Chapter FIREFLY to FIRINGHEE of F by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

de Christãos … e huns delles a qui chamão Franques, estes tem o costume e fé, como nos … e outros são Armenos.”—A. Tenreiro, Itinerario, ch. xv.

1565.—“Suddenly news came from Thatta that the Firingis had passed Lahori Bandar, and attacked the city.”—Táríkh-i-Táhirí, in Elliot, i. 276.

c. 1610.—“La renommée des François a esté telle par leur conquestes en Orient, que leur nom y est demeuré pour memoire éternelle, en ce qu’encore aujourd’huy par toute l’Asie et Afrique on appelle du nom de Franghi tous ceux qui viennent d’Occident.”—Mocquet, 24.

[1614.—“… including us within the word Franqueis.”—Foster, Letters, ii. 299.]

1616.—“… alii Cafres et Cafaros eos dicunt, alii Francos, quo nomine omnes passim Christiani … dicuntur.”—Jarric, Thesaurus, iii. 217.

[1623.—“Franchi, or Christians.”—P. della Valle, Hak. Soc. ii. 251.]

1632.—“… he shew’d two Passes from the Portugals which they call by the name of Fringes.”—W. Bruton, in Hakluyt, v. 32.

1648.—“Mais en ce repas-là tout fut bien accommodé, et il y a apparence qu’un cuisinier Frangui s’en estoit mélé.”—Tavernier, V. des Indes, iii. ch. 22; [ed. Ball, ii. 335].

1653.—“Frenk signifie en Turq vn Europpeen, ou plustost vn Chrestien ayant des cheueux et vn chapeau comme les François, Anglois.…”—De la Bovllaye-le-Gouz, ed. 1657, 538.

c. 1660.—“The same Fathers say that this King (Jehan-Guire), to begin in good earnest to countenance the Christian Religion, designed to put the whole Court into the habit of the Franqui, and that after he had … even dressed himself in that fashion, he called to him one of the chief Omrahs … this Omrah … having answered him very seriously, that it was a very dangerous thing, he thought himself obliged to change his mind, and turned all to raillery.”—Bernier, E.T. 92; [ed. Constable, 287; also see p. 3].

1673.—“The Artillery in which the Fringis are Listed; formerly for good Pay, now very ordinary, having not above 30 or 40 Rupees a month.”—Fryer, 195.

1682.—“… whether I had been in Turky and Arabia (as he was informed) and could speak those languages … with which they were pleased, and admired to hear from a Frenge (as they call us).”— Hedges, Diary, Oct. 29; [Hak. Soc. i. 44].

1712.—“Johan Whelo; Serdaar Frengiaan, or Captain of the Europeans in the Emperor’s service.…”—Valentijn, iv (Suratte) 295.

1755.—“By Feringy I mean all the black mustee (see MUSTEES) Portuguese Christians residing in the settlement as a people distinct from the natural and proper subjects of Portugal; and as a people who sprung originally from Hindoos or Mussulmen.”— Holwell, in Long, 59.

1774.—“He said it was true, but everybody was afraid of the Firingies.”—Bogle, in Markham’s Tibet, 176.

1782.—“Ainsi un Européen est tout ce que les Indiens connoissent de plus méprisable; ils le nomment Parangui, nom qu’ils donnèrent aux Portugais, lorsque ceux-ci abordèrent dans leur pays, et c’est un terme qui marque le souverain mépris qu’ils ont pour toutes les nations de l’Europe.”— Sonnerat, i. 102.

1791.—“… il demande à la passer (la nuit) dans un des logemens de la pagoda; mais on lui refusa d’y coucher, à cause qu’il étoit frangui.”—B. de St. Pierre, Chaumière Indienne, 21.

1794.—“Feringee. The name given by the natives of the Decan to Europeans in general, but generally understood by the English to be confined to the Portuguese.” —Moor’s Narrative, 504.

[1820.—“In the southern quarter (of Backergunje) there still exist several original Portuguese colonies.… They are a meagre, puny, imbecile race, blacker than the natives, who hold them in the utmost contempt, and designate them by the appellation of Caula Ferenghies, or black Europeans.”— Hamilton, Descr. of Hindostan, i. 133; for an account of the Feringhis of Sibpur, see Beveridge, Bakarganj, 110.]

1824.—“ ‘Now Hajji,’ said the ambassador. … ‘The Franks are composed of many, many nations. As fast as I hear of one hog, another begins to grunt, and then another and another, until I find that there is whole heard of them.’ ”—Hajji Baba, ed. 1835, p. 432.

1825.—“Europeans, too, are very little known here, and I heard the children continually calling out to us, as we passed through the villages, ‘Feringhee, ue Feringhee!’”—Heber, ii. 43.

1828.—“Mr. Elphinstone adds in a note that in India it is a positive affront to call an Englishman a Feringhee.”—Life of E. ii. 207.

c. 1861.—

“There goes my lord the Feringhee, who talks so civil and bland,
But raves like a soul in Jehannum if I don’t quite understand—
He begins by calling me Sahib, and ends by calling me fool.…”

Sir A. C. Lyall, The Old Pindaree.

The Tibetans are said to have corrupted Firinghee into Pelong (or Philin). But Jaeschke disputes this origin of Pelong.