muti, noun

/ˈmuːti/
Forms:
moote, mootiShow more Also moote, mooti, mootie, mouti, moutie, muthi, umuti.
Plurals:
Usually noncount, occasionally plural mutis.
Origin:
IsiZulu, isiXhosaShow more IsiZulu umuthi (plural imithi), isiXhosa umthi tree, herbal or patent medicine.
1. obsolete. A tree.
1858 A.W. Drayson Sporting Scenes 165They could see but a ‘muti’ (tree or plant),..neither fit for food or physic.
1889 F. Oates Matabele Land 414Muti, tree; medicine.
2. Any of a number of types of medicine, or of medicinal or magical charm.
a. A substance or object which has or is believed to have curative, preventive, protective, or harmful powers of a medicinal or supernatural kind; especially medicines or charms traditionally used among the Black peoples of Africa, made usually of plants or animal parts, and sometimes, reportedly, of parts of the human body; medicine sense 1. Also attributive. See also intelezi. Cf. ubuti.
Note:
Usually prepared and supplied by an inyanga or sangoma. Different kinds of muti are used in different ways: they may be ingested, applied, inhaled, sprinkled on a person or place, burnt, or simply placed somewhere or carried with one; vendors of muti usually have a standard range for the treatment of common complaints, but also make up preparations for specific purposes. Mutis are used to cure illnesses, to increase one’s strength or courage, to improve a particular ability, to bring good luck, to provide protection, to influence a person’s feelings or actions, to cause harm to someone, etc.
1860 A.W. Drayson Sporting Scenes 275My Kaffir seemed awed by the lightning and thunder; he ate a little of his ‘muti’ (charmed medicine) that was round his neck.
1875 D. Leslie Among Zulus 60Asked..what he is looking for amongst the grass, he disdains to answer in his own language, or even to use the ‘Pigeon English’ word ‘Moote,’ but says ‘Medditsin’.
1880 E.F. Sandeman Eight Months in Ox-Waggon 291The boys had been gathering..plants and bulbs, which they boiled together to make some sort of ‘mootie’.
1898 B. Mitford Induna’s Wife 5I took for principal wife Lalusini, the sorceress,..whom I had first found making strange and powerful muti among the Bakoni.
1911 M.S. Evans Black & White in S.E. Afr. 5A little white child..was..lost among the natives and never heard of again, presumably killed by a witch doctor for muti.
1933 W. Macdonald Romance of Golden Rand 18My stone is like muti (medicine), and cures sickness by its lightning flashes...I do not wish to sell my muti stone.
1939 S. Cloete Watch for Dawn 307I gave her strong moutie, a medicine that would make her invisible.
1943 D. Reitz No Outspan 154The mamba would hiss and make as if to strike but the stench of the muti was overpowering and it would draw back.
1955 J.B. Shephard Land of Tikoloshe 102His knowledge of the plants, roots, and herbs employed for muti is extensive.
1964 G. Campbell Old Dusty 81We came across a meteorite from which..the native witch-doctors had been chipping fragments for muti.
1967 O. Walker Hippo Poacher 17Because crocodiles like human flesh, it was believed that a medicine made from their eyes mixed with some portion of the heart would produce a muti that could make a man irresistible to girls.
1971 Drum Aug. 28There was muti in them...Tefo believed that the belts would protect him, even from the consequences of murder.
1981 Voice 22 Apr. 5 (advt)Zulu Muti Herbal Centre.
1986 Cape Times 25 Jan. 2Seventy-six miners — all bearing ‘vaccination’ marks which when smeared with ‘magic muti’ were meant to make them invulnerable to police gunfire.
1986 City Press 20 Apr. 8 (advt)This Holy stick which is an Indian Muti, is the answer to all your problems! When lit it gives off a sweet fragrance.., keeping away evil spirits, bringing good luck, improving love, sex life & solving problems of unhappiness.
1989 Personality 29 May 28The list of herbal plants and trees threatened by over-use as muti (traditional medicine) is growing.
1989 Personality 29Durban is the main centre of the muti trade in South Africa — and presumably the biggest market of its kind on the continent.
1990 W. Botha in Frontline Sept. 18Richard Lyster asked some of the witnesses — ‘sharp, streetwise comrades’ — why they thought Shabalala won the case. ‘They said it was because his muti was so strong. If you shoot at him, they said, the bullets turn into water.’
1990 W. Botha in Frontline Sept. 19He (sc. a church minister) tells me Shabalala uses a very good witchdoctor. ‘In the court last year his muti was so strong that the magistrate fainted several times.’
1990 S. Afr. Panorama Nov.–Dec. 2 (caption)Containerised, blessed seawater (muti) is taken home for potent medicinal use.
1991 J. Berger in Focus on Afr. Jan.–Mar. 40Deshi Baktawer..remembers making his debut against the [Kaizer] Chiefs [football team]...‘I had a spare pair of gloves and some gum, and I left them in the goalmouth — for them, that’s magic, that’s muti.’
1992 B. Baker in Weekly Mail 16 Apr. 7The use of muti in resolving labour disputes is firmly believed by many workers and union leaders.
b. Pharmaceutical medicine.
1908 D. Blackburn Leaven 316White muti no good, baas...You know all about muti, and the doctor told you I should die.
1928 L.P. Greene Adventure Omnibus 365They’ll all come to me for muti in the morning, Jim.
1937 C. Birkby Zulu Journey 43One of the most pleasant gifts Chaka ever received from Lieutenant Farewell was a cask of medicine. That was strong muti indeed.
1952 Drum Sept. 25 (advt)A baby who is cross needs this muti..Ashton & Parsons’ Infants’ Powders.
1970 R.M. Anderson Informant, Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), Eastern CapeHave you put muti on your cut?
