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Traditional Mallorcan object

Harvesting carobs and almonds (canya de prendre)

At a glance

Take is a Mallorcan verb: to make something fall by hitting or pushing (DCVB, Mall.). Take garroves, ametles: make them fall from the tree by hitting them…

Objects and tools
Traditional Mallorcan object
Words
encetadora, picarol, tomar, tomar garroves / ametles, «Sa casa és massa vella i l'haurem de tomar»
Events
1
Carob Dusting Hook — 800px, exceptional
Carob Dusting Hook — 800px, exceptional — Eines Mallorquines (Sineu), © Eines Mallorquines — uso con permiso/cita, Eines Mallorquines (web oficial, catálogo de productos)

What is

Take is a Mallorcan verb: to make something fall by hitting or pushing (DCVB, Mall.). Take garroves, ametles: make them fall from the tree by hitting them with a stick or cane, or by shaking the trunk (DCVB). The tool is a long cane or stick; the gesture is the same.

How is

  • Long cane or wooden stick, light and flexible (usual length, please verify).
  • Under the tree, a cloth or mat to collect the fruit (local name of the cloth, please verify; today plastic nets).

How is fa

  • Common reed (Arundo donax) cut in the stream and dried; or olive tree or wild olive tree (to verify).

Com s'usa

  • The branches are hit from below; the fruit falls.
  • Afterwards it is collected by hand in signs and bags, and weighed with the Roman weighing machine.
  • The almond is peeled and split. Picarol (Alaró, Binissalem): small almond that passes through the entapping machine without breaking (DCVB).

Vocabulary

  • tomar: knock down, make fall (Mall.).
  • tomar garroves / ametles: harvest carob / almonds.
  • picarol: small almond that the machine does not split (Alaró, Binissalem).
  • encetadora: almond splitting machine (name included in DCVB sv picarol; description, to be verified).
  • «Sa casa és massa vella i l'haurem de tomar»: example of general use (DCVB).

History

  • 1727: «tomà tota la olive del Teix» (Hist. Sóller, DCVB): the verb already in documents.
  • 19th-20th centuries: almond and carob trees spread across the Majorcan dryland (chronology, to be verified).
  • Today: it continues to be shaken; partly with mechanical vibrators.

On veure'n

  • Any dry land farm in August (almond) and September (garrova).
  • Garrover de Son Mora: unique tree cataloged by the Government (CAIB, protection of species).

Why is it design

  • Minimum tool, maximum gesture: a cane and the technique of hitting without breaking the branch.
  • Material of the place: sugarcane grows in the streams next to the farms.
  • The word is the method: taking does not exist in this sense outside of Mallorca.

For the project

  • Poster or video of the “take ametles” gesture (see Manuel's video style).
  • Glossary of Mallorcan agricultural verbs (tomar,ventar, batre, esporgar).

Frequently asked questions

What is Harvesting carobs and almonds (canya de prendre)?

Take is a Mallorcan verb: to make something fall by hitting or pushing (DCVB, Mall.). Take garroves, ametles: make them fall from the tree by hitting them…

What are the traditional words for Harvesting carobs and almonds (canya de prendre)?

Some words: encetadora, picarol, tomar, tomar garroves / ametles, «Sa casa és massa vella i l'haurem de tomar».

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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