Note 24 — Chapter III

“De-nun,”—which Mr. Duncan (vol. i. p. 282) writes “Dtheno,” and evidently thinks to be a proper name, e.g., “the small kroom (a Gold Coast word) of Dtheno,”—is the “Bode” of the Egbas or Akus. The word “De” means custom-house dues; “nun,” properly “mouth,” or “side,” is a monosyllable of many significations. De-gan is the custom-house “captain,” who, as well as his guards, is locally called Decimero, from the Portuguese. The reader will observe that the terminal n in Dahoman words, is invariably a pure nasal, and sounds like the French “raison.” In “Je-sin-nun,” the first word signifies “salt,” the second “water,” and the nasal is so little defined, that an English ear would distinguish only “see,” or “si.”