Topic- ‘Hobson-JobsonPaper No.11 (The post colonial literature)Prepared By: Arati R. Maheta,Roll No: 2,M.A. Part-2,(Batch 2013-15)Semester:3,Submitted to: Department Of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji, Bhavnagar University

Email id: davearati656@gmail.com Year:2014

It is an essay which we studied in ‘Imaginary HomelandsWritten by Salman Rushdie.

What is Hobson- Jobson?

Hobson- Jobson is the short title of Hobson- Jobson: A Glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian Words &Phrases ,and of kindred terms etymological ,historical, geographical. and discursive

A historical dictionary of Anglo-Indian words and terms from Indian language which came into use during British rule of India.

It is written by

Henry Yule Arthur C. Burnell

It was first published in 1886Burnell had died before the work was finished.

A subsequent edition was edited by William Crook in 1903 with extra quotations & an index was added.

The dictionary holds over 2,000 entries generally with citations from literary sources, many of which date to the first European contact with the Indian subcontinent frequently in other non English European Languages.

In Anglo-Indian English the term Hobson -Jobson referred to any festival or entertainment but, especially ceremonies of the Mourning of Muharram.In origin the term is a corruption by British soldier of "Yā H8asan! Yā Husain!" which is repeatedly cried by Shia Muslims as they beat their chests throughout the procession of the Muharram. This was then converted to Hosseen Gosseen this , Hossy Gossy,Hossein Jossein and ultimately Hobson-Jobson. Yule and Burnell were looking for a catchy title for their dictionary and decided upon this since it was a ‘’typical and delightful example’’ of the type of highly domesticated words in the dictionary and at the same time conveyed ‘’a veiled intimation of dual authorship’’

Example of Anglo-Indian words

• The British Empire, many Pundits now agree, descended like a juggernaut upon the barbicans of the East, in search of loot. The moguls of the Raj went in palanquins, smoking cheroots, to sip toddy or sherbet on the verandahs of the gymkhana club, while the memsahibs fretted about the thugs in bandannas and dungarees who roamed the night like pariahs plotting ghoulish deeds.

• All the underlined words in the previous slide can be found with their eastern family trees.

• In Hobson- Jobson the pages bear eloquent testimony to the unparalleled intermingling that took place between English and the languages of India.

• Pundit= A person who express opinion, wise• Juggernaut= a large trucks, forms of Lord

Krishna.• Loot=stolen things• Moguls= an important or powerful person• Cheroots= a kind of cigar via French

cheroute< Tamil

Other examples Pariah=out cast• Tamil Pariyan ‘’drummer’’

Pukka= well done (S.A)• Hindi pakka ‘’cooked ,ripe’’

Tank= used for storage(water)• Gujarati taku, Marathi take ‘’pond’’

Cheroots= a kind of cigar• via French cheroute< Tamil curuttu ‘’ roll of

tobacco.

Toddy= palm tree sap • late18th century via Hindi tari ‘’ palm sap’’<

Sanskrit talah ‘’palm’’ probably< Dravidian.

Palanquins= palakhi• via Portuguese palanquim< Sanskrit Palynka

‘’bed, litter’’.

Verandahs• via Hindi

varanda< Portuguese varanda ‘’railing ,balcony’’

Shampoo• Hindi champo<

campna ‘’knead, massage

ThugHindi thag ‘’cheat robber• Sthagayati

‘’covers’’

Conclusion

• Hobson- Jobson is almost, to regret the passing of the intimate connection that made this linguistic kedgeree possible.

• But then one remembers what sort of connection it was, and is moved to remark.

• Remark- as Rhett Butler once said to Scarlett O’ Hara- Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a small copper coin weighing on tolah, eight mashas and seven surkhs being the fortieth part of rupee. or put it more concisely ,a dam

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