Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 58
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
________________
SEPTEMBER, 1929 ]
NOTES ON HOBSON-JOBSON
171
Sayyad Ahmad Khan's editn., Aligarh, 1864, p. 306, 1. 5 from foot. See also p. 313,1 15.
Gingall, Ginjall, Jinjall.-Yule says of this word that it is of uncertain origin. Mr. Crooke declares that it is a corruption of jazdil, but the derivation of the latter itself from the Arab. jazil, big is highly problematical. I suggest that Gingall, or Ginjall is really derived from gajnál, a Hindi word which occurs first in the lin. "His Majesty," Abul Fayl writes," made another kind of gun, which can easily be carried by a single elephant ; such guns have the name of Gajnals. Guns which a single man may carry, are called Narndls." Op. cit., Tr. Blochmann, I, 113. These gajnals were also called hathnals, and tamel guns called 'Shutur. nals' are also mentioned by other writers. Now the Gingall' was a 'swivel or wall piece which had a stand or tripod, and was so heavy that it had to be carried by two men and fired by a third.' This would correspond closely to a gun mounted on the back of an elephant. It may be perhaps necessary to say that Gaj and Hath both signify elephant,' and that this kind of metathesis of the consonants is very common in Hobson Jobson.' Thus Puleeta', [Palita) is a metathesis of the Arabio Falita, and Talisman' of the Arabic Talámiza, and at p. 694, the learned authors observe that "natives convert" Gaganbher, which means 'sheep of the sky,' and is a name of the pelican, into Gangabheri, sheep of the Ganges. Compare also the forms Zerzelim, Girgelim, Gingerlee, Gingerly, Gingerlee, Gingelly (Ibid., 373-375).
As for Jazail, it is probable that it also is another corruption of jajndl, through Jajnal. Thus Jajnal, Jaznal, Jaznail, Jazdil.
Godown. Yule's earliest quotation from an English source is dated 1612.
[1583-91.] "In your house (in Pegu) you have a warehouse which they call Godon, which is made of bricke to put your goods in : for oftentimes they take fire and burne in an houre foure or five hundred houses, so that, if the Godon were not, you should bee in danger to have all burned, if any winde should rise, at a trice."
Ralph Fitch, in Foster's Early Travels in India, p. 30.
Gomashtah.- [1621] "Two of the bills (of exchange) were at once accepted, but the third was at first rejected, the shroffs saying it was not by their shawe (Hind. Shah, Shahu, banker), but by one Calyane [Kalyan) of Agra, whose gomashtye has now left Patna."
Foster, English Factories in India (1618-1621), p. 248.
Gorregorri.-[c. 1700.) "There are many seats where the Persians imbibe tobacco from crystal guriguris, called by them caliaõ' (qaliyan), which are long and narrow-necked circular flasks filled with water, having a vessel of tinned copper or of silver... stuck into its (the flask's) mouth, and filled with tobacco."
Manucci, Storia do Mogor, Trans. Irvine, I, 36.
Grassia.-- [1610.) “The fourteenth [march], to Sunnenarra (Sunera) 8 0088, way much stony and theevish, a people called Graciae inhabiting the hils on the left hand, which often ungraciously entertayn caravana."
William Finch, in Early Travels in India, ed. Foster, p. 142.43.
[1621.] "Ten dayes since hee Y&qûb Beg, governor of Broach) went from hence with all his goaldiers to fight against the Gracees at Majaoulmarye, 15 course hence Brodera (Baroda] waye; where hath been many hurt and slaine on both sides."
Foster, English Factories in India (1618-1621), p. 299.
Gubber.-Sir H. Yule was not unnaturally puzzled by the obvious discrepancy between the value of the coin called Gabar' by the author of the Tarich-s-Tahiri and the Gubber of Lockyer and Milburn. The explanation is that the latter-the Gubber' or gold ducat of sorts-was an entirely different coin from the 'Gabar,' which is a miswriting or misreading of kabir. This can be easily proved by the value of the labfr as given by Abul Fazl. That author says that an Ibrahimi was equal to 40 kabirs and 14 kabirs were equal to a rupee of Akbar Shah (Ain, Tr. Jarrett, II, 56). In other words, the kabir was equal to about 7th of an Akbari rupee. Now of the Gabar of the Tarikh-o-Tahirt, we are told that it was equal to 12 miris and 72 miris were equal to the tanka of Sindh in the days of Shah Husain Arghon,
