Chapter DRAWERS to DUBBER of D by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

we have—

“Eight cheroots…010.

“The prices are in fanams, dubs, and cash. The fanam changes for 11 dubs and 4 cash.”—In Lives of the Lindsays, iii.

c. 1790.—“J’eus pour quatre dabous, qui font environ cinq sous de France, d’excellent poisson pour notre souper.”—Haafner, ii. 75.

DUBASH, DOBASH, DEBASH, s. H. dubhashiya, dobashi (lit. ‘man of two languages’), Tam. tupashi. An interpreter; obsolete except at Madras, and perhaps there also now, at least in its original sense; [now it is applied to a dressing-boy or other servant with a European.] The Dubash was at Madras formerly a usual servant in every household; and there is still one attached to each mercantile house, as the broker transacting business with natives, and corresponding to the Calcutta banyan (q.v.). According to Drummond the word has a peculiar meaning in Guzerat: “A Doobasheeo in Guzerat is viewed as an evil spirit, who by telling lies, sets people by the ears.” This illustrates the original meaning of dubash, which might be rendered in Bunyan’s fashion as Mr. Two-Tongues.

[1566.—“Bring toopaz and interpreter, Antonio Fernandes.”—India Office MSS. Gaveta’s agreement with the jangadas of the fort of Quilon, Aug. 13.

[1664.—“Per nossa conta a ambos por manilha 400 fanoim e ao tupay 50 fanoim.”—Letter of Zamorin, in Logan, Malabar, iii. 1.]

1673.—“The Moors are very grave and haughty in their Demeanor, not vouchsafing to return an Answer by a slave, but by a Deubash.”—Fryer, 30.

[1679.—“The Dubass of this Factory having to regaine his freedom.”—S. Master, in Man. of Kistna Dist. 133.]

1693.—“The chief Dubash was ordered to treat…for putting a stop to their proceedings.”—Wheeler, i. 279.

1780.—“He ordered his Dubash to give the messenger two pagodas (sixteen shillings);—it was poor reward for having received two wounds, and risked his life in bringing him intelligence.”—Letter of Sir T. Munro, in Life, i. 26.

1800.—“The Dubash there ought to be hanged for having made difficulties in collecting the rice.”—Letter of Sir A. Wellesley, in do. 259.

c. 1804.—“I could neither understand them nor they me; but they would not give me up until a Debash, whom Mrs. Sherwood had hired…came to my relief with a palanquin.”—Autobiog. of Mrs. Sherwood, 272.

1809.—“He (Mr. North) drove at once from the coast the tribe of Aumils and Debashes.”—Ld. Valentia, i. 315.

1810.—“In this first boat a number of debashes are sure to arrive.”—Williamson, V. M. i. 133.

” “The Dubashes, then all powerful at Madras, threatened loss of caste, and absolute destruction to any Bramin who should dare to unveil the mysteries of their sacred language.”—Morton’s Life of Leyden, 30.

1860.—“The moodliars and native officers…were superseded by Malabar Dubashes, men aptly described as enemies to the religion of the Singhalese, strangers to their habits, and animated by no impulse but extortion.”—Tennent’s Ceylon, ii. 72.

DUBBEER, s. P.—H. dabir, ‘a writer or secretary.’ It occurs in Pehlevi as debir, connected with the old Pers. dipi, ‘writing.’ The word is quite obsolete in Indian use.

1760.—“The King…referred the adjustment to his Dubbeer, or minister, which, amongst the Indians, is equivalent to the Duan of the Mahomedan Princes.”—Orme, ii. § ii. 601.

DUBBER, s. Hind. (from Pers.) dabbah; also, according to Wilson, Guzerati dabaro; Mahr. dabara. A large oval vessel, made of green buffalo-hide, which, after drying and stiffening, is used for holding and transporting ghee or oil. The word is used in North and South alike. 1554.—“Butter (a mamteiga, i.e. ghee) sells by the maund, and comes hither (to Ormuz) from Bacoraa and from Reyxel (see RESHIRE); the most (however) that comes to Ormuz is from Diul and from Mamgalor, and comes in certain great jars of hide, dabaas.”—A. Nunes, 23.

1673.—“Did they not boil their Butter it would be rank, but after it has passed the Fire they keep it in Duppers the year round.”—Fryer, 118.

1727.—(From the Indus Delta.) “They export great quantities of Butter, which they gently melt and put up in Jars called Duppas, made of the Hides of Cattle, almost in the Figure of a Glob, with a Neck and Mouth on one side.”—A. Hamilton, i. 126; [ed. 1744, i. 127].

1808.—“Purbhoodas Shet of Broach, in whose books a certain Mahratta Sirdar is said to stand debtor for a Crore of Rupees…in early life brought…ghee in dubbers upon his own head hither from Baroda, and retailed it…in open Bazar.”—R. Drummond, Illustrations, &c.

1810.—“…dubbahs or bottles made of green hide.”—Williamson, V. M. ii. 139.

1845.—“I find no account made out by the prisoner of what became of these dubbas of ghee.”—G. O. by Sir C. Napier, in Sind, 35.