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Bamboo
really is a grass, the biggest grass in the world – technically
speaking it belongs to the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Some of its members are
giants, forming by far the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos
are defined as plants that have segmented, typically hollow, woody
stems that sprout from underground rhizomes. Bamboos flower at
intervals of up to 10 years, after which the plant may die.
Bamboos grow mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa
and South America. There are around 91 genera and more than 1000
species of bamboos known in the world, and the Forestry Research Centre
in Sepilok has recorded a total of 36 species for Sabah.
The bamboo species in Borneo have been in the region long enough to be
indigenous, although some species may have been imported from other
countries over the past three thousand years, such as Gigantochloa balui. However, proper
evidence is lacking.
The local people in Borneo have made wide usage of bamboos, a very
versatile, as well as abundant and fast growing source of food,
medicine, building material, and raw material for all sorts of daily
implements, from cooking containers to ceremonial knives.
Local
Bamboo Names
Some
of the bamboos found in Sabah, with their local names: K = Kadazan
(Penampang area); D = Dusun (generic if no area defined); R = Rungus; M
= Murut
Uga’ding
(K); Rugading (D)
Schizostachyum
brachycladum
This is “Yellow Bamboo”, mostly found around and in
cemeteries, and nowadays in landscaping. Its culm is a bright light
yellow with attractive green striations, giving it a very elegant look.
I have found that in Tambunan people make suki (cups) during weddings
for serving rice wine. Unfortunately the suki do not last, the bamboo
curls and splits when drying up, and its colour becomes an
uninteresting grey-brown.
Poing (K);
Poring (D)
Gigantochloa levis,
15 to 30 meters high, culm diameter up to 20 cm
Called ‘poring’ in most Dusun isoglots, this is the biggest
and strongest bamboo in Sabah; it is used in buildings, from temporary
stilts (in pondok), to permanent flooring and walling (Kadazan
Penampang usage) and even roof tiling (Tamparuli). Instruments are made
from poing, such as the tongkungon (zither / chordophone) and the
togunggu’ (an idiophone, known as tagunggak amongst the Murut and
togunggak amongst the Dusun), and many more daily implements –
there are no limits to its usage. The shoots (sokok) are collected as
food.
This bamboo has a particularity: it is not attacked by any bore-worm,
and even in the open deteriorates very slowly. Floors and walls, as
well as other implements made from this particular bamboo might last,
without further treatment, up to thirty years.
Tamahang (K); Tamalang (D); Rugading Tamalang Silou (D – the
yellow variant)
Bambusa vulagris, up to 15 meters high, culm diameter up to 6 cm
Usually to be found along rivers, tamahang can be confused with poing,
but it is smaller and its sokok (shoots) is very bitter. Tamahang is
used in the constructions of fences that will last about three to six
months.
Note: there are certain times when this bamboo (and also other species)
cannot be cut: if cut before full moon, bore-worms attack the wood and
lay their eggs. The hatching larvae will quickly deteriorate the
bamboo. If cut after the full moon (after the bore-worms have laid
their eggs), the bamboo lasts longer.
Bahui (K);
Balui (D Moyog); Malui (D); Rugading Balui (D – if yellow)
Gigantochloa balui,
15 to 18 meters high, culm diameter up to 10 cm, thick wall
A green, sometimes yellow, thick-walled bamboo with no particular
usage, but may be used to make a straw to drink tapai (siopon), and a
sharp knife/spear to kill pigs. Can be confused with rugading but its
walls are much thicker.
Humbising
(K); Sumbiling (D)
Schizostachyum lima,
up to 12 meters
A thin bamboo that is also referred to as ‘sumbiling’. The
Kadazan and Dusun used to make a certain type of ‘knife’ to
kill pigs, and a sumbiling spear kills better than others because of
natural poisons in the bamboo; it can be used to make instruments such
as the sompoton (an aerophone), the turali (‘nose-flute’,
an aerophone) and the suling (an end-blown flute). It may also be used
to make straws to drink tapai (siopon).
Wulu (K);
Tulu (D); Rugading Tulu (D – if yellow)
Schizostachyum
brachycladum, up to 13 meters high, culm diameter up to 6cm
A bamboo that an untrained eye easily confuses with poring or even
rugading in its yellow form but it is much lighter. Often used as a
‘cooking pot’ for glutinous rice, to make water containers
and baskets.
Tombotuon /
Tombutuong (D)
Schiyostachzum
blumei, up to 5 meters high, culm 2 cm
Bamboo with spiny branches, and middle branches can branch again;
seldom used but finds its application as a ‘straw’ to drink
rice wine. It can be confused with sumbiling and tulu rugading but
tombotuon has thicker walls.
