mkorogo

Swahili

Etymology

From m- +‎ -koroga (“to stir, mix”) +‎ -o.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

mkorogo (m-mi class, plural mikorogo)

1. mixture (something produced by mixing)
2. local brew (locally brewed beer)
3. mixture for skin bleaching

References

• Fritsch, Katharina (2017) “‘Trans-skin’: Analyzing the practice of skin bleaching among middle-class women in Dar es Salaam”, in Ethnicities‎^[1], volume 17, number 6, →DOI, page 757 of 749-770:

  According to the doctor working in the cosmetic supermarket mentioned above, the lower class bleaches, and in the long run, destroys their skin using cheap, harmful creams, composed of different products mixed together and sold on the street, called ‘mkorogo’ in Swahili. In contrast, the upper and middle class use lightening products that are more expensive and of a higher quality, such as the ones he sells, which make the skin more beautiful, ‘healthier’ and softer.