Pancake

[Ashok Aklujkar]

Two Marathi words po.laa (different from po.lii, the Marathi synonym for capaatii; plural po.le) and dhira.de (written form; the actual form heard has a slightly lengthened vowel "a" in the place of "e"; plural dhira.dii) have not so far been mentioned in this discussion. Molesworth (p. 440, p. 534) does not give any etymologies or language family affiliations for these two lexemes. If Avinash Sathaye's book contains recipes for these, I hope he will reproduce them. 

An uneven exterior, frequently marked by holes (something like a beehive), is common in the case of these items. This suggests that Hindi (etc.) cilla might be related to Skt chidra. 

In Marathi, a beehive is  called po.la (lengthened closed, sa.mv.rta "a"), but that word is neuter, whereas po.laa mentioned above is masc. 

ghaavan could be related to Skt graavan, as the soaked lentil or dal used for it was in olden days turned into paste using tools made of stone. Now blenders and food processors are used for the same purpose.  

In translating verse 214 of Vidyakara's Subhaa.sita-ratna-ko;sa (ed. by D.D. Kosambi and V.V. Gokhale; Harvard Or. Ser.), D.H.H. Ingalls uses 'pancake' for  parpa.ta of the original: 

"The summer breaks the tight embrace
of God Naaraaya.na and Goddess ;Srii
already sleepy from the oceanæs rocking
of their water dripping palace.
And now the sun's fierce rays
do fry the moon, deprived of all its splendor,
as if it were a pancake
on the heated potsherd of the sky."

(I would use " sleeping inspite of" where Ingalls has "already sleepy from".)

To me, it seems that   parpa.ta is Skt for  pappa.dam, commonly served in Indian restaurants and south Indian homes.

(The origianl of the verse cited above is ascribed to poet Naaraaya.na-lacchii [= Lak.smii], but it is likely that the poet got this name/epithet because of striking imagery he employed in the verse.) 

-- ashok aklujkar