ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA

 

Names of diseases and Ailments

The Abanyala ba Kakamega have names for many  diseases and ailments based on the symptoms. When juxtaposed with modern scientific names of diseases, the various 'symptom naming' can have approximate translations in English. Abanyala ba Kakamega had/have herbal medicine for most of the diseases adminstered to the sick basing on the symptoms exhibited.

The following is a list of the disease and ailments. The herbal concoctions used will be caputered under another blog post.

A) GENERAL TERMS USED WITH DESEASES AND AILMENTS IN OLUNYALA (K)
  1. Amatekhere- general weakening of the body  characterised by lack of energy.
  2. Endiira- infectious deseases.
  3. Endwasi- general body immunity weakness making it prone to effects of opportunistic diseases leading to chronic illness that has backache as main symptom.
  4. Lumale- a desease outbreak that lead to mass death of people and livestock.
  5. Nabaaba- general epidermic outbreak of unknown any type. It was usually associated with a bad spirits and was evaded by turning to spiritual intervention.
  6. Okhuawula- to isolate a sick person from the for some few hours.
  7. Okhuchengama- to become unable to move but conscious.
  8. Okhukeria- to put a person into quarantine. Done to those suffering from leprosy.
  9. Okhuwulikha- to be under stroke and bedridden.
  10. Olumbe- general epidermic infectious desease with common symptoms that takes long to heal or causes many deaths.
  11. Owuleme- disability caused by diseases or accident.
  12. Owulwaye- general common failure in health not caused by accident.
2. NAMES OF PHYSCAL DISABILITIES IN OLUNYALA (K)
  1. Amakachwa- bow legs. 
  2. Amasiu- cross eyed. 
  3. Ebitusyu- dimples. At times considered as a mark of beauty seen during smiling.
  4. Ekacha- unablity to walk that starts in childhood.
  5. Etondo- albino.
  6. Esichiri- inability to cause an erection and sire children.
  7. Esiumo- excessively towering forehead.
  8. Esikufu- hunchback
  9. Masiru- dumb. Lacking the ability to hear.
  10. Nalusio- having one functional eye.
  11. Olukhong'o- excessive tiwering backheads.
  12. Olukoto- having one lame hand.
  13. Olukweri- protruding teeth.
  14. Onguye- extremely short with big head
  15. Omulema- having a problem with one or both legs.
  16. Omuofu- lacking the ability to see.
  17. Omutulienge- a child who is completely deformed at time of birth.
  18. Aw'esilimi- stammerer
  19. Owunyaola- irredeemable idiocy.
  20. Timbiti- lacking ability to see and hear
3. NAMES OF DESEASES AND AILMENTS IN HUMAN IN OLUNYALA (K)
Each ailment had a specific herbal cure hence the Abanyala ba Kakamega had specific names for specific diseases, ailments and symptoms. In fact, some symptoms were taken as deseases and ailments worth treating.
  1. Amachuuni-  a condition of the virgina contracting causing blockage during sexual arousal.
  2. Amaleengelenge- gum desease.
  3. Amakabia- painful cracked feet soles
  4. Amakachwa- rickets. Young children had the joints massaged using warm olwambuli herbs exposed to morning sun.
  5. Amakacha- rheumatism.
  6. Amakelo- bone cancer
  7. Amakhenie- tapeworm.
  8. Amalalu- madness, menengitis
  9. Amalolelole- Conjunctivitis.
  10. Amakere- leprosy.
  11. Amakhererie- itchthyosis. Characterised by rough cracked scale-patterns on legs or hands. At times this defect run in some families. Those with this defect were advised not to marry each other since it lead to a worse type. 

