Chapter HOOLY to HORSE-RADISH TREE of H by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

HOOLY to HORSE-RADISH TREE

HOOLY, s. Hind. holi (Skt. holaka), [perhaps from the sound made in singing]. The spring festival, held at the approach of the vernal equinox, during the 10 days preceding the full moon of the month P’halguna. It is a sort of carnival in honour of Krishna and the milkmaids. Passers-by are chaffed, and pelted with red powder, or drenched with yellow liquids from squirts. Songs, mostly obscene, are sung in praise of Krishna, and dances performed round fires. In Bengal the feast is called dol jatra, or ‘Swing- cradle festival.’ [On the idea underlying the rite, see Frazer, Golden Bough, 2nd ed. iii. 306 seq.]

c. 1590.—“Here is also a place called Cheramutty, where, during the feast of the Hooly, flames issue out of the ground in a most astonishing manner.”—Gladwin’s Ayeen Akbery, ii. 34; [ed. Jarrett, ii. 173].

[1671.—“In Feb. or March they have a feast the Romanists call Carnival, the Indians Whoolye.”—In Yule, Hedges’ Diary, Hak. Soc. ii. cccxiv.]

1673.—“… their Hooly, which is at their other Seed-Time.”—Fryer, 180.

1727.—“One (Feast) they kept on Sight of a New Moon in February, exceeded the rest in ridiculous Actions and Expense; and this they called the Feast of Wooly, who was … a fierce fellow in a War with some Giants that infested Sindy. …”—A. Hamilton, i. 128; [ed. 1744, i. 129].

1808.—“I have delivered your message to Mr. H. about April day, but he says he understands the learned to place the Hooly as according with May day, and he believes they have no occasion in India to set apart a particular day in the year for the manufacture.

…”—Letter from Mrs. Halhed to W. Hastings, in Cal. Review, xxvi. 93.

1809.—“… We paid the Muha Raj (Sindhia) the customary visit at the Hohlee. Everything was prepared for playing; but at Captain C.’s particular request, that part of the ceremony was dispensed with. Playing the Hohlee consists in throwing about a quantity of flour, made from a water-nut called singara, and dyed with red sanders; it is called abeer; and the principal sport is to cast it into the eyes, mouth, and ‘nose of the players, and to splash them all over with water tinged of an orange colour with the flowers of the dak (see DHAWK) tree.”—Broughton’s Letters, p. 87; [ed. 1892, p. 65 seq.].

HOON, s. A gold Pagoda (coin), q.v. Hind. hun, “perhaps from Canar. honnu (gold)”—Wilson. [See Rice, Mysore, i. 801.] 1647.—“A wonderfully large diamond from a mine in the territory of Golkonda had fallen into the hands of Kutbu-l-Mulk; whereupon an order was issued, directing him to forward the same to Court; when its estimated value would be taken into account as part of the two lacs of huns which was the stipulated amount of his annual tribute.” —’Inayat Khan, in Elliot, vii. 84.

1879.—“In Exhibit 320 Ramji engages to pay five hons (=Rs. 20) to Vithoba, besides paying the Government assessment.”— Bombay High Court Judgment, Jan. 27, p. 121.

HOONDY, s. Hind. hundi, hundavi; Mahr. and Guj. hundi. A bill of exchange in a native language.

1810.—“Hoondies (i.e. bankers’ drafts) would be of no use whatever to them.”— Williamson, V. M. ii. 530.

HOONIMAUN, s. The great ape; also called Lungoor. 1653.—“Hermand est vn singe que les Indou tiennent pour Sainct.”—De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, p. 541.

HOOWA. A peculiar call (huwa) used by the Singhalese, and thence applied to the distance over which this call can be heard. Compare the Australian coo-ee.

HOPPER, s. A colloquial term in S. India for cakes (usually of rice-flour), somewhat resembling the wheaten chupatties (q.v.) of Upper India. It is the Tamil appam, [from appu, ‘to clap with the hand.’ In Bombay the form used is ap.]

1582.—“Thus having talked a while, he gave him very good entertainments, and commanded to give him certaine cakes, made of the flower of Wheate, which the Malabars do call Apes, and with the same honnie.”—Castañeda (by N.L.), f. 38.

1606.—“Great dishes of apas.”—Gouvea, f. 48v.

1672.—“These cakes are called Apen by the Malabars.”—Baldaeus, Afgoderye (Dutch ed.), 39.

c. 1690.—“Ex iis (the chestnuts of the Jack fruit) in sole siccatis farinam, ex eaque placentas, apas dictas, conficiunt.”—Rheede, iii.

1707.—“Those who bake oppers without permission will be subject to severe penalty.” —Thesavaleme (Tamil Laws of Jaffna), 700.

[1826.—“He sat down beside me, and shared between us his coarse brown