1976 Sunday Times 6 June 11He went to the servant’s room with..an antibiotic capsule — ‘powerful White man’s muti’.
1990 City Press 11 Feb. 10Animal muti cancer cure. A drug used to deworm farm animals could save the lives of..patients suffering from..cancer of the colon.
1990 Style June 128Multi-vitamins, cold tabs and tummy muti.
3. transferred sense. Any chemical preparation.
1937 J. Stevenson-Hamilton S. Afr. Eden 198I may get some mealies, but your muti has killed all my sweet potatoes. [Source Note: Anti-locust spray.]
1971 Informant, Cape Town, Western Cape‘What’s this stuff?’ ‘It’s some muti for sticking.’
1991 C. Mitchell in Personality 11 Mar. 20While the places where pigeons roost are easily accessible to those who have wings, how does Allen get his wonder muti up there?
4. figurative.
1948 O. Walker Kaffirs Are Lively 188Education is the white man’s muti — medicine — which makes him powerful.
1970 Drum Feb. 49I think my best muti is hard work and praying to God.
1973 F. Chisholm in Cape Times 9 June 7One man’s muti is another man’s poison.
1979 Sunday Times 15 July 16That was bad muti from Sam Buti when he opted out of the committee for urban Black-White consultation.
1988 A. Mnisi in Pace June 158The muti he uses in a fight is a powerful, devastating punch.
1990 Sunday Times 8 Apr. (Business Times) 2Kroks the right muti for Premier.
1992 K. Davie in Sunday Times 14 June (Business Times) 3Stals’ strong muti for revival...He is proposing a programme which could bring drastic and sudden changes to the economy.
1992 Natal Mercury 3 Aug. 6He is an optometrist by profession and was taken aback when a patient asked for new glasses because ‘the muti in the old ones is finished’.
5. Used attributively in noun phrases: muti killer or muti murderer, ritual killer (see ritual); muti killing or muti murder, ritual killing (see ritual); muti man, a man who makes or supplies muti (see sense 2 a); muti shop, a shop trading exclusively or mainly in muti (see sense 2 a).
1968 Post 7 Jan.He went to a muti-man who treated him with herbs until he was cured.
1970 Post 18 Jan. 20An inyanga..had been robbed of his bag of herbs and mutiman’s diploma.
1971 Sunday Times 14 Nov. (Suppl.)The three Xabas were indicted for trial at the Rand Supreme Court for the muti murder of the tramp.
1972 Daily Dispatch 9 Mar. 10Muti men find a ready market in gullible sports administrators and sportsmen who think they cannot achieve anything without the use of herbs.
1972 Sunday Times 6 Feb. (Mag. Sect.) 12The muti shop is in colourful Diagonal Street.
1978 Pace Dec. 10A frail, devout church man..was..mistaken for the ‘muti murderer’ and came close to paying for it with his life.
1978 Pace Dec. 13With muti murders soaring.., suspicion and violence are the order of the day in Pretoria.
1982 Sunday Times 2 May 17Those who practise as both a medium and muti-man must indicate this by including both abbreviations behind their names to comply with the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act of 1981.
1984 Evening Post 22 Aug. 3Police have confirmed..that..Mr Glen L—..was the victim of a ‘muti’ or ritual killing.
1985 Sunday Times 5 May 1Kidnap child: Muti killing feared...An East London murder and robbery squad officer said: ‘..We are now exploring the possibility that he may be in the hands of muti-killers.’
1985 Probe Sept. 20In Mdantsane..a family was made to pay for the muti murder of their eldest son, only because he had rendered his unwed sweetheart pregnant.
1986 Sowetan 22 Oct. 1Muti killer gets death sentence.
1988 J. Khumalo in Pace June 8BThese backyard muti-men use European chemicals in their spuit (syringe)...And they use the most corrosive chemical.., Potassium Dichromate.
1992 P. Garson in Weekly Mail 16 Apr. 6A member of the Black Cats in Wesselton has given a gruesome account of muti murders committed by the gang to increase their fighting prowess in battles against ‘comrades’...He blames the muti for his and other gang members’ inability to stop fighting.
1985 Cape Times 16 July 1Alleged muti murderer Mr William K—..caused an uproar in the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday.
1987 City Press 25 Oct. 10 (advt)You can boost your sagging vitality with the Amandla range of trusted products. From your Chemist or Muti-shop now!
1988 B. Ntlemo in Frontline Oct. 9Many people fell victims of the alleged muti murderers.
1989 Personality 29 May 29Jeff and his helpers have propagated close to 120 000 plants of about 200 different species...These impressive quantities cannot supply one thriving muti shop for one month! And in the Durban area alone there are more than 70 muti shops.
1991 H. Grange in Daily News 26 Mar. 26A muti murderer..was sentenced..to 12 years in jail for the killing of his two-year-old step-daughter by cutting her throat. He wished to use her body for the purpose of curing him of illness.
1991 Ngcobo & Eshak in Sunday Times 7 Apr. 5A three-year-old boy has been found dead with his right arm and leg cut off. The boy’s father..believes his son was the victim of a muti killer.
A tree.
Any of a number of types of medicine, or of medicinal or magical charm.
A substance or object which has or is believed to have curative, preventive, protective, or harmful powers of a medicinal or supernatural kind; especially medicines or charms traditionally used among the Black peoples of Africa, made usually of plants or animal parts, and sometimes, reportedly, of parts of the human body; medicine sense 1. Also attributive.
Pharmaceutical medicine.
Any chemical preparation.
muti killer or muti murderer, ritual killer (see ritual); muti killing or muti murder, ritual killing (see ritual); muti man, a man who makes or supplies muti (see sense 2 a); muti shop, a shop trading exclusively or mainly in muti (see sense 2 a).
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