GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL, NAGA and ASSAMESE WORDS
abatis - defence formed by placing felled trees lengthwise, one over the other, with their branches towards the enemies lines
agar - aromatic oil from the eagle-wood tree
ageratum - an everlasting flower
aitsukeba - Y post in Litami
amorces - caps for guns
amung - an Ao sabbath
ang - clan of chiefs among the Konyaks
apotia - unlucky, accursed, death
apuki - apu = young man, ki = house (Sema); in fact log-drum house
aren - soul
babu - a native clerk who writes English
bara - large
basha - temporary accomodation
beal - mouth of a river or valley
betula - a tree
bihu - religious festival (Assamese)
bundobast - a revenue settlement
calash - small, open, chariot
chabili - form of currency used in the Ao country
chalan - labourers or servants permits?
chaprasi - bearer
chara - food, both human and animal
chaukidar - watchman
chaul - husked rice
chekru - village official (Thenizumi)
chelwa - fish
chillum - part of the hookah containing the tobacco seed
chittack - a measure
chokra - house boy
chota - little
chota haziri - 'little breakfast'
chunga - cup made of bamboo
chur - sandbank; alluvial land
classi - tent pitcher (servant)
communation - recital of divine threatenings against sinners
compunder - mixer of medicines (barefoot doctor)
cutcherry, kacheri - magistrate's court
dahu - fortifications at Khonoma
damdims - insects
dao - sort of bill of varying shape used both for wood-cutting and as a weapon
dapfu nullah - slab drain
daroga - local chief of police or head constable
deo bish - fish 'poison'
deo-mani - a variety of bead from a reddish-brown stone flecked with black, much valued, "god-bead"
deota - god
dengue - fever
dhan - unhusked rice
dharis, durries - bed clothes
dhooly - covered litter, carried by two or four men
dhun (dhoon) - flat valley, parallel to the base of the Himalayas
dikdari - worry, trouble, botheration
disolith - stone erected near water tank?
dobashi - interpreter
durbar (darbar) - gathering of persons for conference
ekra - tall grass
erysipelas - febrile disease, 'St Anthony's fire'
euphorbia - sort of cactus
feu de joie - a salute fired by musketry on occasion of public rejoicing, so that it passes from man to man rapidly and steadily, giving one continuous soun
ficus tree - rubber tree
fulminate - a compound of fulminic acid with a base, detonating by percussion, friction of heat
gadela - some sort of 'saddle' used on elephants?
gaonbura - village elder
gareo - a type of bamboo associated with graves
genna - feast
goalas - watchmen
godown - warehouse
gomashta - native agent or factor
goor - molasses
gunda - a rogue elephant?
ha-chong - head-tree (Chang, Tuensang)
hakim - judge, ruler, master
hathis - elephants
helio - communication by mirror
hiba - shaman
hiniu - female shaman
hoki - friend
huldee - a spice
jadu - spell
jampan - kind of sedan chair
jangar - raft
jappa - four-footed carrying basket with a lid, narrower at the bottom than the top
jara - wild cardamum
jat - clan, race
Jemadar - Indian Army, 2nd rank; also servant in charge of other servants
jheel - a mere or lagoon
jhuming - a form of extensive cultivation in which an area is cleared of jungle by burning
kadur (khadir) - recent alluvial bordering a big river
kahar - one who carried loads
kemovo - director of village ceremonies (Angami)
kenna - Angami word for 'genna'
khabbar - news
khair - an astringent extract from the wood of several species of acacia
khana - receptacle, compartment
khals - narrow-necked earthenware jar for storing liquid
khansama - house steward; chief table servant and provider
khat - land formerly given to Nagas by Ahoms; rent from khats went to Government from 1921, and Nagas received a fixed amount
khatdar - persons who owned khat land
kheddah (keddah) - elephant trap
khel - subdivision of a Naga village
khud (khudd) - precipitious hillside, or deep valley
khullakpa - village headman (Zemi)
khulen, khullen
big village
khunou - small village
kipuchi - genna stone (Angami)
kitmagar - servant
lac - dark-red resinouse incrustation produced in certain trees by the puncture of an insect (coccus lacca) and use as a scarlet dye
lakh - one hundred thousand rupees
lambu, lampur - a herald, agent, go-between (semi-sacred)
lao - gourd used for carrying and storing liquor
laoki, lauki - container for liquid
latha - forest plant (Lhota)
lathi - stick
laya, mulong - brass disc, used as currency and as decoration by the Konyak
lengta - narrow strip of cloth tied round the waist, passing between the legs from behind and up to the waist again in front, whence if falls down again in a square flap
machan, maichan - an elevated platform of wood or bamboo, erected to watch a tiger, guard a field etc.
