H-ASIA: Term for opium query (fwd)

[Frank Conlon]

Colleagues:

I forward herewith a query to H-ASIA which I think might also find
responses on the Indology list.

Frank Conlon

---------- Forwarded message ----------
                                H-ASIA
                             May 15, 1996

Query on term for opium
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From: Richard Barz <Richard.Barz at anu.edu.au>

I have an etymological problem that I need help with.  There is a Hindi
word, chandukhana (caNDuukhaanaa), which means "a place where opium is
used", the word chandu (the suffix "khana" means 'house') has no likely
Hindi root.  Since one Hindi-English dictionary defines chandu as "a mixed
preparation of opium (of Chinese type) for smoking", could chandu be a
borrowing from Chinese?  Does anyone know of such a word with the meaning
of opium or some type of opium?


Richard Barz
Australian National University
<Richard.Barz at anu.edu.au>
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