mobola, noun

/mɔˈbɔla/, /məˈbəʊlə/
Forms:
Also mobela.
Origin:
Setswana, IsiNdebele, VendaShow more Present in various forms in the Sintu (Bantu) languages, as Setswana mola, isiNdebele mbola, Venda muvhula, etc.
In full mobola plum: a. Either of two species of tree of the Chrysobalanaceae, Parinari curatellifolia or P. capensis; hissing tree. b. The edible fruit of this tree. In both senses also called grysappel. Also attributive.
1857 D. Livingstone Missionary Trav. 237A much better fruit, called mobela, was also presented to us. This bears, around a pretty large stone, as much of the fleshy part as the common date.
1917 R. Marloth Dict. of Common Names of Plants 58Mobola plum, Parinarium mobola. (The Hissing tree or grijsappelboom). The fruit apple-like, very aromatic.
1929 J. Stevenson-Hamilton Low-Veld 46Another plum-like fruit grows on the mobola (Parinarium mobola) or grys appel, a large evergreen tree with dark green foliage: the fruit looks rather like a mango, and has an even larger stone than the latter.
1961 Palmer & Pitman Trees of S. Afr. 143One of the most typical trees..is the mobola plum or grysappel, a handsome evergreen tree, bearing one of the best of our wild fruits.
1966 C.A. Smith Common Names 340Mobola plum,..The fruit of Parinari curatellifolia s.sp. mobola or the plant itself (Lowveld to Rdsa (sc. ‘Rhodesia’ (Zimbabwe))).
1972 G.L.F. Hartwig in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. VII. 479Mobola Plum, Grysappel. Cork-tree. Hissing tree...The brownish grey fruit is plum-shaped, somewhat resembling an apple, and is very tasty.
1977 E. Palmer Field Guide to Trees of Sn Afr. 116Mobola Plum,..Typically a graceful tree up to 12m high...Fruit very popular with people and animals.
1983 K.C. Palgrave Trees of Sn Afr. 211The mobola plum is much sought after by local peoples and consequently the trees are seldom chopped down.
1989 J. du P. Bothma Game Ranch Management 26The high-lying western parts of the Transvaal Lowveld have a higher rainfall and trees such as Pterocarpus angolensis (wild teak) and Parinari curatellifolia (mobola plum)..are fairly common.
Either of two species of tree of the Chrysobalanaceae, Parinari curatellifolia or P. capensis; hissing tree.
The edible fruit of this tree. In both senses also called grysappel. Also attributive.
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Setswana
IsiNdebele
mo-, prefixpref.Model C, noun phrasen. phr.
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