Page:A dictionary of the plant names of the Philippine Islands (1903).djvu/16

8 banaba," etc. Frequently combinations of native and Spanish words are used to designate certain species, such as "matang diablo" (Evodia), "the devil's eye"; "malacafé" (Glochidion, Randia), "false coffee." Sometimes some of the words introduced by the Spaniards have persisted without change, such as tabaco, maiz, cacao, piña, and others, while on the other hand some have become greatly corrupted — for example, see the word "camanchiles" under Pithccolohium dulce (p. 176), or "achúete" under Bixa orellana (p. 129).

Some of the introduced species are known only by their Spanish names, while for other species native names have been adapted. Of the names of Spanish origin we find two classes — those of pure Spanish origin and those of American origin adopted by the Spaniards and transmitted by them with the plants to the Philippines. Of the former we have such names as coronitas (Lantana camara); manzanitas (Zizyphus jujuba); madre cacao (Gliricidia maculata); dama de noche (Cestrum nocturnun); hoya cruz (Crescentia alata); caballero, or rosas de caballero (Cacsalpinia pulcherrima). Of the second class we have such names as chicos (Achras sapota); mamey or chico mamey (Lucuma mammosa); tabaco (Nicotiana tabaco) ; acheute (Bixa orellana); maiz (Zea mays); cacuate (Arachis hypogaea) ; maguey (Agave americana) ; casuy (Anacacdium occidentale) ; guayabas (Psidium guayaba). Among the species that have been introduced into the Archipelago since the Spanish occupation and to which the natives have adapted names may be mentioned durang parang (Dalea nigra); macahiya, or damohia, literally, "ashamed," suggested no doubt by the sensitive leaves of the plant (Mimosa pudica); diluario (Argemone mexicana), etc.

Many of the native plant names are also the names of towns such as Iba (Phyllanthus distichus), Quiapo (Pistia stratiotes), Paco (Asplenium esculentum), Sampaloc or Salomague (Tamarindus indica), Calumpit (Terminalia edudis), Iloilo (Aglaia argentea), and others.

During the past two hundred years there has been considerable change in many of the native plant names, as is proved by an examination of the earlier publications on Philippine botany, such as the works of Camell, Mercado, and Delgado. In all these works, but especially in the first, are found a very large number of names which are unknown to us to-day, and many of the ones of