Wadan (D)
Dinochloa trichogona
– Borneo climbing/scrambling bamboo; D scabrida; D sublaevigata
Sap (wadan) is used as an eye drop; no further information (27/03/07).
Tongkungon (D)
Bambusa blumeana,
up to 22 meters high, culm diameter up to 20 cm
Famous for its shoots, which are sweeter than those of poring. As the
name indicates, this bamboo is used to make the tongkungon, a bamboo
zither and also the tagunggak (the bamboo gongs), two types of
indigenous instruments. However, poring (Gigantochloa levis), which is
more readily available is also used.
Polupu (D)
No further information (27/03/07)
Lampaki (D
– Tambunan)
Schizostachyum
pilosum
No further information (27/03/07)
Items
made from Bamboo
Since most of the daily items and utensils of the Kadazandusun were
made from bamboo, the list could almost be continued ad infinitum. Here
below is a selection of the most widely encountered bamboo implements
in household, hunting and leisure; the spelling may vary according to
different areas and the dialect spoken there:
| Tuki (K, D; generic): |
small (one section) container to store / fetch water etc |
| Bangau (K): |
container (one
section of bamboo) for pickling meat and fish |
| Suki (K, D; generic): |
cup for drinking (rice-wine) |
| Tangob (D): |
king-sized
suki |
| Tanggung (D): |
rice wine container (in which a set of sinompuruk can be
immersed for filling) |
| Tongik: |
one suki at the
end of a rattan rod (see sinompuruk) |
| Sinompuruk (K, D; generic): |
seven (or less, or more) suki tied to a rattan rod to serve
lihing to Sumazau dancers |
| Siakad, Sikang
(K, D; generic): |
spoon |
| Singkarad, sonduk (K, D; generic): |
large and small spoons |
| Gigiu (D): |
spatula type of
spoon |
| Lolodi (D): |
serving spoon |
| Sumpit (D): |
chopsticks |
| Kulumpang (D): |
long serving bowl, trough |
| Tumpung (K, D;
generic): |
container for
serving rice-wine / fetching water (one section) |
| Tanggo’ (K); Tangga (D): |
container (long) for fetching water |
| Hinazun (K): |
container
(long) for fetching water |
| Lugut (K): |
container with hook for fetching water (Dusun: sangit,
tangga’, rugut) |
| Suduon, Suduwon
(D): |
bamboo kindling
/ firewood (also 'regular' firewood) |
| Piipinandat (K); Sesalahan (D): |
shelf above the hearth for drying meat
(sinalau, salai) |
| Palangko (D): |
sort of shelf
for plates and dishes |
| Kohintung (K); Poniri’ (D – area?); Razak (R): |
tray (round) for drying padi, fruits etc |
| Hihibu (K);
Lilibu, Rilibu (D); Roldibu (R): |
tray (oval) for
winnowing padi |
| Balatak (D): |
basket |
| Burung (D): |
small woven
container |
| Kukurungan (D): |
widely woven chicken basket |
| Kolobon (D): |
bamboo mat |
| Siung (K); Sirung (D): |
conical hat |
| Nimboul (D): |
thin strip of
the skin of bamboo (poring, tombotuon) used for weaving trays,
baskets etc… |
| Sokok (K, D; generic): |
bamboo shoots (for eating) |
| Sosompui (K): |
blowpipe used
to kindle fire |
| Tataas (K): |
filter (sieve type) for filtering rice-wine |
| Tataasan (D): |
filter, sieve
(generic) |
| Sisiop (K): |
pump-filter to extract rice-wine |
| Sabpa (D): |
tobacco
container |
| Boubui (K): |
torch, lamp |
| Togunggu’
(K); Togunggak (M): |
bamboo idiophone |
| Tongkungon (K, D; generic): |
bamboo zither |
| Sompoton (K, D;
generic): |
bamboo aerophone |
| Suling (K); Suriling (D): |
flute (end-blown) |
| Tobuii (K);
Tobuih (D): |
ceremonial
flute (one pitch only) |
| Turali (K): |
flute (‘nose-flute’) |
| Bungkau (K, D;
generic): |
mouth
(Jew’s) harp |
| Baambang (K): |
spear made from sharpened bamboo |
| Lontop (K);
Lawatik (D): |
trap (a length
of bamboo just fitting the squirrel - trappers terminology) |
| Sunggul (K, D; generic): |
squirrel trap (with noose) |
| Tungkasip (K);
Kasip (D); Rungkasip (R): |
fowl / squirrel
trap (guillotine style) |
