Chapter KIDDERPORE to KINCOB of K by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

their services.”—Articles of Charge against Hastings, in Burke’s Works, vii. 25.

1809.—“On paying a visit to any Asiatic Prince, an inferior receives from him a complete dress of honour, consisting of a khelaut, a robe, a turban, a shield and sword, with a string of pearls to go round the neck.”—Ld. Valentia, i. 99.

1813.—“On examining the khelauts … from the great Maharajah Madajee Sindia, the serpeych (see SIRPECH) … presented to Sir Charles Malet, was found to be composed of false stones.”—Forbes, Or. Mem. iii. 50; [2nd ed. ii. 418].

KINCOB, s. Gold brocade. P.—H. kamkhab, kamkhwab, vulgarly kimkhwab. The English is perhaps from the Gujarati, as in that language the last syllable is short.

This word has been twice imported from the East. For it is only another form of the medieval name of an Eastern damask or brocade, cammocca. This was taken from the medieval Persian and Arabic forms kamkha or kimkhwa, ‘damasked silk,’ and seems to have come to Europe in the 13th century. F. Johnson’s Dict. distinguishes between kamkha, ‘damask silk of one colour,’ and kimkha, ‘damask silk of different colours.’ And this again, according to Dozy, quoting Hoffmann, is originally a Chinese word kin-kha; in which doubtless kin, ‘gold,’ is the first element. Kim is the Fuhkien form of the word; qu. kim-hoa, ‘gold-flower’? We have seen kimkhwab derived from Pers. kam-khwab, ‘less sleep,’ because such cloth is rough and prevents sleep! This is a type of many etymologies. [“The ordinary derivation of the word supposes that a man could not even dream of it who had not seen it (kam, ‘little,’ khwab, ‘dream’)” (Yusuf Ali, Mono. on Silk, 86). Platts and the Madras Gloss. take it from kam, ‘little,’ khwab, ‘nap.’] Ducange appears to think the word survived in the French mocade (or moquette); but if so the application of the term must have degenerated in England. (See in Draper’s Dict. mockado, the form of which has suggested a sham stuff.)

c. 1300.— [Greek Text] “PaidoV gar eudaimonountoV, kai ton patera dei suneudaimonein kata thn umnoumenhn antipelargwsin. Esqhta phnoufh pepomfwV hn kamcan h Perswn fhsi glwtta, draswn eu isqi, ou diplaka men oude marmarehn oiwn Elenh exufainen, all [Greek Text] hereidh kai poikilhn.”—Letter of Theodorus the Hyrtacenian to Lucites, Protonotary and Protovestiary of the Trapezuntians. In Notices et Extraits, vi. 38.

1330.—“Their clothes are of Tartary cloth, and camocas, and other rich stuffs ofttimes adorned with gold and silver and precious stones.”—Book of the Estate of the Great Kaan, in Cathay, 246.

c. 1340.—“You may reckon also that in Cathay you get three or three and a half pieces of damasked silk (cammocca) for a sommo.”—Pegolotti, ibid. 295.

1342.—“The King of China had sent to the Sultan 100 slaves of both sexes for 500 pieces of kamkha, of which 100 were made in the City of Zaitun. …”—Ibn Batuta, iv. 1.

c. 1375.—“Thei setten this Ydole upon a Chare with gret reverence, wel arrayed with Clothes of Gold, of riche Clothes of Tartarye, of Camacaa, and other precious Clothes.”—Sir John Maundevill, ed. 1866, p. 175.

c. 1400.—“In kyrtle of Cammaka kynge am I cladde.”—Coventry Mystery, 163.

1404.—“… é quando se del quisieron partir los Embajadores, fizo vestir al dicho Ruy Gonzalez una ropa de camocan, e dióle un sombrero, e dixole, que aquello tomase en señal del amor que el Tamurbec tenia al Señor Rey.”—Clavijo, § lxxxviii.

1411.—“We have sent an ambassador who carries you from us kimkha.”—Letter from Emp. of Chian to Shah Rukh, in Not. et Ext. xiv. 214.

1474.—“And the King gave a signe to him that wayted, comaunding him to give to the dauncer a peece of Camocato. And he taking this peece threwe it about the heade of the dauncer, and of the men and women: and useing certain wordes in praiseng the King, threwe it before the mynstrells.”—Josafa Barbaro, Travels in Persia, E.T. Hak. Soc. p. 62.

1688.— [Greek Text] “KamoucaV, XamoucaV, Pannus sericus, sive ex bombyce confectus, et more Damasceno contextus, Italis Damasco, nostris olim Camocas, de quâ voce diximus in Gloss. Mediæ Latinit. hodie etiamnum Mocade.” This is followed by several quotations from Medieval Greek MSS.—Du Cange, Gloss. Med. et Inf. Graecitatis, s.v.

1712.—In the Spectator under this year see an advertisement of an ‘Isabella-coloured Kincob gown flowered with green and gold.”—Cited in Malcolm’s Anecdotes of Manners, &c., 1808, p. 429.

1733.—“Dieser mal waren von Seiten des Bräutigams ein Stück rother Kamka … und eine rothe Pferdehaut; von Seiten der Braut aber ein Stück violet Kamka.”—u. s. w.—Gmelin, Reise durch Siberien, i. 137–138.

1781.—“My holiday suit, consisting of a flowered Velvet Coat of the Carpet Pattern, with two rows of broad Gold Lace, a rich Kingcob Waistcoat, and Crimson Velvet Breeches with Gold Garters, is now a butt to the shafts of Macaroni ridicule.”—Letter from An Old Country Captain, in India Gazette, Feb. 24.

1786—“. … but not until the nabob’s mother aforesaid had engaged to pay for the said change of prison, a sum of £10,000 … and that she would ransack the zenanah … for Kincobs, muslins, cloths, &c. &c. &c. …”—Articles of Charge against Hastings, in