By Najeeb G. Abdulhamid
On day 24 of my #30dayswritingchallenge (t.ly/m6bil), I shared 7 cities with the most ridiculous names ever. These cities are mostly in the US and the UK. But today, I have something even more interesting for you. I met some old friends who told me about 8 weird names of towns in Katsina state, Nigeria. And trust me, you will be amazed by these names, especially if you speak and understand Hausa.
Here are the 8 names of these towns, along with my humble attempt to translate them for you. I am not a Hausa expert, so please forgive me if I make any mistakes.
1. Wawal kaza:
This means a ‘foolish’ hen. I wonder what this hen did to deserve such a name.
2. Kurar Mota:
This refers to the ‘dust’ of a car. Maybe this town is very dusty or has a lot of cars.
3. Bumbum:
I have no clue how to translate this one. It sounds like a funny word for a butt.
4. Kadan dani:
This literally means ‘taste me’. It sounds like an invitation to try something delicious or naughty.
5. Babban Duhu:
This translates to a ‘mega darkness’. It sounds like a scary place or a metaphor for something evil.
6. Shargalle:
This simply means ‘fun’. It sounds like a happy place or a word for enjoyment.
7. Biya ki kwana:
This means ‘stay and sleep over’. It sounds like a hospitable place or a request for a sleepover.
8. Natsinta:
This means ‘I found it’. It sounds like a discovery or a solution.
I hope you enjoyed learning about these quirky names of towns in Katsina state. I had a lot of fun translating them for you. If you know any other names like these, please share them with me….
*Najeeb G. Abdulhamid PhD, a Nigerian is a Researcher at the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI) in Nairobi, Kenya.