Glossary

Alphabetically: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 

 

A

aar--river catfish

adosa--deep fried snack

Advaita--(theo.) nondual, monistical, Absolute

Aghran--8th month of the Bengali calendar, from mid-November to mid-December

akanda--Calotropis procera. Milkweed

alna--clothes hanger

alta--red lac-dye esp. as used by Hindu women to paint the borders of their feet

amaltas--Cassia fistula; Indian laburnum

amin-- land surveyor; supervisor

amlaki--Phyllanthus emblica-ambla, gooseberry

amra--Spondias mombin

anna--one-sixteenth of a rupee; 4 paisas

Apsara--celestial nymph (myth.)

Asharh--3th month of the Bengali calendar, of the rainy season, from mid-June through mid-July

Ashwin--6th month of the Bengali calendar, of the autumn season, from mid-September through mid-October

atimuktalata--kind of plant

aush--Summer rice, harvested in autumn.

Ayurveda--traditional Hindu science of medicine as taught in the Atharva-veda or other treatises (notably of Charak and Shushrut) B

baba--daddy, father

babla--Acacia nilotica, thorn acacia

babu--honorific, often appended to one's name or title

bachra--Urena lobata Linn.

bagdi--a specific low caste Hindu; bagdini--a female belonging to the bagdi caste

bak--egret

bakul--Mimesops elengi, medlar

banchatka--wild Sagittaria sagittifolia

Bangal--belonging to East Bengal, or currently Bangladesh; often used derogatively

banmalati--Jasminum multiflorum, jasmine

banmarich--Clematis cadmia Ham

Bardi--oldest sister

baro--senior, older, higher in status; often used as a prefix with other words

baro gowale--kind of vine, fox grape(??); vitis lattifolia

bel--wood apple, bilwa, Aegel marmelos

Bhadra--fifth month of the Bengali calendar (from the middle of August to the middle of September)

bherenda--Ricinus communis, castor bean

bhetki--Lates calcarifer, barramundi, Asian sea bass

bhori--a unit of weight equal to 180 grains or a little over 11 gms

bigha--roughly 1/3 of an acre area; equals 20 kathas

boinchi--flacourtia indica, Indian plum

bon-kolmi--ipomoea striata, a avariety of morning glory

bonyeburo--wild cotton

bor--anklets, made with silver or gold

bori--lentil dumpling

boudidi, boudi (coll.)--elder brother's wife; sister-in-life; used socially also.

bou-katha-kao--Indian cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus

bund--artificial embankment, dyke, dam (ref. Hobson-Jobson)

C

Chaitra--last, 12th month of the Bengali year; of the Spring season; from middle of March till middle of April

chalta--Dilenia indica

champak--Maghnolia champaka

chanra--

chatka-- Bauhinia; kachnar

chhatak--1/16 ser; 1/4 poa

chhatim--Alstonia scolaris, Devil tree

chhi--verbal expression of disgust

chhoba--

Chhordi--Youngest older sister

chhoto--junior, younger, small, lower; often prefixed with other words

chhoto gowale--kind of vine, fox grape(??); vitis lattifolia

chital--Chitala chitala; Indian featherback

chun--alkaline lime; calcium

D

daal, dal--pulse; lentil; soup made of these

dakshina--a fee or gift given to a priest or a Brahman or a teacher etc.

dada--elder brother; often used socially to show respect

danda--24 minutes

darga--tomb of a muslim saint or pir

dewan--chief revenue officer of a province

Dhanwantari--(Hindu myth.) the name of the physican of heaven; (fig.) an unfailing physician

dhundul--sponge gourd, Luffa cylindrica; Xylocarpus granatum

didi, -di--elder sister; often used socially to show respect

diksha--ritual initiation

doel--magpie robin, Copsychus saularis

doshbaichandi--kind of flowering plant

drongo--Dicrurus sp.

