13 comments
In the 1950's there was a movie which I think was 'The Naked Jungle'. set in some Central or South American country. It was about hordes of Army Ants that moved over the land killing and eating every living thing in their path that could not get away, people included. The ants were called Marabuntas by the natives in the movie. A gang in East Port of Spain adopted the name Marabuntas soon after the movie showed. Imagine my surprise to learn that it is in fact a Wasp and not an Ant, after all these years.
In South America (and I'm guessing the southern Caribbean), they use 'marabuntas' to refer to both wasps and army ants.
A wasp with a wicked sting.
As a young child in Trinidad, we referred to wasps as "Spanish Jacks."<br /> We also used a word, "joueck" (sp ?) for piercing the skin and drawing blood -- as with a thorn or pencil. Does anyone else recognize it? My Dad thought it might be of Dutch origin, but I've checked with Dutch speakers and they are not familiar with it.
Jimbo, do you mean jook?<br /> http://wiwords.com/word/jook
I recently saw a program on television about these ants. I think they said was made in Costa Rica.<br /> I also remember as a child seeing a film that I thought was called 'Marabunta'. It must have been in the 1950s.
Had argument with my son and wife who called the wasp a “maribone”. Looked it up and surprise - apparently a lot of people use this word. I’m speculating if this is a bastardization of the original South American “ marabunta”.
A wasp species with strong venom in Brazil is referred to there as a "marimbondo." That Portuguese word may have entered into Caribbean usage as "marabunta" via Papiamento, in the Netherlands Antilles.
In Guyana we referred to a type of was as a "malibonta" it is yellow and black with a hell of a sting.
In Guyana we referred to a type of wasp as a "malibonta" it is yellow and black with a hell of a sting.
We called it Maribone in Trinidad. As Jimbo Martin, we say "jook" not that fancy "joueck" Lol . E.g. She jook meh with a pin, in class today.
There is a small black wasp whose nests are I think made of mud and are generally built in cashew trees. If disturbed they will chase you and inflict multiple stings.
This is a reddish-brownish wasp that we call in Guyana, the maribunta. There are some wasps here that we refer to as "follow-me."