Chapter CALEEOON to CALPUTTEE of C by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

CALEEOON to CALPUTTEE

CALEEOON, CALYOON, s. P. kaliyun, a water-pipe for smoking; the Persian form of the Hubble-Bubble (q.v.).

[1812.—“A Persian visit, when the guest is a distinguished personage, generally consists of three acts: first, the kaleoun, or water pipe.…”—Morier, Journey through Persia, &c., p. 13.]

1828.—“The elder of the men met to smoke their calleoons under the shade.”— The Kuzzilbash, i. 59.

[1880.—“Kalliúns.” See quotation under JULIBDAR.]

CALICO, s. Cotton cloth, ordinarily of tolerably fine texture. The word appears in the 17th century sometimes in the form of Calicut, but possibly this may have been a purism, for calicoe or callico occurs in English earlier, or at least more commonly in early voyages. [Callaca in 1578, Draper’s Dict. p. 42.] The word may have come to us through the French calicot, which though retaining the t to the eye, does not do so to the ear. The quotations sufficiently illustrate the use of the word and its origin from Calicut. The fine cotton stuffs of Malabar are already mentioned by Marco Polo (ii. 379). Possibly they may have been all brought from beyond the Ghauts, as the Malabar cotton, ripening during the rains, is not usable, and the cotton stuffs now used in Malabar all come from Madura (see Fryer below; and Terry under CALICUT). The Germans, we may note, call the turkey Calecutische Hahn, though it comes no more from Calicut than it does from Turkey. [See TURKEY.]

1579.—“3 great and large Canowes, in each whereof were certaine of the greatest personages that were about him, attired all of them in white Lawne, or cloth of Calecut.” —Drake, World Encompassed, Hak. Soc. 139.

1591.—“The commodities of the shippes that come from Bengala bee … fine Calicut cloth, Pintados, and Rice.”—Barker’s Lancaster, in Hakl. ii. 592.

1592.—“The calicos were book-calicos, calico launes, broad white calicos, fine starched calicos, coarse white calicos, browne coarse calicos.”—Desc. of the Great Carrack Madre de Dios.

1602.—“And at his departure gaue a robe, and a Tucke of Calico wrought with gold.” —Lancaster’s Voyage, in Purchas, i. 153.

1604.—“It doth appear by the abbreviate of the Accounts sent home out of the Indies, that there remained in the hands of the Agent, Master Starkey, 482 fardels of Calicos.”—In Middleton’s Voyage, Hak. Soc. App. iii. 13.

„ “I can fit you, gentlemen, with fine callicoes too, for doublets; the only sweet fashion now, most delicate and courtly: a meek gentle callico, cut upon two double affable taffatas; all most neat, feat, and unmatchable.”—Dekker, The Honest Whore, Act. II. Sc. v.

1605.—“… about their loynes they (the Javanese) weare a kind of Callico- cloth.”— Edm. Scot, ibid. 165.

1608.—“They esteem not so much of money as of Calecut clothes, Pintados, and such like stuffs.”—Iohn Davis, ibid. 136.

1612.—“Calico copboord claiths, the piece … xls.”—Rates and Valuatiouns, &c. (Scotland), p. 294.

1616.—“Angarezia … inhabited by Moores trading with the Maine, and other three Easterne Ilands with their Cattell and fruits, for Callicoes or other linnen to cover them.”—Sir T. Roe, in Purchas; [with some verbal differences in Hak. Soc. i. 17].

1627.—“Calicoe, tela delicata Indica. H. Calicúd, dicta à Calecút, Indiae regione ubi conficitur.”—Minsheu, 2nd ed., s.v.

1673.—“Staple Commodities are Calicuts, white and painted.”—Fryer, 34.

„ “Calecut for Spice … and no Cloath, though it give the name of Calecut to all in India, it being the first Port from whence they are known to be brought into Europe.”—Ibid. 86.

1707.—“The Governor lays before the Council the insolent action of Captain Leaton, who on Sunday last marched part of his company … over the Company’s Calicoes that lay a dyeing.”—Minute in Wheeler, ii. 48.

1720.—Act 7 Geo. I. cap. vii. “An Act to preserve and encourage the woollen and silk manufacture of this kingdom, and for more effectual employing of the Poor, by prohibiting the Use and Wear of all printed, painted, stained or dyed Callicoes in Apparel, Household Stuff, Furniture, or otherwise.…”—Stat. at Large, v. 229.

1812.—

“Like Iris’ bow down darts the painted clue,
Starred, striped, and spotted, yellow, red, and blue,
Old calico, torn silk, and muslin new.”

Rejected Addresses (Crabbe).

CALICUT, n.p. In the Middle Ages the chief city, and one of the chief ports of Malabar, and the residence of the Zamorin (q.v.). The name Kolikodu is said to mean the ‘Cock-Fortress.’ [Logan (Man. Malabar,