The etymological, ecological, historical and ethnobotanical roots of the vernacular names of Ecballium elaterium (Squirting cucumber)

Amots Dafni, Guillermo Benítez, Cesar Blanché, Luis Rammón-Lacad, Theodora Petanidou, Bedrettin Aytaçf, Marijana Horvat, Fernando Lucchese, Aharon Geva Kleinbergeri

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the etymological, ethnobotanical and folkloristic roots of 290 vernacular names of Ecballium elaterium in 38 languages. We used the plant’s morphological data, ecological characteristics, medicinal properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and folkloric data, to explain meaning, origin, spread and history of the plant's names. The salient groups of plant’s vernacular names are related to to the plant’s "spitting" seed dispersal mechanism (26.5%) and fruit's resemblance to cultivated cucurbits (26.2 %). Another group of names employs deprecatory adjectives and relates to the donkey (13.6%) and another unrespected animals (7.6%) as well as to witche demons, and madness (5.2%). An additional set of names denotes: the unpleasant plant's bitter juice and (7.3%); plant’s medicinal use (4.1%) and its prevalence in ruderal habitats (3.5%). Most of the plant’s names relate to its appearance, seed dispersal and taste. Several names reflect ethnobotanical aspects related to its widespread medicinal use, or to its toxicity and bitterness. This general tendency indicates that E. elaterium's unusual appearance and seed dispersal mechanism are more responsible for its dialectal names than is the plant’s ethnobotany.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)515-537
Number of pages23
JournalThe Journal of Ethnobiogy and Traditional Medicine
Volume119
StatePublished - 2013

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