The Vetiver Network International: Vernacular Names of Vetiver

Often people get confused over the vernacular names of vetiver. Below is a list of names prepared by Narong Chomchalow, published in Vibrant Versatile Vetiver, Special Bulletin No. 2003/1, Pacific Rim Vetiver Network, on pages 37-43.

The present list of vernacular names of vetiver is compiled by Dr. Narong from various sources whose origins are too numerous to mention in this archive. In most cases, they have been rechecked by the scientists of the countries of origin, although some may still be wrong in their spelling, especially for non-romanized languages where there is no standard system of transcription of local languages into Roman letters; thus a given name may be written in many different spellings. Although every attempt has been made to obtain as much as possible all vernacular names used in all vetiver-growing countries, the present list is still far from complete. Thus, readers are requested to send in their contributions for additional names, especially those used by the minority people in different dialects, or in countries/dialects which are still missing, in order to make the list as compete as possible.

The list below gives the name of the country (in bold italics) where vetiver is grown or known to exist. Vernacular names are given after the language or dialect, which is written in italics. All names are arranged in alphabetical order. Vernacular name(s) most commonly used in a given country is/are underlined. To make the list of vernacular names uniform, the first letter of every word of all vernacular names is capitalized as if it were a proper noun. This is to avoid confusion with ordinary words. A comma (,) is used to separate vernacular names. Compound names are not hyphenated, but written as two or more words, e.g. Gondha Bena, Khus Khus, Xiang Geng Chao, Vala Khas Khas.

Argentina:

Spanish: Capia

Bangladesh:

Bengali: Bangla, Benna Shoba, Binna Sopha, Ghonda Bena, Gondha Bena, Ecorban, Ecorbon, Khus Khus

Brazil:

Portuguese: Capim de Cheiro, Capim Vetiver, Grama Cheirosa, Gram das Indias, Patcholi

China:

Cantonese: Hang Gen Chao (the word ‘chao’ is spelled ‘cao’ by some authors, but pronounced ‘chao’)

Mandarin: Xiang Gen Chao

El Salvador

Spanish: Zacate Violeta

Ethiopia:

Amharic: Yesero Mekelakeya English: Menschen grass

Fiji:

English: Vetiver

France:

French: Chiendent des Indes, Chiendent Odorant, Gras Vetiver, Herbe Vetiver, Vetivert

Ghana:

Dagomba: Kulikarili

Guatemala:

Spanish: Pachuli, Pasto Violeta

India:

Ayurvedic: Ushira

Bangla: Khas, Khas Khas, Khus*, Khus Khus

Gujarati: Valo

Hindi: Bala, Balah, Bena, Ganrar, Khas, Khas Khas, Khus Khus, Onei, Panni

Kannada: Hallu, Kaadu, Kaddu, Karidappasajje Hallu, Laamancha, Laamanche, Lavancha, Vattiveeru

Malayalam: Ramaccham, Ramachehamver, Vettiveru

Marathi: Vala, Vala Khas Khas

Mundari: Birnijono, Sirum, Sirumjon

Oudh: Tin

Panjabi: Panni

Sadani: Birni

Sanskrit: Abhaya, Amrinata, Bala, Lamaja, Lamajjaka, Reshira, Sugandhimulu,Usira, Ushira, Virana

Santhali: Sirom

Telugu: Ayurugaddiveru, Kuruveeru, Lamajja Kamuveru, Vettiveellu, Vattiveeru, Vettiveerum, Vidavaliveru

Tamil: Ilamichamver, Vattiver, Vettiver, Vettiveru,Vilhalver, Viranam, Virkal, Vujal

Urdu: Khas

Unknown: Sita Mulaks (used in Ayuravedic medicine to mean ‘having cool roots’), Sugandhi Mulaka (also in Ayuravedic medicine to mean ‘sweet smellng root’)

* where spelled as Khus, the u is to be pronounced just to separate kh and s without any voice for u)

Indonesia:

Bahasa: Agar Wangi, Lara Setu, Lara Westu, Rara Weatu, Rumput Wangi

Batak: Hapias

Bugis: Sere Ambong

Buol: Akadu

Gayo: Useur

Gorontaro: Tahele

Halmahera: Babu Wamendi

Jawa: Lara Setu

Madura: Kara Bistu

Minagkabau: Urek Usa

Roti: Nausina Fuik

Sundanese: Janur, Nara Wastu, Usar

Ternate: Garama Kusu Batawi

Tidore: Barama Kusu Butai

Iran:

Persian: Bikhiwala, Khas

Laos:

Laotian: Ya Faek

Latin America (see also individual countries):

Spanish: Capia, Mora, Pasto Vetiver, Tiva, Zacate Valeriana, Zacate Vetiver, Zacate Violet(t)a

Portuguese: Pacholi, Pachuli

Malaysia:

Bahasa: Akar Wangi, Kusu Kusu, Naga Setu, Nara Setu, Nara Wastu, Rumput Wangi

Myanmar:

Myanmese: Myat Myit Hmway

Nepal:

Nepalese: Kas, Khas Khas

Nigeria (and North African countries across sub-Saharan belt):

Fulani: Chor’dor’de, Ngongonari, So’dornde, So’mayo, Zemako

Hausa: Jema

Pakistan:

Arabic: Khas

Urdu: Aseer, Daron, Khas

(Amazonian) Peru:

Portuguese: Pachuli (a name adopted from neighboring Brazil)

Philippines:

Official name in the Philippines: Moras

Bikol: Mora, Rimoras

Bisaya: Mora, Moras, Mura, Rimodas, Tres Moras

Cebu-Central Bisaya: Amoora, Muda

Iloko: Amoras, Anis de Moro

Pampango: Anias de Moras, Ilib

Panay Bisaya: Giron, Rimodas

Sambali: Rimora

Spanish: Raiz de Moras

Sulu: Narawasta

Tagalog: Moras, Moro

Portugal:

Portuguese: Capim de Boma, Capim Vetiver

Puerto Rico:

Spanish: Baul de Pobre, Pacholi

Sahel (Region in north-central Africa, south of the Sahara):

Bambara: Babin, Ngoka Ba, Ngongon

Fulani: Dimi, Kieli, Pallol

Gurma: Kulkadere

Mossi: Roudoum

Sarakolle: Kamare

Songhai: Diri

Senegal:

Bamabara: Khamara

Fulani: Toul

Poulaar: Sodorde

Tukulor: Semban

Wolof: Sep, Sepp, Tiep

Sierra Leone:

Mende: Pindi

Susu: Barewali

Temne: An-wunga Ro-gban

South Africa:

Zulu: Muskus

Spain:

Spanish: Grama de la India

Sri Lanka:

Sinhalese: Saivandera, Savandara, Savandramul

St. Vincent:

English: Khus Khus (originated from South Asian dialects, viz. Bengali, Hindi, or Urdu)

Tanzania:

Kiswahili: Vetiva

Togo:

Dagomba: Kulikarili

Thailand:

Vetiveria zizanioides:

Central and Nakhon Ratchasima: Ya Faek Hom, Ya Faek, Ya Khom Faek

Central: Faek Lum, Faek Hom, Ya Faek, Ya Khom Faek,

General (all over the country): Faek

Kamphaeng Phet: Faek Ko Takhrai, Saeng Mong

Karen-Mae Sariang: Po Sia Khi

Nakhon Phanom: Faek Som, Faek Tham

Northeastern: Kaeng Hom, Khaem Hom

Vetiveria nemoralis:

Central: Faek Don

Chiang Mai: Ya Faek

Venezuela:

Spanish: Petiver

Vietnam:

Vietnamese: Huong Bai, Huong Lau

Note: According to Ken Crismier , these two terms are not vetiver, but other wild grasses. However, according to Paul Truong these two vernacular names are applied for native species of vetiver, Vetiveria nemoralis, while the one popularly used for soil and water conservation, V. zizanioides, which was recently introduced, is known in Vietnam under the English common name, ‘vetiver’.

It is interesting to note the following:

1. Names that signify fragrance/fragrant of the root of V. zizanioides are:

Bhasa (Indonesia and Malaysia): ‘Wangi’ means fragrant, as in ‘Akar Wangi’ which means fragrant root, and ‘Ramput Wangi’ which means fragrant grass.

Thai: ‘Hom’ means fragrant, as in ‘Faek Hom’ which means fragrant vetiver, and ‘Ya Faek Hom’ which means fragrant vetiver grass.