  12. Amamiro (etondoosi)- tonsillitis
  13. Amanakasi- momentary numbness.
  14. Amatendeme- excessive phobia towards height.
  15. Amawuliesi- blured vission making objects less precise for details to be resolved.
  16. Aswaka- common cold and flu.
  17. Embuunda- cancer.
  18. Embwa- stye. Small boil on the eye-lid. It was assoiated with denying a dog food.
  19. Embwi- swelling. hardened swelling after hard hit especially on forehead.
  20. Endabarwa-
  21. Endia- Bulimia nervosa. Usually small body sized but eat a lot of food at a time untilto they feel pain.
  22. Engunyi- psychotic stress
  23. Ebasa- blister characterised by pockets of body fluid within upper layer of skin due to friction, burns or chemical exposure.
  24. Ebichukuni- Ringworms symptoms as patches of hairless areas on head.
  25. Ebikhombamosi- ringworm symptoms on bare skin surface. 
  26. Ebikhundukunyu- Papilloma
  27. Ebikotikoti (ebiondo)- chicken pox
  28. Ebimba- boil
  29. Ebitandanyi- mumps. Believed to be cured by dancing around omuchembe tree. 
  30. Efucho- White piedra. White substances found in women's hair.
  31. Ekhira- ailment believed to be arising from involvement in ellicit sexual relation which affects ones children.
  32. Ekilimi- long uvula that causes air blockage, caughing and snoring. It was cured using herbs that made it to shrink.
  33. Ekonjio- Wound.
  34. Elino- toothache.
  35. Embaha- yellow frothy diarrhoea in children being introduced to solid food.
  36. Embewo- fever
  37. Embiye- belching bad breath after eating a lot if food expecially eggs, beans or meat.
  38. Embulu- Gingivitis
  39. Emongo- suffering consequences of poetic justice.
  40. Endeerwa-
  41. Endesi- cataracts. Characterised by pupil becoming opaque. 
  42. Endukhulu- rashes in newborn babies. Cured by tieing a small bead of oater skin on the child.
  43. Endulume- Epilepsy
  44. Endumbiri- Elephantiasis 
  45. Endwaye- Sexually transimited diseases
  46. Engakha- Scabies 
  47. Engisa- marasmus. It was basically among children.
  48. Eng'oni- psychological slowness in doing thing.
  49. Enguliesi- blured vision.
  50. Enjikulira- ear desease characterised by pus.
  51. Enjukha-munda- roundworms
  52. Enjulilisi- characterised by farting any moment one makes a bending movement.
  53. Enondabalayi- pimples
  54. Enuma- labour pains
  55. Enyende- jigger infestations.
  56. Esalire- pain that comes long after a cut such as circumcision.
  57. Esambafu- swollen lymph nodes.
  58. Esiasimulo- Sneeze
  59. Esichanda mang'isu- a type of veneral disease characterised by sore blisters on scrotum.
  60. Esichanda sikhomi- a type of veneral disease
  61. Esierekere- measles
  62. Esifwa (esibere)- prostrate of testis area
  63. Esikhololo- cough
  64. Esikubo- Dyspnoeia characterised by shortness and struggle of breath. Traditionally treated by piercing below the third rib.
  65. Esirikisa- hiccups. Cured by drinking water mixed with herbal ash.
  66. Esirumba- gonnorrhea. Treated using concpnction from roots of omutachamalasire, jacaranda and omusangula.
  67. Esiungu- whitlow. The finger end swells without any visible cause. Treated by herbs.
  68. Esiwaali- small pox. Characterised by flu, fever, rashes in mouth that spreads to other parts of the body leading to scaly skin. It belongs to the general category of okuyaka.
  69. Esiyungo- phobia for lonely places especially in children
  70. Esolomi- hard stuff felt in the stomach. At times used for appendix infection.
  71. Esolosi- This is a localised swelling on the body surface. The affected skin area become hard ans smooth.
  72. Esomisomi- Side stitch that become worse after excercise.
  73. Esomasomi chya emilisi- muscle cramps occuring as sudden involuntary contractions.
