Note 214 — NEGROLAND divided into Nations.

Ibn Sʿaíd died A.D. 1286, at an advanced age. Yaḳút, of whose Geographical Dictionary the Bodleian Library possesses a copy, flourished somewhat earlier. Both these writers are quoted by Abú-l-fedá, who died A.D. 1331. Yaḳút and Abú-l-fedá cite Ibn Fáṭimah with no other variance than is usual in different MS. copies of the same work. The Jábí of Abú-l-fedá is clearly preferable to Yáḳút’s Ḥání (see Note 201); but the Bedí of the former and the Yuthí of the latter are probably equally erroneous. It may seem a bold emendation to alter them into Yúfí or Núfí; but let it be considered that the country now called Núfí or Níffí may have changed its name with its population; that Ibn Baṭúṭah clearly means Núfí when he speaks of Yúfí; and that the name written Yúfí in the Gayangos MS., is in other MSS. written Yuwí (Lee and Kosegarten, Lee’s Ibn Baṭúṭah, p. 238), and in others Buwí (Burckhardt, Trav. in Nubia, p. 491; and Lee). Now Bedí بدي and Yuthí يُذي lie, with respect to Buwí بُوي, Yúwí يُوي and Yúfí يُوفي, within what may be called reasonable limits of corruption, and the proposed change brings all into order.