Cantonese: ‘Hang’ means fragrant, as in ‘Hang Gen Chao’ which means grass with fragrant root (‘Gen’ means root, and ‘Chao’ means grass).

Mandarin: ‘Xiang’ means fragrant, as in ‘Xiang Gen Chao’ which means grass with fragrant root (‘Gen’ means root, and ‘Chao’ means grass).

Portuguese: ‘Cheirosa’ means fragfrant, as in ‘Grama Cheirosa’ (as used in Brazil)

Sanskrit and Hindi: ‘Sugandhimula’ i.e. ‘Sugandhi + mula’ means pleasing smell / frangrant + root (as used in Hindi and Sanskrit in India)

2. Names that signify being a grass are:

Bhasa (Indonesia and Malaysia): ‘Rumput’, as in ‘Rumput Wangi’, meaning fragrant grass.

Cantonese: ‘Chao’, as in ‘Hang Gen Chao’, meaning grass with fragrant root.

Laotian: ‘Ya’, as in ‘Ya Faek’ meaning vetiver grass.

Mandarin: ‘Chao’, as in ‘Xiang Gen Chao’, meaning grass with fragrant root.

Spanish: ‘Zacate’, as in ‘Zacate Valeriana’, ‘Zacate Vetiver’, ‘Zacate Violeta’.

Portuguese: ‘Capim’, as in ‘Capim Vetiver’ (as used in Brazil), meaning vetiver grass; ‘Capim de Cheiro’ (as used in Brazil), meaning perfume grass.

‘Gram’, as in ‘Gram das Indias’(as used in Brazil), meaning grass of the Indies;

‘Grama’ as in ‘Grama Cheirosa’(as used in Brazil), meaning fragrant grass

Thai: ‘Ya’, as in ‘Ya Faek’, meaning vetiver grass; ‘Ya Faek Hom’, meaning fragrant vetiver grass; ‘Ya Khom Faek’, meaning vetiver grass with sharp-edged leaves.

Vietnamese: ‘Huong’, as in ‘Huong Bai’ and ‘Huong Lau’, meaning vetiver grass.

Sanskrit: Kush / Kusha – this has become Khus in Hindi / Urdu, and other allied Indian languages.

3. Names that signify being a root are:

Cantonese: ‘Gen’, as in ‘Hang Gen Chao’, meaning grass with fragrant root

Mandarin: ‘Gen’ as in ‘Xiang Gen Chao’, meaning grass with fragrant root

Spanish: ‘Raiz’, as in ‘Raiz de Moras’ (as used in the Philippines), meaning root of Mora (the mulberry or something that color)

Sanskrit / Hindi: Mula / Mulak

4. Same dialects/languages used in different countries:

Bahasa:

Indonesia: Agar Wangi, Lara Setu, Lara Westu, Rara Weatu, Rumput Wangi

Malaysia: Akar Wangi, Kusu Kusu, Naga Setu, Nara Setu, Nara Wastu, Rumput Wangi

Bangla:

Bangladesh: Bangla, Benna Shoba, Binna Sopha, Ghonda Bena, Gondha Bena, Ecorban, Ecorbon, Khus Khus

India: Khas, Khas Khas, Khus, Khus Khus

Dagomba:

Ghana: Kulikarili

Togo: Kulikarili

Fulani:

Nigeria: Chor’dor’de, Ngongonari, So’dornde, So’mayo, Zemako

Sahel: Dimi, Kieli, Pallol

Senegal: Toul

Thai/Laotian (both languages are similar):

Laos: Ya Faek

Thailand: Ya Faek, Ya Khom Faek, Faek Hom, Faek Don, Faek Lum

Urdu:

India: Khas

Pakistan: Khas

5. Same names in different dialects in different countries:

Khas / Khas Khas (both are used interchangeably)

Arabic (Pakistan)

Bangla (India and Bangladesh)

Hindi (India)

Marathi: (India)

Persian (Iran)

Urdu (India and Pakistan)

Nepalese (Napal)

6. It is rather strange that the original Tamil word, ‘vettiver’ (meaning a coarse grass), in which the English common name, ‘vetiver’, and the generic name, Vetiveria, are derived, is not as popularly used as the other South Asian (North India in particular) words, namely Khas, Khas Khas, Khus, and Khus Khus.