Chapter TOMBACK to TONJON of T by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

Padshah has repulsed the attack on his fort instigated by certain moolahs of tonga dâk.’ … Is the relentless tonga a region of country or a religious organization? … The original telegram appears to have contemplated a full stop after ‘certain moollahs.’ Then came an independent sentence about the tonga dâk working admirably between Peshawur and Jellalabad, but the sub-editor of the Times, interpreting the message referred to, made sense of it in the way we have seen, associating the ominous mystery with the moollahs, and helping out the other sentence with some explanatory ideas of his own.”—Pioneer Mail, June 10.

1881.—“Bearing in mind Mr. Framji’s extraordinary services, notably those rendered during the mutiny, and … that he is crippled for life … by wounds received while gallantly defending the mail tonga cart in which he was travelling, when attacked by dacoits. … ”—Letter from Bombay Govt. to Govt. of India, June 17, 1881.

TONICATCHY, TUNNYKETCH, s. In Madras this is the name of the domestic water-carrier, who is generally a woman, and acts as a kind of under housemaid. It is a corr. of Tamil tannir-kassi, tannikkariççi, an abbreviation of tannir-kasatti, ‘water-woman.’

c. 1780.—“‘Voudriez-vous me permettre de faire ce trajet avec mes gens et mes bagages, qui ne consistent qu’en deux malles, quatre caisses de vin, deux ballots de toiles, et deux femmes, dont l’une est ma cuisinière, et l’autre, ma tannie karetje ou porteuse d’eau.’”—Haafner, i. 242.

1792.—“The Armenian … now mounts a bit of blood … and … dashes the mud about through the streets of the Black Town, to the admiration and astonishment of the Tawny-kertches.”—Madras Courier, April 26.

TONJON, and vulg. TOMJOHN, s. A sort of sedan or portable chair. It is (at least in the Bengal Presidency) carried like a palankin by a single pole and four bearers, whereas a jompon (q.v.), for use in a hilly country, has two poles like a European sedan, each pair of bearers bearing it by a stick between the poles, to which the latter are slung. We cannot tell what the origin of this word is, nor explain the etymology given by Williamson below, unless it is intended for thamjangh, which might mean ‘support-thigh.’ Mr. Platts gives as forms in Hind. tamjham and thamjan. The word is perhaps adopted from some trans- gangetic language. A rude contrivance of this kind in Malabar is described by Col. Welsh under the name of a ‘Tellicherry chair’ (ii. 40).

c. 1804.—“I had a tonjon, or open palan-quin, in which I rode.”—Mrs. Sherwood, Autobiog. 283.

1810.—“About Dacca, Chittagong, Tipperah, and other mountainous parts, a very light kind of conveyance is in use, called a taum-jaung, i.e. ‘a support to the feet.’ ”—Williamson, V.M. i. 322–23.

„ “Some of the party at the tents sent a tonjon, or open chair, carried like a palankeen, to meet me.”—Maria Graham, 166.

[1827.—“In accordance with Lady D’Oyly’s earnest wish I go out every morning in her tonjin.”—Diary of Mrs. Fenton, 100.]

1829.—“I had been conveyed to the hill in Hanson’s tonjon, which differs only from a palanquin in being like the body of a gig with a head to it.”—Mem. of Col. Mountain, 88.

[1832.—“…I never seat myself in the palankeen or thonjaun without a feeling bordering on self-reproach.…”—Mrs. Meer Hassan Ali, Observations, i. 320.]

1839.—“He reined up his ragged horse, facing me, and dancing about till I had passed; then he dashed past me at full gallop, wheeled round, and charged my tonjon, bending down to his saddlebow, pretending to throw a lance, showing his teeth, and uttering a loud quack!”—Letters from Madras, 290.

[1849.—“We proceeded to Nawabgunge, the minister riding out with me, for some miles, to take leave, as I sat in my tonjohn.”—Sleeman, Journey through Oudh, i. 2.]