E-Paper
Indian words in English coming soon in new 'avatar'
Hobson-Jobson, the legendary dictionary of Indian words in the English language first published in 1886, is being re-launched by a British academic 'entranced' by the fascinating outcome of inter-cultural encounter between Britain and India.
Hobson-Jobson, the legendary dictionary of Indian words in the English language first published in 1886, is being re-launched by a British academic 'entranced' by the fascinating outcome of inter-cultural encounter between Britain and India.
Kate Teltscher, a Reader at Roehampton University, has collaborated with award-winning Indian-origin poet Daljit Bagra to produce a radio programme on Hobson-Jobson, which was compiled and produced by polymaths Henry Yule and Arthur Burnell.
Hobson-Jobson has resulted in more English words of Indian-origin entering the Oxford English Dictionary than of any other country since its publication in 1886.
It has inspired a generation of writers from Rudyard Kipling to Salman Rushdie.
Commonly used English words of Indian origin include shampoo, avatar, bungalow, tiffin, coolie, pyjamas, gymkhana, bazaar, thug, veranda, khaki, nirvana, chutney, pundit and juggernaut.
Teltscher says that Hobson-Jobson breaks all the rules about dictionaries. It is madly scholarly yet hugely idiosyncratic and fun, she says.
Teltscher and Bagra's radio programme on the subject will be broadcast tomorrow.
Hobson-Jobson was compiled by Henry Yule and Arthur Burnell, who corresponded with scholars, diplomats, missionaries, intelligence officers and army personnel across the globe to produce their 1000 page lexicon.
