Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 289

August, 1922)
DICTIONARY OF THE SOUTH ANDAMAN LANGUAGE
179
APPENDIX IX-contd.
Explanatory Remarks. 1. Bestowed on girls on attaining maturity. 2. For the botanical names of trees, see App. XI. 3. wab- signifies " season.”
4. The "påpar-"commences about the middle of November and terminates about the middle of February. It comprises the "cool season ".
5. This embraces the Summer and Autumn of the year. Honey is abundant at the commencement of the season, during the course of which the principal fruit trees are in bearing. It lasts about three months, viz., till about the middle of May.
6. Lit., season of abundance.
7. This period is called lada-chau (dirt-body) owing to their practice of smearing their persons with the gap of a plant of the Alpinia sp. (called jini) when engaged in removing a honey-comb, swarming with bees, from a tree.
8. Is known ag tala-tong-déreka- [lit. (fruit)tree leaflet ) in allusion to the fregh foljage of Spring, and lasts about 3 months, i.e., till about the close of August, more than half “the rains."
9. Is known as gumul-wab- and lasts about 21 months, viz., till about the middle of November, and comprises the latter portion of the rainy season.
10. The butu- is a slug found in rotten logs of gurjon wood (see drain- App. XI). It. is wrapped in a leaf and cooked before it is eaten. Prior to this its tail is broken off and thrown away (hence topnga-).
11. The diyum- is the larva of the great capricornis beetle (Cerambyx heros), and is found in newly-fallen logs, whence it is scooped out (hence kôpnga-), and then cooked and eaten.
12. This embraces the six months of the rainy season.