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- Origin of the word Bamboo
Origin of the word Bamboo
The origin of the word Bamboo comes from the Malay word “Mambu“. Malay is the national language of Malaysia and Indonesia. In the late 16th century (1590-1600) the Dutch named it “Bamboes” after which it got its Neo-Latin name “Bambusa“.Some claim that the original Malayan word was “Bambu“, resembling the sound it makes when bamboo explodes in open fire. When bamboo is heated, the air in the sealed hollow internode chambers will expand and cause an explosive bam-boom sound.
Is Bamboo a Tree or a Grass?
Although bamboo is a grass, many of the larger woody bamboo species are very tree-like in appearance and are often called “bamboo trees”.