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THE ORIGINS OF UNGOWA

The scene: A treehouse in East Africa  –  February 11, 2016

Tarzan: Ungowa! Ungowa! See Jane, lion just need little convincing. Things be peaceful now.
Jane: Amazing, Tarzan. I’ve never seen anything like it. What’s the secret? Is it your body language? Is it your loincloth? Is it that word…what is it? Foongowa?
Tarzan: Ungowa, Jane. But don’t ever say unless lion out of hand.
Jane: But I’ve heard you say it to the elephants, the zebras, even Cheetah.
Tarzan: Jane mistaken.
Jane: Tarzan, I’m not mistaken. Lord knows there’s not much to occupy my time up in this tree house. I don’t miss major developments like this. I don’t miss the banana harvest, the spring rains, the migration of the rhinos, the spear ceremony with the Tamurundis…
Tarzan: Tarzan get picture, Jane.
Jane: So what does Ungowa mean exactly, dear?
Tarzan: Ungowa mean…Get back!
Jane: Get back? I hardly think so. Level with me, Tarzan. I want to know about the origin of Ungowa!
Tarzan: Ungowa, Jane!
Jane: That’s not amusing. Now tell me or you sleep on the couch.
Tarzan: We not have couch.
Jane: It’s just an expression. Why won’t you tell me about Ungowa?
Tarzan: Tarzan not know about Ungowa. Ungowa just word. Ungowa something make lions and elephants listen to skinny ape man, not trample, eat him.
Jane: You mean to say you just say Ungowa and you don’t know what it means, where it comes from or how it became part of the language?
Tarzan: It slang. Jane understand?
Jane: So you’re telling me you don’t know what it means or why it has come into favor?
Tarzan: That just way it is.
Jane: The magic word for any situation. Too much. Oh well, I guess there’s nothing to do now but eat your lentil soup.
Tarzan: Lentil soup again! Ungowa! Tarzan calling out for pizza!

THE END