Etymology
The common name is shíyiri or shísu (lit. 'shea tree') in the Bamana language of Mali. This is the origin of the English word, and is correctly pronounced "shee" to rhyme with "tea." The tree is called ghariti in the Wolof language of Senegal, which is the origin of the French name of the tree (and of its butter), "karité".
The tree was formerly classified in the genus Butyrospermum, meaning 'butter seed.' The species name parkii honors Scottish explorer Mungo Park, who learned of the tree while exploring Senegal. The tree is now classified using the binomial name Vitellaria paradoxa. That Mungo Park was Scottish is reflected in the English spelling of the tree, nut, and butter as shea with a final -ea.
Vernacular names in Niger-Congo languages' Ɓodoe || kɔ̂l || shea
Gonja || ŋ̀-kú || shea
Dagbani || tááŋ̀à|| shea tree
Ga || ŋ̀kú || shea-butter
Igbo || òkwùma || shea-butter
Yoruba || ori || shea-butter
Nupe || èkó || shea-butter nut
Obiro || òkʷô || shea tree
Tinor || kɔ̃̀ɲɔ̃̀ || shea tree
Ake || kìkyɔ̃̀ || shea tree
Tarok || ìkíní || shea tree
Doori || kólá || shea tree
Bambara || ʃi || shea
Read more about this topic: Vitellaria Paradoxa
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