Blunt, Edward : The caste system of northern India: with special reference to the united provinces of Agra and Oudh (London, 1931)

'gipsy' castes

Kunchbandhiya Kanjars in the neighbourhood of Delhi,
where they come in contact with Europeans as shikaris to
the Delhi Tent Club. It is an argot based on ordinary
Hindustani; the following are specimen words and

phrases :


Bread

dhimri

Caste

jetheli

Child

chookha

Burial

khimti dubaigo

Gold mohar

khasarf

Man

khad

Woman

loobhar

Pviipees

rika

Tobacco

romak

He has gone away

rardes gaogiro

I know

jando

There it goes

%voh jaogda

Hide

jugjao

Snake

sanpilo

Well

dhoan

W ater

nimani

Father

bapilo

Mother

cha, antari

Ox

rail

Moon

chianda

Sky

radul

Storm

kandhi

Awake

jagog

Dog

jhukal

Thief

khainch

The Hindustani basis for many of these words is
clear. Jetheli (caste) obviously refers to jeth, a term of re-
lationship. Khimti is matti, altered by preposing kh;
words similarly altered are khad (admi), khasarf (ashrafi),
kandhi (andhi). Other alterations of ordinary Hindustani
words are chooka (chokra), rika (sikka), romak (tambaku),
rardes (pardes), dhoan (kuan), nimani (pani), bapilo (bap),
cha (ma), antari (matari), rail (bail), sanpilo (sanp), chian-
da (chand), radnl (badul). The similarity of the verbal

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