Query on the term *mistri*

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 06:13 PM 2/26/98 -0700, you wrote:
>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

I do not know for certain. Given that French, Portuguese and Dutch were
there in South India for considerable periods, it could have been from
these languages also. I guess one has to dig.

regards,

sarma.