Another Language Anecdote

Walking through the Fajagila Market, we were on a mission to find Shea Butter, a local soap sold in balls stacked in neat pyramids. We asked the vendors for “Shea Tulu,” what we thought was the Bambara translation. When we were shown live chickens, we realized that something was probably being mispronounced. Our professor later explained that it’s pronounced Shih Tulu and that we had been instead asking for chicken oil.