Marriage is a Private Affair

Marriage is a Private Affair Glossary

cassia tree

a flowering plant of the legume family native to the Indian subcontinent, popular as an ornamental plant and also used to make herbal medicine

parching

making dry through extreme heat

homily

a moralizing speech

engagement

formal agreement to be married

arranged marriage

a marriage orchestrated by the families of the individuals being married, often leaving the bride and groom with little control over the agreement

The Ibo (also Igbo)

native to south-central and southeastern Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, the Ibo are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa

Lagos

the most populous city in Nigeria

perfunctorily

done with minimum effort or reflection

cosmopolitan

having a worldly attitude, not confined to a particular cultural tradition

tribe

a grouping of people in a traditional society that links families and/or communities within a common culture

Saint Paul (Paul the Apostle)

a Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus Christ in the first century

Corinthians

two New Testament epistles Saint Paul addressed to the Christian church he founded in Corinth, Greece

Calabar

seaport city in southeastern Nigeria

scarcely

hardly at all

herbalist

dealer of medicinal herbs