madridikakaw
n. Gliricidia (English: mother-of-cacao, quickstick); a small to medium-sized leguminous tree (Gliricidia sepium) commonly planted as a living fence, shade tree, erosion-control plant, and source of firewood. It bears pale pink to lilac flowers and readily propagates from cuttings. The leaves are traditionally scattered or rubbed on bamboo-slat or wooden-plank floors as a floor conditioner and insect repellent, and are also sometimes used for livestock forage.
Example:
Agko mga madridikakaw nakatanem sa gilid nyo raga’.
“There are Gliricidia trees planted along the edge of the field.”
Example:
The examples illustrate two related uses of madridikakaw in fence construction. Inaxad nira yo mga madridikakaw. / Ginibo nirang axad yo mga madridikakao.
“They made a fence using Gliricidia.”
Here, madridikakaw refers to the Gliricidia plants themselves being used as a living fence. By contrast, in the following example the wood has been cut into posts:
Ginibo nirang panegas (pang- + tegas (post) > pangtegas > -gt- elision) sa axad yo mga madridikakao.
“They made a fence using Gliricidia posts.”
Note:
The name madridikakaw is a local adaptation of Filipino madre de cacao, a widely used name for Gliricidia sepium throughout the Philippines. Despite the name, the tree is not a true cacao (Theobroma cacao) but is commonly associated with cacao cultivation because it is often planted as a shade tree. In many communities, its leaves are especially known for their traditional use as a floor conditioner and insect repellent on bamboo or wooden floors.