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MAY, 1882.)
HONORIFIC CLASS NAMES IN THE PANJÅB.
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art. Im-Rám shah sah sukhi rahe,-Râm pre- worth recording as explanatory of the change serve kings and bankers.' Shah is also a title of meaning the words are now undergoing : assumed by Faqirs, and is applied commonly to 1 (35.) Pandit, learned man, to any literate saints and poets, e.g. Nûr Shah Wali, the Firoz- or influential Brahman. pûr saint: Waris Shah and Hashim Shah, the
(36.) Maulvi, doctor, learned, to any well-known Panjabi poets.
literate or influential Musalman. (26.) Seth, rich banker, millionaire, is ap- (37.) Munshi, (Arab. "the increased,"bat plied to Bikaner and Rajpûtând merchants : in common parlance a writer), a writer, tutor, also to any rich man and to all Parsis.
teacher of languages, author, to any Persian (27) Dâdâ, grand-father, also elder brother,
scholar. for Dom or Dum, musician; also singer or teacher (38.) Bå bu, properly a Bengali gentleman, and companion of dancing girls (mirdsí, q.v.); but in the Panjab originally a Bengali writer also family priest. Da d & is also used to and by or clerk, now any clerk or English scholar, what. Faqirs and Brâhmaņs.
ever his creed or nationality. (28.) Mirasi (Arabic, inherited), here
Characteristic Names. ditary, for Dom or Dam and Kanjar, singer and
(39.) Painch, Panjabi form of panch, which companion of dancing girls. In India it signi.
stands for Sarpanch, a village headman or chief fies that the mau is what he is, by descent. The
of the panchayat or village assembly. This word is a wholesale importation from Arabic,
title is given to the Kahar (or jhîwar) carrier where Miråst is applied to the singers who carry
caste, from their habit of settling their internal on the profession, generation by generation, and
disputes by caste panchayats. It is also given Mirisan to dancing girls who practise only
to the Jaiswârâ caste of the North-West before women. Kanja, prostitute's com
Provinces, who are syces, grass-cutters, &c. and panion, is of course too plain a word to be used
who have a similar habit. to the man himself, and will usually give offence. Mirási softens down the ugliness of the occupa
(40) RAth, cruel, fearless, barbarous, is
applied to Jatts, Dogars and Gujjars from their tion a little, but Dom, the caste name, is what
supposed characteristics. they prefer.
(41.) Thokadâr, contractor, for Raj, mason (29.) Mir and Mirji, nobleman, chief,
and for Bharii (or Tarkhan) carpenter. As most used to Mirasis, said to be a corruption from the syllable mir(asi).
carpentry and building work is done on contract
(theka, piecework), so any petty mason or (30.) Missar (Fallon has it mishar), a re
carpenter, who does petty repairs for Rs. 20 or so spectable person, a scholar (Sansk. misra), is used towards Brahmans.
by the piece, calls himself [hekadir, contractor (31.) L al â, cherished, used towards Khat
Niclinames. tri merchants and Banyas. Other forins of this (42.) Mangalmu khi or Manglitmu. word are Lâlâ Bhai and LÂlî Ji (whence the khi, merry-faced, for Kanjri, dancing girl : it well-known Oriental name Lalage, which occurs is also applied to the Kanjar, hor attendant. in English romances and poems). La'al (Arab. (43.) Baromi & n, great gentleman, head ruby), as munshis love to write it, is incorrect.
of a house, used towards old men of respectability, (32.) Mistri, foreman, & corruption of the whatever their rank. Euglish word master or mister, for any skilled It will be as well to summarise the various workman or petty employer of labour: especially appellations some castos have as a guide to for Tarkhân, carpenter, Lohâr, smith, and Ráj, further investigations, and it will be observed mason.
that the more unsavoury and also the more (33) Bûrh â and Buddha, an old man, honourable an occupation is, the greater is tho elder, for Mehtar, sweeper.
number of honorific names attached to it. (34.) Min and Miâ njî, master, prince, | Thue :for Mudarris, schoolmaster, pedagogue : also for (1.) Sweepers, scavengers; mehtar, lord ; Mirasis, arising probably out of their title mir, as jama'dár, chief; sardár, chief; lalbégi, followers mián is a corruption of the plu, mirán of mir. of Lal Bêg; búrhá, elder.
Under this heading may also be added the (2.) Singers with dancing girls: mirási, following common titles of respect : they are inherited; mir and mirjt chief; midis and
