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maloca

n. An ancestral longhouse used by the natives of the Amazon, notably in Colombia and Brazil.

Wikipedia
Maloca

A maloca is an ancestral long house used by the natives of the Amazon, notably in Colombia and Brazil. Each community has a maloca with its own unique characteristics. For many years, these long houses were Jesuit missionaries’ objects of attack. Several families with patrilineal relations live together in a maloca, distributed around the long house in different compartments. In general, the chief of the local descent group lives in the compartment nearest to the back wall of the long house. As well, each family has its own furnace.

During festivals and in formal ceremonies, which involve dances for males, the long house space is rearranged; the centre of the long house is the most important area where the dance takes place. Each maloca has two entrances, for men and for women. Married men and women sleep together, and unmarried men sleep separately, as do unmarried women. A maloca is traditionally surrounded with two gardens: the inner called the kitchen gardens (growing plants such as bananas, papaya, mango and pineapple) and the manioc gardens growing manioc (yuca).

Usage examples of "maloca".

That their native village, or maloca, should have been invaded, their women and children carried off, was a crime that by their code merited only one punishment, and that torture and death.

Hondura, convoyed the rescued women and children in the direction of their maloca, which they planned to rebuild.

Pipina without any untoward happening, the braves departed for their maloca, and the little household, now increased by three, was reestablished.

Casson, will he bring him to his maloca and keep him safe until Bomba comes back?

If Bomba is wise, he will stay in the maloca of Hondura and not go to the island of the big cats.

We will make big feast if you will stay in the maloca of Hondura for a time.

He will think often of Ashati and Neram and will be glad that they are in the maloca of the good chief Hondura.

During the dark hours they remained close within the circle of the maloca, where the night fires burned bright.

He was getting close to the maloca now, and if there was any chance of accomplishing his errand and getting back before midnight, he meant to take advantage of it.

If he could also get an agouti or a capivara, he would have something to give the Araos when he should come upon their maloca.