Rural and Agricultural Glossary
by William Crooke | 1888 | 484,256 words
This boo, “A Rural and Agricultural Glossary of the Northwestern Provinces and Oudh” is an essential reference work detailing the rural and agricultural terminology of the region during the colonial era, offering valuable insight into the agrarian economy, practices, and culture. The author, William Crooke (1848-1923), was a notable British orienta...
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MAGH 181 [Magh may be obstinate or prolific, but there is no end to the rain in Magh.] Magha ke barse, matu ke parse. Another version isMata ke parse putr aghae, Magha ke barxe prithvi aghae. [Rain in Magha is as good as food served by your mother.] Jo kahin Mugha barse jal, Sab najon men hoga phal. [If it rain at all in Magha all grains will give good produce.] Magh- [Skt. magha = referring to the asteMagha- rism Magh] (Mah)--the 10 th Hindin lunisolar month-January-February. Mah talatal barhe; Phagun gore karhe. [The day increases slowly in length in Magh, but by strides in Phagun.] Magh men aur kakore = asking in January for vegetables that grow in August! Magha-see magh. Maghar-[Magh]-fields which, having borne rice during the preceding season, are in January and February ploughed, hoed, and weeded for a fresh rice crop. East districts. Magharna-[Migh]-to plough in the month of January-February lands intended to be sown with rice in the next rainy season. East Ea districts. = Maghz roshan-[maghz the brain; roshan Magjrosan- } = clear]-snuff (nas). Magra- [Skt. marga = anything straight like Magri- a road]-the ridge pole of a house. West districts (balendi). Magro-[magra]-river sand-banks rendered culturable by a deposit of good soil. Mathura. Mah-the month of Magh (qv.). Mah-[Skt. masa = a month]-a month (mahina). Magrosan-see maghz roshan. Mahadeva [lit. the great god, a title usually applied to Shiva] -the projecting knob in the upper bar of a plough yoke. East districts (hal). Mahai-[mahnd = to churn]-the stirring up and oxidisation of the indigo extract in the vats (nil). Mahajal-[maha = great ; jal = net]-a large fishing net. Mahajan-[maha = great; jan = man]-(1) (bipari, bohra, by opari, sah, sahu, sahukar) a large money-lender, banker. Sat sundra nau thagga, Sau thag Banya ek; Sau Baniye ko marke, Garo mahajan ek. [Seven goldsmiths equal nine thugs: a hundred thugs equal one Baniya: but if you want to form one Mahajan you must kill a hundred Baniyas.] Baniya apne bap ko thagat na lave bar, Nis basar janni thage jahan let autar; Jahan let autar ; mas das udra men rakhe; Guru se kare biban; ap pandit hoe bhuke : Kahi Girdhar kavirae-beche hardi aru dhaniya, Mitr jan thag let jahan lag bhaktu Baniya. MAHINA [The Baniya never hesitates to cheat his own father, and his mother day and night, from whose womb he was born and where she kept him for full ten months. He thinks himself a pandit and will argue with his own teacher. Says Girdhar, prince of poets: "He deals in turmeric and coriander and cheats his own friend, however great a devotee he may be."] (2) in Kahar's slang-human excrement (khat). Mahajani-[mahajan]-money-lending, banking (lenden). Mahal-(1) a palace; (2) a side chapel in a Hindu temple (mandir); (3) a wife-among Muhammadans. Mahamal (1) the great mother-popularly Mahami- supposed to be the younger sister of Devi: she brings boils on children and smallpox like Mata (qv.); (2) rinderpest in cattle (chechak). Mahant-[Skt. mahata = great]-the abbot Mahantaor chief of a Hindu temple. Mahapars-[? corr. of mahapurush = great man]-a scare-crow. South Rohilkhand (dhokha). Mahaparshad- [mahd = great; parshad = Mahaprasad- offering] the great distribution of cooked food distributed to all the persons present at the shrine of Jagganath : among ascetics it means cooked rice. Mahara-) (1) one of the Kahar or bearer caste. Mahari-) East districts; (2) a title among the Chamar caste for a father-in-law and a motherin-law. East districts (susar). Mahaut-[Pcorr. of Arabic mahitah = surrounding]-the eave board of a house (olti). Mahaut-see mahavat. Mahavar-a red dye used by women for painting their hands and feet. East districts and Bundelkhand. Mahavat-[Skt. mahamatra] (mahaut)-an elephant driver. Mahavat-[Skt. Magha-varsha = rain in the Maghu asterism] the winter rains: for the proverb see under bhains. Mahavati-[mahavat]-elephant'sdung. Kahar's slang (khat). Mahazi-lit, opposite: the rule by which, in cases of alluvion, land thrown up in front of a village is regarded as belonging to it-of. dhardhura. Mahela- [Skt. masha = a bean]-(1) a mash Maheras made of the grain of moth, sugar, butter, etc., given to horses to fatten them ; (2) a mess of rice and sour milk. Duab. Maheri-[mahel&]-unground juar millet boiled and eaten with condiments. Mahi-[Skt. mathita = churned]-butter-milk (mattha). Mahiar-[mahi]-(1) the sediment deposited in making clarified butter. East districts (mail); (2) the worst kind of clay (matiyar) soil found in low-lying situations. Central Duab (maiyar). Mahina-[Skt. masa]-(1) (mah, maina) a month. The following gives the months and the worst food for each:Chaite gur, Baisakhe tel; Jethe panth, Asarhe bel, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
