Chapter SUCLÁT to SUGAR of S by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

SUCLÁT to SUGAR

SUCLÁT, SACKCLOTH, &c., s. Pers. sakallat, sakallat, saklatin, saklatun, applied to certain woollen stuffs, and particularly now to European broadcloth. It is sometimes defined as scarlet broad cloth; but though this colour is frequent, it does not seem to be essential to the name. [Scarlet was the name of a material long before it denoted a colour. In the Liberate Roll of 14 Hen. III. (1230, quoted in N. & Q. 8 ser. i. 129) we read of sanguine scarlet, brown, red, white and scarlet coloris de Marble.] It has, however, been supposed that our word scarlet comes from some form of the present word (see Skeat, s.v. Scarlet).¹ But the fact that the Arab. dictionaries give a form sakirlat must not be trusted to. It is a modern form, probably taken from the European word, [as according to Skeat, the Turkish iskerlat is merely borrowed from the Ital. scarlatto].

The word is found in the medieval literature of Europe in the form siclatoun, a term which has been the subject of controversy both as to etymology and to exact meaning (see Marco Polo, Bk. i. ch. 58, notes). Among the conjectures as to etymology are a derivation from Ar. sakl. ‘polishing’ (see SICLEEGUR); from Sicily (Ar. Sikiliya); and from the Lat. cyclas, cycladatus. In the Arabic Vocabulista of the 13th century (Florence, 1871), siklatun is translated by ciclas. The conclusion come to in the note on Marco Polo, based, partly but not entirely, on the modern meaning of sakallat, was that saklatun was probably a light woollen texture. But Dozy and De Jong give it as étoffe de soie, brochée d’or, and the passage from Edrisi supports this undoubtedly. To the north of India the name suklat is given to a stuff imported from the borders of China.

1040.—“The robes were then brought, consisting of valuable frocks of saklátún of various colours. …”—Baihaki, in Elliot, ii. 148.

c. 1150.—“Almeria (Almaria) was a Musulman city at the time of the Moravidae. It was then a place of great industry, and reckoned, among others, 800 silk looms, where they manufactured costly robes, brocades, the stuffs known as Saklatun Isfahani … and various other silk tissues.”—Edrisi (Joubert), ii. 40.

c. 1220.—“Tabriz. The chief city of Azarbaijan. … They make there the stuffs called ’attabi (see TABBY), Siklatun, Khitabi, fine satins and other textures which are exported everywhere.”—Yakut, in Barbier de Meynard, i. 133.

c. 1370?—

“His heer, his berd, was lyk saffroun
That to his girdel raughte adoun
Hise shoos of Cordewane,
Of Brugges were his hosen broun
His Robe was of Syklatoun
That coste many a Jane.”

Chaucer, Sir Thopas, 4 (Furnival, Ellesmere Text).

c. 1590.—

“Suklat-i-Rumi o Farangi o Purtagali” (Broadcloth of Turkey, of Europe, and of Portugal). …—Ain (orig.) i. 110. Blochmann renders ‘Scarlet Broadcloth’ (see above). [The same word, suklati, is used later on of ‘woollen stuffs’ made in Kashmir (Jarrett, Ain, ii. 355).]

1673.—“Suffahaun is already full of London Cloath, or Sackcloath Londre, as they call it.”—Fryer, 224.

„ “His Hose of London Sackcloth of any Colour.”—Ibid. 391.

[1840.—“… his simple dress of sooklaat and flat black woollen cap. …”—Lloyd, Gerard, Narr. i. 167.]

c. 1665.—“… they laid them out, partly in fine Cotton Cloth … partly in Silken Stuffs streaked with Gold and Silver, to make Vests and Summer-Drawers of; partly in English Scarlet, to make two Arabian Vests of for their King. …”—Bernier, E.T. 43; [ed. Constable, 139].

1854.—“List of Chinese articles brought to India. … Suklat, a kind of camlet made of camel’s hair.”—Cunningham’s Ladak, 242.

1862.—“In this season travellers wear garments of sheep-skin with sleeves, the fleecy side inwards, and the exterior covered with Sooklat, or blanket.”—Punjab Trade Report, 57.

„ “BROADCLOTH (Europe), (‘Suklat,’ ‘Mahoot’).”—Ibid. App. p. ccxxx.

SUDDEN DEATH. Anglo-Indian slang for a fowl served as a spatchcock, the standing dish at a dawk- bungalow in former days. The bird was caught in the yard, as the traveller entered, and was on the table by the time he had bathed and dressed.

[c. 1848.—“ ‘Sudden death’ means a young chicken about a month old, caught, killed, and grilled at the shortest notice.”—Berncastle, Voyage to China, i. 193.]

SUDDER, adj., but used as s. Literally ‘chief,’ being Ar. sadr. This term had a technical application under Mahommedan rule to a chief Judge, as in the example quoted below. The use of the word seems to be almost confined to the Bengal Presidency. Its principal applications are the following:

a. Sudder