Kinabalu, what does that mean?

Photo: Old post office filled with graffiti at Kota Kinabalu - 12/12/10

Being rich with time, I was 'overstaying' in the city of Kota Kinabalu, so I've started asking around what means the word Kinabalu, used for both the City Kota Kinabalu and the mountain Kinabalu.

The first person was a father with who I was sharing my table at the bus-station restaurant during lunch, about 1 hour before the bus to which I bought a ticket,would be leaving, bringing me to the village of Ranau.
I had a conversation with him and he asked me many questions. He kept thinking I came from New Zealand, or maybe he kept saying I came from New Zealand, because I told him I am from Holland bur he didn't understand the name nor knew the country. So I wasn't surprised if he kept saying New Zealand not to be in the situation not knowing where I am from, or having to ask questions about my county in an awkward way without naming the name of the country. So he kept asking things about New Zealand, and I kept saying I couldn't answer his question as I had never been to New Zealand, "however in my country, in Holland, ...." is how I finished my response but he kept firing new questions about this country which actually carries a Dutch name.

I decided to ask him what means the word Kinabalu, he started making some thinking sounds, tried to say words but didn't quite know what to say, and he said that he didn't really know the answer and he thought a little more and then he came with a response, proud to be able to answer my question: "It is because the mountain is called Kinabalu!".

Not quite satisfied with this response, since I wanted to know why the mountain was called like that, later during the day I decided to ask my driver who picked me up from Ranau to take me to the hotel outside of town. He started to explain that the city, Kota Kinabalu was first called Jesselton, and before that the city was called 'api api', which means 'fire fire'. He knew that the fire was related to the top of the mountain, hence called Kinabalu.

During my hike to the top of the mountain, I found my next victim, our mandatory guide climbing the mountain Kinabalu about 3 times a week. He first started telling that Balu is the word chosen for mountain. At the same time, Akin is related to grandfather, which is related to the spirit of which the locals believe that the spirits of the people who died, are on top of the mountain. The spirits of these old man still live on the mountain, the people believe that if you are not kind for the mountain, the spirits will not be kind to you!
So our guide's conclusion tells us that Kina most likely comes from the word Akin and became Kinu-balu, since it's on the mountain.

It was raining outside, hard. And it had been raining outside, hard, and for a long time already. I was catching a flight to Kuching in Sarawak in the most western part of Borneo, still in Malaysia, an odd-800 kilometers from where I was, Kota Kinabalu. I had decided to ask the hostel to call a taxi for me. While I sat in the back of the taxi, I had a nice chat with the driver and his wife who was 'following him'. It is the expression the Malaysian people use when someone is with them in the car. And when the Malay bring someone somewhere by car, like me in this case, they would say 'I will send you'.
So while this taxi driver was sending me to the airport with his wife following him, they started asking all kind of interesting questions. They seemed very happy to be together. With loud laughs they asked me if I had seen the Proboscis monkeys with the big nose, like me. Of which I could only laugh and we had a jolly ride and quick efficient communications. Especially the driver his wife was very talkative and self-assured with being able to reply to each sentence she was given. I thought I could take advantage of this situation as this was my last chance to ask locals my favorite question: what means Kinabalu?
Of course they referred to the mountain, but straight away the lady was declining my question saying she did not know. She surprised me with this answer as she seemed knowledgeable and prepared to answer each comment. I did not expect her to so simply say she did not know an answer. She said something more and from her tone of voice I could hear she was still thinking about my question. I had to try and keep this moment she had and decided to gently push a little more, forcing her to think longer or come with an answer.
And before I realised she starting telling a whole story about Kinabalu. Not about the mountain but about the word Kinabalu! It took me two sentences before I realised she was answering my question, so quickly after she told me so clearly and strong that she did not know the answer.
She was telling me "Kina came from the word China, yes it comes from the China people. China balu. And balu means single mother". So how does that relate? Were it Chinese single mothers I was wondering myself, but I didn't want to interrupt her to see what she was telling me further. Questions I could ask any moment later.
She was still explaining that the word Kinabalu was a combination, a combination of two words, and she repeated balu and kina. China.
And then she started filling my grey areas, she began with the whole story. The husbands of these single mothers went to the mountain. They had to go to the top of the mountain, but they didn't come back. So the single mothers went to find their men. But they knew already that their men were dead, but they went to their husbands anyway.
Hence they were the single mothers. It's the combination, china and balu.
She repeated again, "the Chinese mother goes to mountain. So kina and balu combines."

I was happy, I knew I would get a new story, and an interesting one as well.

But then I left Kota Kinabaku and I couldn't think of bothering other people in Malaysia with directing questions to them about other cities than their city of which they are proud.
I had found my answers. But....now what does it actually mean? Fire? Single mothers? The spirit? I don't know, but when someone will ask me the question what the name of the mountain means, I know now what to reply; "the name is from the mountain!"

Photo: Near the summit of mount Kinabalu - 11/12/10