nitta tree

9.9

A tropical tree with bright flower heads and pods that contain edible seeds

noun

Specialized

: árbol nitta

The nitta tree provides nutritious seeds that are a food source in many tropical countries.

Examples

In the forest, the bright flowers of the nitta tree attract a variety of birds and insects.
Farmers harvested the pods from the nitta tree after the rainy season ended.
The nitta tree produces beautiful red flowers.
Have you seen a nitta tree in bloom?
Farmers harvested the pods from the nitta tree after the rainy season ended.
The nitta tree provides nutritious seeds that are a food source in many tropical countries.
In the forest, the bright flowers of the nitta tree attract a variety of birds and insects.

Synonyms

Parkia

vsnitta tree

Specialized

1 9.9

A group of tropical trees in the pea family with long pods and special flowers

refers to specific members of that group often with edible seeds and pulp

Surface Forms

nitta tree singular

nitta trees plural

Morphology

nitta + tree

The head noun 'tree' clearly signals the general category, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer this is a kind of tree. However, 'nitta' is a specific species name (not semantically decomposable or defined here), so the detailed botanical sense (genus Parkia, edible seeds, etc.) is not derivable from the parts, making the expression only partially predictable.

Etymology

Nitta tree may come from a local word used by the people where the tree grows, who named it for its many seed-filled pods and bright flower heads. Because its pods and tasty seeds were an important 'food source', the name stuck and now refers to that tropical tree.