madhu, modhu - fermented liquor brewed from rice
magutung - head tree (Sangtam)
maibi, maiba - priest or priestess
makna, mukna - wild
mali - gardener
mamooty - digging tool of the form usual all over India, shaped like a hoe
mana - spirit, soul (sacred)
masalah - spice
maund - weight of a man, in British India 1 maund = 40 seer
mechuki - field rest house (Angami)
mithan - the domesticated variety of 'bos frontalis', one of a species of Indian bison
mohorir, mohurrer - writer in native language
moochee, moochy - one who works in leather, either as a shoemaker or saddler
moong - kind of vetch, oblong grain of light green colour, used for dhal
moonshi, munshi - writer, interpreter, secretary
morung (or deka chang) - house where batchelors of a clan sleep, also used as a centre for clan ceremonies
N.N.C. - Naga National Council
naik - soldier
neangba, niengba - old men from morungs who meet as a council to judge crimes (Konyak)
nullah - a watercourse
opya - post put up at the installation of a puthi (priest) into which bamboo spears are hurled (Lhota)
oyontsoa - feast (Lhota)
paddy - rice growing or in the husk
pan - leaf used for chewing
pandit, pundit - man learned in law
pani - water
panikhet - irrigated terrace for wet rice
penna - feast or genna (Angami)
panjis - spikes of hardened bamboo, between four and eight inches, used to impede the passage of an enemy, impale wild animals in pits etc.
pice
small copper coin, a quarter of an anna
pita modhu - mild rice beer
pitsu - functionary who is in charge of private pennas (Angami)
poguma, perguma - Imperial pigeon
poke - primitive figures of the dead (Konyak, Kongan)
pucka, pucca, pukka - substantial, permanent
puthi, puti - priest (Lhota)
rhemba - clan official, deals with a head (Konyak)
ritso - poison used in fishing (Lhota)
russud - provision of grain, forage, and other necessaries
salutry, salootree, salustree - native farrier or horse doctor
sangar, sungar - rude stone breastwork
sardar - leader
sarkar, sirkar - British Government
sarkari barut - gunpowder of European manufacture
seer - measure of weight: 1 seer = 80 tolas, 40 seers = 1 maund
serai - building for housing travellers
serow - species of antelope allied to a goat, living on jungle-clad precipices
sesamun, sesame - plant
sheku - log drum (Sema)
shikari - a tracker, hunter of game
sirdar - soldier, rank of petty officer
sowar - a horseman, native cavalry, a mounted orderly
subadar - chief native officer of a company of sepoys
tamasha, tumasha - an entertainment, a spectacle
tehuba - stone circle in front of a morung (Angami)
thana - a police station, or fortified post
thevo - village priest (Angami)
tikka, ticca - applied to any person engaged by the job, or on contract
tokupat, toka pat, tonkopat - large leaf used for thatching
tola - measure of weight: 80 tolas = 1 seer
tope - grove or orchard
vangam - headman
waler - small horse
yemba - builds field house (Konyak)
zemindar - land holder
zevos - official involved in penna (Angami, Khonoma)
zonvophe - cloth with painted mithan on it (Rengma)
zu - fermented liquor
Back (Contents of the textual database)Next (Acknowledgements)