Chapter HÁKIM to HANGER of H by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

(the Mahratta Infantry) are commanded by half-cast people of Portuguese and French extraction, who draw off the attention of the spectators from the bad clothing of their men, by the profusion of antiquated lace bestowed on their own.”—Dirom, Narrative, ii.

1809.—“The Padre, who is a half-cast Portuguese, informed me that he had three districts under him.”—Ld. Valentia, i. 329.

1828.—“An invalid sergeant…came, attended by his wife, a very pretty young half-caste.”—Heber, i. 298.

1875.—“Othello is black—the very tragedy lies there; the whole force of the contrast, the whole pathos and extenuation of his doubts of Desdemona, depend on this blackness. Fechter makes him a half-caste.”—G. H. Lewes, On Actors and the Art of Acting.

HANGER, s. The word in this form is not in Anglo-Indian use, but (with the Scotch whinger, Old Eng. whinyard, Fr. cangiar, &c., other forms of the same) may be noted here as a corruption of the Arab. khanjar, ‘a dagger or short falchion.’ This (vulg. cunjur) is the Indian form. [According to the N.E.D. though ‘hanger’ has sometimes been employed to translate khanjar (probably with a notion of etymological identity) there is no connection between the words.] The khanjar in India is a large double-edged dagger with a very broad base and a slight curve. [See drawings in Egerton, Handbook of Indian Arms, pl. X. Nos. 504, 505, &c.]

1574.—“Patrick Spreull…being persewit be Johne Boill Chepman…in invadyng of him, and stryking him with ane quhinger…throuch the quhilk the said Johnes neis wes woundit to the effusioun of his blude.”—Exts. from Records of the Burgh of Glasgow (1876), p. 2.

1601.—“The other day I happened to enter into some discourse of a hanger, which I assure you, both for fashion and workmanship was most peremptory beautiful and gentlemanlike.…”—B. Jonson, Every Man in His Humour, i. 4.

[c. 1610.—“The islanders also bore their arms, viz., alfanges (al-khanjar) or scimitars.”—Pyrard de Laval, Hak. Soc. i. 43.]

1653.—“Gangeard est en Turq, Persan et Indistanni vn poignard courbé.”—De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, ed. 1657, p. 539.

1672.—“…il s’estoit emporté contre elle jusqu’à un tel excès qu’il luy avoit porté quelques coups de Cangiar dans les mamelles.…”—Journal d’Ant. Galland, i. 177.

1673.—“…handjar de diamants.…”—App. to do. ii. 189.

1676.—

“His pistol next he cock'd anew
And out his nutbrown whinyard drew.”

Hudibras, Canto iii.

1684.—“The Souldiers do not wear Hangers or Scimitars like the Persians, but broad Swords like the Switzers.…”—Tavernier, E.T. ii. 65; [ed. Ball, i. 157].

1712.—“His Excy…was presented by the Emperor with a Hindoostany Candjer, or dagger, set with fine stones.”—Valentijn, iv. (Suratte), 286.

[1717.—“The 23rd ultimo, John Surman received from his Majesty a horse and a Cunger.…”—In Wheeler, Early Records, 183.]

1781.—“I fancy myself now one of the most formidable men in Europe; a blunder-buss for Joe, a pair of double barrels to stick in my belt, and a cut and thrust hanger with a little pistol in the hilt, to hang by my side.”—Lord Minto, in Life, i. 56.

“Lost out of a buggy on the Road between Barnagur and Calcutta, a steel mounted Hanger with a single guard.”—Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, June 30.

1883.—“…by farrashes, the carpetspreader class, a large canjar, or curved dagger, with a heavy ivory handle, is carried; less for use than as a badge of office.”—Wills, Modern Persia, 326.