igihuma

How to say it

Meaning

historically, a deep pit into which unmarried pregnant girls or people with leprosy were cast and abandoned.

Good to know

A historical term, rarely used today; recalls a harsh traditional practice of banishment rather than a place still in use.

Examples

• Kera, igihuma cabikwaga kure y'ibigo.Long ago, the pit was kept far from the settlements.
• Ntawukiboneka mu bihuma muri iki gihe.No one is put in such pits nowadays.
• Abakurambere baravuga ku gihuma nk'igihano gikaze.The elders speak of the pit as a harsh punishment.