E

Eesh--kind of medicinal plant

F

fakir--holy men (sufi)

falar--vegeterean meal of fruit and milk

G

gamchha--thin cotton towel

ganda--4 karas

gaoa--made of cow milk

garan--?? kind of tree

ghat--a landing-stage (as on the bank of a river, pond etc.)

ghee--clarified butter; gaoa-ghee--ghee made of cow milk

ghentu--Clerodendrum infortunatum Hill glory

ghetkol--Typhonium trilobatum, arum trobate

gneyo-->> kind of plant

gulancha--moonseed, Tinosp[ora, cordifolia

gung shalik--Acridotheres ginginyanus, bank myna

gur--molasses, date palm jaggery

guru, gurudev--spiritual or honored teacher or guide

H

halhali--medicianl plant

hookah--a single or multistemmed instrument for smoking flavored tobacco

hutum pencha--Tuto alba. Barn owl

I

itey--?? kind of fish

J

jackfruit--Artocarpus heterophyllus, kanthal

Jaistha (coll. Jashti)--2nd (Summer) month of the Bengali calendar; from middle of May to middle of June

jalpipi--Jacana, Metopidius indicus

jamai--son-in-law

jasham--kind of ornament

jhau--Casuarina species

jhinge--ridge gourd

jiuli--Lannea grandis; odina wodier

joggidumur--cluster fig, Ficus racemosa

K

kaash--Saccarum spontaneum, flowering grass

kabbadi--an Indian outdoor game

kabiraj--physician who follows the (Hindu) Ayurvedic system of treatment

kadam--Nauclea kadamba

kadma--??(Pg 305)

kakjangha--Acanthaceae sp.

kalkasunde--coffeeweed, Cassia occidentalis

kalmi--Ipomoea aquatica

kanchan--Orchid tree, Phanera variegata

kanchra daam--Jussiaea repens

kaora--a specific low (Hindu) caste

kara--small cowrie

karanja--Miletia piñata karkun--steward or caretaker of a landed estate

katha--as a volume measure, roughly equals about two and a helf ser of rice; as an area measure, approx. one-twentieth of a bigha

Kartik--7th month of the Bengali calendar; from middle of October to middle of November.

keya--also known as ketaki, screw-pine, Pandanus tectorius

khaira--Chatoessus manminna; kind of fish

kheer--sweetened and condensed milk. used to make varieties of sweet-meats and moulds.

khoi--popped rice

khol--dried patties made of husk of mustard, sesame seeds, etc.

khoro hans--woodduck, the only duck on trees

kneyejhnaka, kakjangha--Leea acqueata

koi--Anabas testubineus, climbing perch

koshakushi--copper utensils for worship ritual

krosh--2 miles

kshetpapra--medicianl plant

kshetpatra--Oldelandia corymbosa

kulin--a noble caste; the males used to marry many women

kumure--kind of vine

kunch--Abras precatorius, Ratti

kusha--a kind of holy grass used in worship rituals

L

langal--wooden tiller

lathi--stick or bludgeon, often made of bamboo and sometimes bound at short intervals with iron rings, forming a formidable weapon (ref. Hobson-Jobson)

lathial--skilled figheter with lathis

lau--bottle gourd, Lageneria vulgaris

M

madar--crown flower, calotropis gigantean

Magh--10th (and winter) month of the Bengali calendar; from middle of January to middle of February

martaman -- a variety of banana originally grown in Martaban maund--40 sers. approx. 80 lbs

Maya--Illusion, which hides the true nature of Reality

mauth--a conical temple shaped confection made of sugar

mem, memsahib--white (European) woman

Mimangsa--one of the six systems of Philosophies, deals with Critical Investigation

mouri--Fennel seed

muchi--cobbler (caste)

murki--popped rice coated with molasses

N

nagkeshar--cannonball tree, monkey pots; Couroupita guianensis

nak-joale--certain vine

nalimul--medicinal vine

naru--sweetened coconut ball

natkan--Annatto, Bixa orellana

natakanta-- Caesalpina crista

nayeb-- administrator; official in charge of rent collection of a zamindar.

