!" somebody almost screamed, and there was a hurried conference in the Assumbo tongue.

   • 1958, Bernard Heuvelmans, On the tracks of unknown animals:

     ...the kongamato like the olitiau is in the habit of diving at men crossing its territory — perhaps trying to drive them away...

   • 1998, Robert Nicholson, Great Mysteries:

     As large as a huge eagle, local tribesmen called it an Olitiau.

   • 2003, Karl Shuker, The beasts that hide from man: seeking the world's last undiscovered animals:

     Several authorities have boldly attempted to equate the olitiau with a pterodactyl, in preference to a giant bat.

   • 2006, E. Randall Floyd, The world's 100 greatest mysteries:

     Known locally as the olitiau, the creature that buzzed Dr. Sanderson was similar to dozens of other strange birds said to still inhabit remote corners of Africa.

   • 2008, Rory Storm, Monster Hunt: The Guide to Cryptozoology:

     In his youth, Sanderson, a Scot, was an explorer who mounted expeditions into some of the world's most isolated jungles, recording numerous thus-far unknown creatures — most notably, the gigantic bat-like creature known as the Olitiau, which attacked his party while he was exploring in the Assumbo Mountains of Cameroon.