Query on the term *mistri*

[S Krishna]

Jo Kirkpatrick says:

>
>So did you mean to suggest that the word entered Telugu from English?
>
>What I hope to find out is how the word came into Indian languages, and
>from which probable language source (colonial, e.g. English,
Portuguese,
>French? or.....?)
>JK
>*********************


The word is most certainly from English...the English word "master"
becamed transformed into "mEstrI"..We have this on the word of
Dr M.V.Raja Ramanna( the nuclear physicist) who discusses this while
giving us the details of his genealogy in his autobiography..This
seems to have occured sometime in the late 18th century..

Another word of similar origin is "sOjiri"( from English soldier)..
tyAgarAja had a disciple called "sOjiri sitAramiya" who got the name
because he was very hefty appearancewise and reminded the locals of the
British soldiers....

Regards,
Krishna


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com