According to oral tradition of the Tchaman as reported in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Côte d'Ivoire,[REF] the name "Abidjan" results from a misunderstanding.
A slightly different and less elaborate version of the legend: When the first colonists asked a native man the name of the place, the man misunderstood and replied "M'bi min djan": "I've just been cutting leaves" [REF].