Hancilloo #1: What does the Oromo word Hancilloo mean?

Published by Associate Editor on 2024-01-012024-01-01

We believe the word HANCILLOO is the closest term to TIDBIT in English, which means a piece or bite-size knowledge. It means, it can be synonymous to SNIPPET or NUGGET.

Historical Background:

In the old days, boys and girls would play a game of guessing, like a general knowledge to challenge each other. The initiator of such a game would start with the word Hancilloo, and the challenged would respond by saying Hancili.

A typical scenario is guessing how many thornapples (hiddii in Afan Oromo, and scientific name: solanum incanum) a challenger is holding in their fist(s). The challenged has to guess based on factors such as how the challenger’s fists are  bulging and similar other indicators.

Credit:

The credit goes to GB who is endowed with the knowledge of Oromo culture and language, exemplified by the above storytelling.