Par R. Bourdeix, en construction
"Of food plants which existed on the atoll in pre-European times the
coconut palm is still the nos-b iuportant, but strmgely enough no distinction
is made between palm trees intended for production of copra and food trees,
in spite of tho fact that certain varieties are much sought after because of
ihe special qualities of the nuts. "
by Bengt Danielsson
The
importance of the coconut palm to the natives is reflected by the detailed terminology.
Every part of the tree is given a specific name, and the different stages of
development of the nut are distinguished with an almost scientific accuracy. At
least a dozen varieties are known to the islanders and used according to their
special properties.
Stages of
growth
The usual word
for the palm tree is hakari; but Niu the older word of pan-Polynesian distribution,
is s also know. Only a full-grown tree is called hakari
N !~ak&ri~,
hoviever, an<. before it roaches this s.ta.ge three diqtinct names are
used, 5.s a
very young piant with sprouts not yet split into leaflets.
The roots
are short an5 tke ciesccarp or husk is still attached to the sproi.it.
At the next
staze, =o,y&, tie leaves aye fully developed, 6-10 feet high, arid
emerge like
a fa from t?.e gremd. Gradually..tfie trunk is formed, and from the
moment it
can proper:!.y be called a tree, it is temed hokg. At the age of six
or sewn
years iinal.ljr, the tree reaches riaturity ad is a hakari.
-- The
parts - of - the tree. - -
The terms
for tiie different parts of the Sufull-gom tree are very numerous.
To begin
v?it!? the roots, these are called 6, whi.ch simply is the generic name
for root.
The lower, thicker part of tiie trunk is called s, and the resf
of it
tu,7lu.. The upper part of the stem, -the vegetative bud, r:hich is edible, .
'. . . is naned a. .. . .
A yomg
undeveloped leaf still folded agsinst th midrib has a special. .
naine,
mote, in contrast -to .the fully developed leaf for which two words are
used, --.--
rauniu or &o&. The first rrord. is the pan-Polynesien term and t'ne
secon2 the local. tern. Eoth are curi.ously enougn also used for the smaller
leaflets attached to the central inidrib, the -- katakata. The term for the
midrib of
the leaflet
is koitika.
The parts
of the fully developed f~ower ind their names are shown in Figure 1. A f1.ovrer
bud is called &, but there is no word for the fully developed flower
cluster a &ole.
The -- nut.
All
features of the nut, even the .sm&LLest .ad most i~?significant from a 7..
viestern point of vie:^, are recognized and nsmed bjr the natives. They are
show in
Figure 2.
As
everywhere in Pol.ynesia several v:ell. ciefined ste.ges in the growth of
the nut are
disti.nguished and in Iiaroia their number is five. No common term
l~' The
terminolory varies co;isidesably in many cases from atoll to atoll.
We have
limited ourselves to that in use in Rarois.
for
"nut" exists. This is a typical. example of the shrictly utilitarian
attih~de of the islanders. Each type of nut has its om properties, useFu1 in
difi'erent
ways and e.ccording1.y each has a spechl name. A '!n~~t ingeneral!', on
the other
hand, comnbining in an abstrtxt the way the qualities of several types
of nu-ts,
i.s of no use vhatsoe~rei-, md no such tern1 has therefore been created.
The zainss
and principal c11aracteristi.cs 31' the nu.t'a-t the di:fferent stages
are as
follow:
- Staae --
of arowth .- - Characteristics
Pnri7.i
Itecentiy formed nnt, no cnvit,y i.nsj.de.
Rehi
Al.;nosL fiiLl s5.ze but still greeri nut. Cavity
filled with
bit+,er water. No or ver:r ltttle
flesh
lamed.
Gora
Full size
but st511 green nut. lkin aliny
flesh.
IVateer slightly sweet.
Pull size
nl;t witn spots of dcker color. Flesh
t"iclc
a~d fF?m. Water ei'fervescmt and bitter.
!'laximum
si.ze, bronq nut. Flesh of mar;imum t'nickness. Eater sour.
Var5 e ti
ed.
The mtivec
distinguish a% least a dozen varieties of coconut palms, but
it is
doubti'ul. whether '-he distinctions are all >ustifi.ed 1'mm the point of
view of 3.
scientific botmist. The dis'tinctions are baserl on t:<e fo%lowing
clclssificat~ry
principles: color of mts, arrongcmerit of nuts, and special
properties
of nuts.
Varieties
based on the color of the nuts:
m?ma~u dark
green nu%
. .
motea pale
green. nuts
fa%eka
light yel1w;i-green nuts
red6.ish-brox?rn
nuts
kura!:ura
reddish nuts
heru nuts
of which the upper :>art is scarlet-colored
RAROIAN
NAMES OF COCONUT PARTS
FIGURE I..
FLOWER STEM AND SPATHE
endosperm)
((1) CROSS
SECTION OF
MATURE NUT
AKA-
{root)
(bl CROSS
SECTION OF
SPRQUTING
NUT
NOWI (the
two small Pores)
VAHA (the
large pore)
(the
"belly" of the nut)
(c) HUSKED
NUT
FIGURE 2.
NUT
Varieties
based on the arrangement of nuts:
takaveatika
the nuts lack stalks and are attached directly
to the stern
makire
abundant, small nuts in thick grape-like
clusters
Varieties
based on special propsrt!.es of nuts:
kaipoa nut
with editlle, sxeet husk or mesocarp
pururoa
nuts with thick husk and small nuts
kara.va
oval nuts with long husk fibers
~s~~~~~.~~Is.
The
fol1or:irig miscellaneous terms mere recorded:
nounou
absorbing organ (haustorium) in a ~ora or fullgrown nut
koka oily
nounou
puha
kivako
vavako
gora with
dry detached meat
-- gora
vzithout water or nouns
kovari
prematurely fallen nut
kererau
cluster of nuts
popoga
flesh attacked by insects, or deteriorated in
other mays
Final -
note.
The term
given in this short paper are those still commonly used in the
atoll. Some
of the olaer informants could give a certain number of ad.ditiona1
terms,
wwich now have become obsolete due to the introduction of fac-tory-made
products
replactng articles formerly made of the various warts of the palin.
As we are
mainly interested in the present situation, however, and our lists
at, any
rate contain the native u:ords for all the main features of the palm tree,
we have not
include6 these additional. and more doubtful terms.
