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Today's
Starting Pitcher:
David Cone
Today's
Reading:
The Unveiling of Lhasa by Edmund Candler
This
Year's Reading:
2001
Book List
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I mentioned that I finished A
Summer Ride Through Western Tibet yesterday. One might
wonder why I read it even more slowly than usual - well
besides that I'm crazy about Miss Jane E. Duncan :-). A lot
of words stumped me. I suppose that at the time it came out
(1906 - the trip was in 1904) any reasonably well-read Brit
following the adventures of the East India Company, the
Younghusband expedition, and whatever all else was going on
in Asia then would have known all the words I struggled with
and hence would not have needed a glossary. But I, ignorant
American that I am, definitely could have used one. This
list is just from the first 50 pages. The whole rest of the
300 page book was just as chock-full of unfamiliar
words.
- badmashes
- thieves, rascals,
scoundrels
- chaplies
- don't know, maybe the plural of
chaplet? from context I'm guessing some article of warm
clothing for snowy climates. Ah 20 pages later I find out
chaplies are sandals with lining soles of felt worn over
leather socks made like lacing boots. According to Ms.
Jane E. Duncan "these socks are drawn over the stockings,
and the whole arrangement is so comfortable that it is
just like treading on velvet, and prevents the feet being
jarred on rough stony tracks."
- bandobast
- "a comprehensive Indian word
meaning every kind of arrangement"
- dandy
- a chair borne on poles, on men's
shoulders
- bheestie
- don't know
- chuprassi
- from context I'm guessing some
sort of government official in India
- dak
- a method of transporting
passengers and news by relays of men and
horses
- rizai
- "a thing like an eiderdown quilt
on the bed"
- numdah
- a felt rug
- degches
- I'm guessing this means cooking
pots from the context
- kiltas
- leather-covered
panniers
- doongas
- houseboats
- shikaras
- like gondolas but with three or
four rowers using heart-shaped paddle blades
- nullah
- gorge
- khud-stick
- like an alpenstock -- personally
I'd call it a trekking pole
- pberak
- "a strip of red or brown leather
or cloth about 4 inches wide, coming to a point on the
forehead and reaching a little below the waist behind,
where it ends in a black knotted fringe finished with a
tassel"
- lappet
- a small loose flap or fold of
garment
- naksha
- map room
- charpoi
- stretcher bedstead
-
One could make the case that I should
have known "lappet" because it actually is an English
word.
- Of course there were India words I
recognized too like bungalow, ghee, and dhurry, and also
a Tibetan word, chang. But I don't think I get too many
cosmopolitan worldliness points for knowing
those.
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