djaka

Papiamentu

Etymology

From Arawak Taíno djaka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdʒàká]

Noun

djaka

1. rat
   • 2000 January 8, “Spièrta!”, in Watchtower Online Library‎^[1]:

     Debí cu e sorto di mata di bambu den e áreanan aki, cu yama mautang, ta florea un biaha den cada 50 aña i ta atraé djaka. E djakanan ta come e flornan i ta reproducí lihé i despues ta cuminsá atacá cosecha, loke cu tempu ta hiba na hamber. Segun The Times of India, na 1957 tabatin hamber despues cu e bambu a florea di 1954 pa 1955. Den un intento pa prevení un otro hamber, e gobiernu di Estado Mizoram a patrociná un campaña pa mata djaka. Nan a ofrecé un rupia pa cada rabu di djaka. Te cu april 1999, nan a colectá rond di 90.000 rabu, i nan ta pidi fondo pa sigui cu e campaña antidjaka.

     Because particular species of bamboo plants in these areas, called mautang, blossom once every 50 years and attract rats. The rats feed on the flowers and reproduce rapidly and then start attacking crops, eventually leading to famine. According to The Times of India, in 1957 there was a famine after the bamboo had blossomed from 1954 to 1955. In an effort to prevent another famine, the government of the state of Mizoram sponsored a campaign to kill the rats. They offered one rupee for each rat tail. As of April, they had collected around 90,000 tails, and they requested funds to continue the antirat campaign.