urdu | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

21 entries found.

official language of Pakistan, 1796, formerly also known as Hindustani, from Urdu urdu "camp," from Turkish ordu (source of horde); short for zaban-i-urdu "language of the camp." Compare Dzongkha, a variant of Tibetan and the official language of Bhutan, literally "the language of the fortress." A form of Hindu heavily leavened with Persian and Arabic. "So named because it grew up since the eleventh century in the camps of the Mohammedan conquerors of India as a means of communication between them and the subject population of central Hindustan." [Century Dictionary]

Hindustan

1610s, from Persian, literally "country of the Hindus;" see Hindu + -stan. Related: Hindustani, the old name for Urdu.

howdah (n.)

"seat on the back of an elephant for two or more to ride," 1774, from Persian and Urdu haudah, from Arabic haudaj "litter carried by a camel" (or elephant).

attar (n.)

"perfume from flowers" (especially roses), 1788, from Hindi/Urdu atr "perfume," from Persian 'itr "perfume," from Arabic 'itr "perfume, aroma."

mullah (n.)

title given in Muslim lands to one learned in theology and sacred law, 1610s, from Turkish molla, Persian and Urdu mulla, from Arabic mawla "master," from waliya "reigned, governed."

mem-sahib (n.)

In colonial India and south Asia, "a European lady," by 1857, a hybrid from the local pronunciation of English ma'am + Hindi and Urdu sahib "master" (see sahib).

rupee (n.)

Indian coin, the standard unit of value, 1610s, from Hindi or Urdu rupiyah, from Sanskrit rupyah "wrought silver," perhaps originally "something provided with an image, a coin," from rupah "shape, likeness, image."

cowrie (n.)

small, glossy shell, used as money from ancient times to 20c. in parts of Asia, 1660s, from Hindi and Urdu kauri, from Mahrati kavadi, from Sanskrit kaparda, which is perhaps related to Tamil kotu "shell."

must (n.3)

"male elephant frenzy," 1878, from earlier adjective (1855), from Urdu mast "intoxicated, in rut," from Persian mast, literally "intoxicated," related to Sanskrit matta- "drunk, intoxicated," past participle of madati "boils, bubbles, gets drunk," from PIE root *mad- "wet, moist" (see mast (n.2)).

hookah (n.)

also hooka, 1763, via Hindi or Persian or directly from Arabic huqqah "small box, vessel" (through which the smoke is drawn), related to huqq "a hollow place." Extended in Urdu to the whole apparatus.

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