neem--Azadirachta indica

Nikiri--certain community of Muslim fishermen

nimphal--fruit (phal) of neem

Nyaya--one of the six systems of Philosophies, deals with Logic

O

okra--?? kind of shrub

ombol--sweet and sour item taken near the end of a meal

P

paan--Piper betle, betel leaf

paanta bhaat--rice (bhaat) cooked overnight and steeped in water

pakhi--area measure of land

palash--flame-of-the-forest; Butea monosperma

panchali--a class of Bengali poems celebrating the glory of a deity and often set to music

pankalas--aquatic weed with small white flowers

pata--kind of ornament, worn around the waist

patali--brittle made of molasses

patpati--kind of creeper

Paush--9th (Winter) month of the Bengali calendar; from middle of December to middle of January

pir--muslim saint

pituli--Trewia Nudiflora Linn.

poa--1/4 of a ser

prasad--food-offering to a deity; (remains of) food-offering from a venerable person

punarnava--spreading hogweed, Boerhavia, diffusa

puon--Indian mahogany, Toona ciliata

R

radhalata--madhabi late, Combretum indicum, honeysuckle

rarha--Mallotus phillippinensis

ratti--Abrus precatorius; rosary pea rerhi--Ricinus communis, Castor sp.

rui--Labeo rohita, carp family

ryot--a tenant of a piece of agricultural land

S

saal--Shorea robustaa. A North Indian tree that yields hard, durable timber and dammar resin

sabri--a superior variety of banana

sajimati--Fuller's earth

salaam--salutation, obeisance, a salute

sala-jal--?? fishing net (made of wicker?) Pg 310

sandesh--sweetmeat made of cheese

sandhyamoni--Mirabilis jalapa, 4'0 clock flower

sardar--leader

ser-- approx. 2 lbs; 1 ser= 4 poas

setho--Professional guide for travelers

shamkut--kind(??) of bird

Shashthi--sixth day of the Moon; first day of the Durga Puja. sheora--Streblas asper. Sandpaper tree

shimul--Bombax ceiba, kapok tree

shirish--Albizia saman, raintree

shiuli--night jasmine, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

shnara--Cupressus sempervirens Linn.

Shraban--4th month of the Bengali calendar, of the rainy season, from mid-July till mid-August

Shrotriyo--a (non-Kulin) sub-caste of Brahmins

shukto, shuktuni--a type of vegetable curry

shyamlata--Ichnocarpus frutescens; black creeper

silli--Lesser whistling duck, Dendrocygna javanica

sinni, coll. corruption of shirni--an oblation of mashed ripe bananas and sweets offered to deities

snuyo--kind of flower

sondal--Cassia fistula, amaltas; golden shower tree

sundari--?? kind of tree/p>

suchikavaran--treatment involving very minute dose (that is contained on top of a needle [suchika]) of ayurvedic medicine concocted with snake poison and other things

Swati--a star, Arcturus/p>

T

tamoguna--one of the three primordial qualities of living beings, darkness or Ignorance

tapoban--secluded forest for meditation

tappa--a variety of semi-classical vocal music

Tarkashastra--Science of Dialectics

techoko--lit. with three eyes, kind of small fish that appears to have an additional eye

telakusha--Coccinia grandis, ivy gourd

thakur--respected brahmin, father-in-law, deity, god

thakurjhi--a father-in-law's daughter, or husband's sister

thelo--coconut shell water container for hookah.

til--an iota; sesame (seed)

tithpalla--Roylea elegans Wall.

tittiraj--amoora rohituka; Aphanamixis polystachya

topa pana--water lettuce, pistia stratiotes

U

uluti--ulu (? Imperata arundinacea Cyrill?)

Uttar-Bhadrapath-- a star in the Andromeda galaxy

V

Vedanta--the theological treatise, the Upanishads