  74. Esomasomi chya olukumu- menstrual cramps. Easily cured by herbs.
  75. Esundo- Warts. Cured by using herbs
  76. Etakirisi- after-birth pains.
  77. Etole (emoni)- failure of foreskin to cover the glan of penis.
  78. Ewuche- skin allergy of the urticaria condition. Curable by use of herbs.
  79. Lumale- 
  80. Namukhengo-
  81. Okhuanda- Phimosis condition
  82. Okhubirukha- swollen limbs due to initial blockage of lymph nodes. It is usually the beginning of elephantiasis when the swelling is still soft. Also used to refer to obesity.
  83. Okhuchukha (khachoolo) - dysentery. It belongs to the general category of okhunyalala.
  84. Okhuchulucha- 
  85. Okhukhupwa amanakasi- stroke.
  86. Okhukhebwa nende Were- pariphoimosis. Characterised by failure of the foreskin being retracted over the penis glan causing swelling and pain.
  87. Okhulusa- Vomiting
  88. Okhukwa nende ekunia- general impotence.
  89. Okhunyalala- diarrhoea
  90. Okhuserukha- mild acune
  91. Okhusimba- swellings on the body.
  92. Okuhere (esiyeera)- Tuberclosis
  93. Okukhololo kukali (okhuwukukha)- Whooping cough.
  94. Okuheecherero- Pnemonia. Cured by herbs that are boiled and vapour inhelled.
  95. Okhunyicha- be in comatose.
  96. Okhufwoba- froathing at the mouth
  97. Okhusanyalala (okhucheng'ama)- become paralysed
  98. Okhusimbwa- constipation.
  99. Okhwibalalira- to have a sprain.
  100. Okhwitaba- Cholera
  101. Okhwoma- apnea condition characterised by ceasation of breath for some minutes.
  102. Oluangalala- heart attack
  103. Oluchong'a- yaws 
  104. Olukumu- Ammenorrhea. Characterised by lack of periods woman of reproductive age.
  105. Olufuliero- Yellow fever
  106. Oluhalala- stiff neck
  107. Oluhemulo- 
  108. Olukholiolio- consistency in production of septum that requires clearing throat.
  109. Olukhune- 
  110. Olukiro- post natal desease for mothers.
  111. Olukito- characterised by large amount of frequent urination.
  112. Olumbuuchu- dizzness.
  113. Olumiu- inflamation of penis glan.
  114. Olumululi- consistency in abortions.
  115. Olumusiu- halitosis. Characterized by breathing out fowl smell.
  116. Olung'era- asthma
  117. Olunomindo- sickle cell
  118. Olunwa- having cleft palate. 
  119. Oluse- kwashiokor
  120. Olusang'usang'u- goitre. Characterized by swelling at the kneck. 
  121. Olusimiisi- heart attack.
  122. Olutata- food poisoning
  123. Olutuli (olutumbi)- swollen painless belly usually filled with fluid water. 
  124. Oluwungukhira- inability to cordinate thoughts and speech.
  125. Oluwungule- sleeping sickness.
  126. Olwanda- unperforated hymen.
  127. Olw'owute- varginal discharge with odour. Curable using herbs
  128. Olwiyako- itchy skin.
  129. Olwondera- 
  130. Omuchwe- headache.
  131. Omukhoba- Rectal prolapse.
  132. Omukongo- backache.
  133. Omumwi- anaemia
  134. Omuyaka- Malaria.
  135. Omwetabo- cholera. Belonged to broad category of okhunyalala.
  136. Omwololu- Nosebleeding. Cured using tobacco snuff and other herbs.
  137. Omwoyo okhusiukha- nausea
  138. Owaaka- athlete's foot
  139. Owiwo- sickeness that comes with giving birth.
  140. Owufulu- sickeness of the wound after circumcision.
  141. Owuluho- extreme thirst.
  142. Owusumwa- infectous skin desease characterised by rashes.
4. NAMES OF DISEASES FOR DOMESTIC ANIMAL. 
  1. Amang'wari- foot and mouth disease.
  2. Amaumba- East Coast Fever
  3. Ebanu- mastitis
  4. Endesi- cataract.
  5. Esipwakuli- foot rot
  6. Esolosi- swelling on the skin due to being hit.
  7. Khaoya- rindepest
  8. Olumama-
  9. Olupuli- newcastle
  10. Omuyaka- general name for chicken deseases such as cockcidiosis

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