I wonder if Telugu tupāki is related to the Marathi word तोफ "cannon."  The family of one of my ancestors was in charge of cannons in Gwalior and earned the family name जिनसीवाले, where, I am told, the word Jinsi refers to cannon-balls.

Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus
Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan
[Residence: Campbell, California]


On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 8:05 AM Suresh Kolichala via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
In Telugu, there are still many people with the family name of tupāki or tupākula (genitive of plural tupāki). It is possible that someone in their family was in-charge of pistols (at least they claim their ancestors were in-charge of pistols). Furthermore, ceñji kriṣṇappa nāyakkar (செஞ்சி கிருஷ்ணப்ப நாயக்கர்) is referred in some Telugu texts are tupākula rāyaḍu. 

makha is sacrifice, and makhi is referred to the sacrifier, and it is definitely a title given to brahmins conducting sacrifices. 

Regards,
Suresh.
Atlanta, GA. 

On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 9:03 AM Tieken, H.J.H. via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Dear all,
In his sources (VOC archives) a colleague-historian comes across a name Tryambaka Makhi. The meaning of makhi, from makha, is clear. What he would like to know is what this "suffix" says about the person, for instance if he is a brahmin? Another, maybe related, question is if this makhi stays within the family and is passed on from father to son.
In the same material he comes across the name Tubaki Anandappa Nayaka. Tubaki stands for Tamil tuppākki, meaning "pistol". The combination Tubaki NN reminds me of that of Pistolen Paultje (Paultje, Little Paul), a Dutch criminal, well-known (and admired, as if he was a Robin Hood, which he wasn't) in the sixties of the last century. However, could tubaki also means something like "infantrist, foot-soldier"
With kind regards, Herman
  

Herman Tieken
Stationsweg 58
2515 BP Den Haag
The Netherlands
00 31 (0)70 2208127
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