initiation

l-arrítènì [North] Nom sg: l-árríténí. Acc pl: l-arrɨták. Nom pl: l-arrɨták. n. [North] Old grown up boy who has not yet been circumcised.

ɛ-mʉ́rátà Nom sg: ɛ-mʉratâ??. Acc pl: ɛ-mʉ́rátàrɛ̀. Nom pl: ɛ-mʉratárɛ̀. n. 1 • Circumcision; excision. This initiation is performed at the time of puberty, and elevates the individual from childhood to adulthood. Kɛ́átáɨ́ intaléŋò tɛndá âŋ ɛmʉ́rátàrɛ̀ ɔɔ́ nkɛ́rà. There are solemn ceremonies in that home for the circumcisions of children. (Pk). Boys will prove to the community that they are ready to be initiated by exhibiting signs of grown men, such as carrying heavy spears, herding large herds of livestock, bringing cattle home at dusk, and travelling alone at night to visit friends. A boy must herd cattle for seven full days prior to ɛmʉ́rátà, and is circumcised on the eighth day. Both boys and girls receive a cold shower to cleanse themselves of past sins, and then are initiated early in the dawn before sunrise by a qualified individual (a woman in the case of girls, and a man in the case of boys). Boys are respected for bravery during the operation, demonstrated by not flinching in the least. Following this ceremony and a healing period of three to four months, newly initiated men receive the status of a warrior, and women are ready for marriage.

2 • Age set, age group. ɨltʉŋaná lɛ́ mʉ́rátà âŋ people of our age group.

ɔ-sáróí Nom sg: ɔ-saróí. n.sg. 1 • Mixture of curdled milk and blood, usually taken as food by newly circumcised young adults. Étóókô ɨlaɨbarták ɔsáróí The newly circumcised young men have drunk the mixture of blood and milk. If blood is stirred vigorously just after it is obtained from an animal, it will not coagulate.

2 • Unripe pus. See: ɔ-sárgɛ́ ‘Blood’; n-julótì ‘Milk mixed with blood’; m-púpóí ‘Unstirred boiled blood’; n-carlúgì ‘Unstirred blood mixed with milk’; n-tîs ‘Blood mixed with milk and then stirred together’; m-póróí ‘Roasted clotted blood’.