P — PUTTEE to PYSE (Part 3 of 3)

is a good example of the extra-ordinary multiplication of terms, even in one Province in India, denoting approximately the same thing:

1792.—“All Pykes, Chokeydars (see CHOKIDAR), Pasbans, Dusauds, Nigabans,¹ Harees (see HARRY), and other descriptions of village watchmen are declared subject to the orders of the Darogah (see DAROGA)…”—Regns. for the Police…passed by the G.-G. in C., Dec. 7.

„ “The army of Assam was a militia organised as follows. The whole male population was bound to serve either as soldiers or labourers, and was accordingly divided into sets of four men each, called gotes, the individuals comprising the gotes being termed pykes.”—Johnstone’s Acct. of Welsh’s Expedition to Assam, 1792–93–94 (commd. by Gen. Keatinge).

1802.—After a detail of persons of rank in Midnapore:

“None of these entertain armed followers except perhaps ten or a dozen Peons for state, but some of them have Pykes in considerable numbers, to keep the peace on their estates. These Pykes are under the magistrate’s orders.”—Fifth Report, App. p. 535.

1812.—“The whole of this last-mentioned numerous class of Pykes are understood to have been disbanded, in compliance with the new Police regulations.”—Fifth Report, 71.

1872.—“…Dalais or officers of the peasant militia (Paiks). The Paiks were settled chiefly around the fort on easy tenures.”—Hunter’s Orissa, ii. 269.

PYSE1 interjection. The use of this is illustrated in the quotations. Notwithstanding the writer’s remark (below) it is really Hindustani, viz. po’is, ‘look out!’ or ‘make way!’ apparently from Skt. pasya, ‘look! see!’ (see Molesworth’s Mahr. Dict. p. 529, col. c; Fallon’s Hind. Dict., p. 376, col. a; [Platts, 282b].

[1815.—“…three men came running up behind them, as if they were clearing the road for some one, by calling out ‘pice! pice!’ (make way, make way)…”—Elphinstone’s Report on Murder of Gungadhur Shastry, in Papers relating to E.I. Affairs, p. 14.]

1883.—“Does your correspondent Col. Prideaux know the origin of the warning called out by buggy drivers to pedestrians in Bombay, ‘Pyse’? It is not Hindustani.”—Letter in N. & Q., Ser. VI. viii. p. 388.

[Other expressions of the same kind are Malayal. po, ‘Get out of the way!’ and Hind. Mahr. khis, khis, from khisna, ‘to drop off.’

1598.—“As these hayros goe in the streetes, they crie po, po, which is to say, take heede.”—Linschoten, Hak. Soc. i. 280.

1826.—“I was awoke from disturbed rest by cries of kis! kis! (clear the way).”—Pandurang Hari, ed. 1873, i. 46.]