African Civilizations Vocabulary

Tropical grasslands with small trees and bushes

• plateau

• griot

• savanna

• sugarcane

an area of high, mostly flat land

• savanna

• plateau

• dhow

• griot

a traditional African storyteller

• spirituals

• Swahili

• dhow

• griot

a sailboat with a special triangle-shaped sail

• clan

• matrilineal

• spirituals

• dhow

a group of people who share the same ancestor

• clan

• griot

• extended family

• matrilineal

the unique culture of Africa's East Coast and the language spoken there

• clan

• Swahili

• savanna

• spirituals

a family made up of several generations

• clan

• matrilineal

• extended family

• Swahili

Tracing family history through mothers instead of fathers

• matrilineal

• paternal

• extended family

• clan

a grassy plant that is grown as a source of sugar

• sucrose

• processed sugar

• raw sugar

• sugarcane

a gospel song

• spirituals

• matrilineal

• dhow

• griot