| Bubuh (K, D; generic): |
fish trap (barrel trap) |
| Bohot (K): |
fish trap
(enclosure made from bamboo slats tied together) |
| Bangkaha’ (K): |
long fish trap (barrel style) / bamboo
pole with split top for drying enemies’ heads; also as a place
for
chicken to lay and hatch eggs (in generic Dusun gigimpuon) |
| Berusat (D): |
similar to
bangkaha’, used as a fish trap and also if fish is to be stunned
with tuboh. |
| Gigimpuon (D): |
a contraption for chicken to lay and hatch eggs
(bangkaha’ in Kadazan) |
| Tampanau (K);
Rampanau (D); Tantarakid (D): |
toy (walking
stilts) |
| Takalak (K): |
toy for children (a bamboo pole with two wheels at one end) |
| Bunsiling
Poring (D – modern): |
bamboo bicycle |
| Sisingkobongon (K): |
toy (pump / canon to propel seeds / water) |
| Lazangan (K);
Tongkisus and layangan (D): |
propeller/windmill
(used as a scarecrow and as toys) |
| Tompuusiosi (K): |
scarecrow in padi fields (sometimes of the
windmill type) |
| Wakid (K, D;
generic): |
carrier basket
(wide at top) |
| Berait (D): |
rucksack (with lid) |
| Saging,
Sinaging (K, D; generic): |
open carrier
basket (wide at bottom); any carrier basket |
| Baazit (K): |
small, flattish basket (rucksack without lid) |
| Bahod (K): |
big basket |
| Gozong (D): |
big basket rucksack style |
| Gozong (K): |
berait in Dusun |
| Garansang (K): |
roughly woven basket to carry pigs |
| Gakit (K); Rakit (D): |
raft, ferry |
| Bangkar (K): |
raft |
| Tampatau (K): |
single
bamboo-pole raft |
| Sosoutan (K); sorutan (D): |
slim bamboo lath over which rumbia leaves are folded in the
making of atap (sinorut [D]) |
| Sosorut (D): |
“thread”
usually made from tombutuon but also from lias and rapot/hapod
to
thread rumbia leaves over the sorutan/sosoutan. |
| Binabat (K); Binarabat (D): |
woven partition (generally poing or tamahang is used) |
| Tohig (K);
Tolig (D– Telipok); Limput (D): |
piece of split
bamboo (board) for walling |
| Hisiu (K); Siliu (D – Telipok); Sili (D): |
piece of split bamboo (board) for flooring |
| Tinongkop (D): |
bamboo poles
split in two lengthwise (for roofing, walling, fencing) |
| Tansar (D): |
fence (bamboo laths are woven horizontally between poles) |
| Sinoropit (D): |
fence (bamboo
laths driven into the soil upright) |
| Lalambangan (D): |
gate (all-bamboo) |
| Papahu’
(K): |
hoe for
processing sago |
| Solunsug (K, D; generic): |
bamboo water pipe to conduct water to rice fields |
| Bonut (K, D): |
knife (generic,
but amongst the Kadazan especially for cutting the umbilical cord) |
| Susuhat (K): |
needle (large, for repairing bags etc) |
| Sosopuk (K): |
pump |
| Sunsuyon (K, D; generic): |
bridge |
| Tukad (K, D;
generic): |
ladder (a
single pole with wooden cross- shafts, or a notched bamboo/wooden pole) |
| Pupuuvan (K); Gigimpuan, Gigimpuon (D): |
chicken hatchery (looks like bangkaha’) |
| Singkobongon
(K): |
bamboo canon
(badil) |
| Tundus (K); Tandus (D): |
spear |
| Tapon (n),
magapon (v): |
fishing rod,
fishing |
Other
related terms:
• Vuhu’ (v): to weave bamboo to make
binabat
• Kopoingan (n): (root: poing) an area overgrown
with bamboo
• Guvas (n): bamboo stem / tree
• Songuvas (n): (root: guvas) one stem of bamboo
(cut)
• Wadan (n): bamboo sap
|
Bamboo showhouse in Kundasang
Kitchen in the above home
Self-locking device (in hearth)
Bamboo bridge (2 poles)
Side view of above bridge, you dare cross it?
Single pole bamboo bridge (sunsuyon) for the really
daring!
Bamboo sections being filled with rice, which will be cooked
over an open fire
Bamboo section collecting coconut water for the making of
bahar (palm toddy)
Drinking lihing (rice wine) from a tumodung
Sinompuru' - rice wine cups
Tongkungon (bamboo zither)
Children playing with singkobongon or badil - bamboo canons
(dangerous, don't try this at home!) |
