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