Hindi? This is pukka English.

Hindi, an Indo-European language used prominently in Northern India, is derived from Sanskrit. It is the national language of India and is spoken by over 400 million people. The word Hindi is derived from the Persian word for India, ‘Hind’.

Since the British ruled India for over a century, many words from the various Indian languages crept into English. Here are some of them.

Bangle is derived from the Hindi word ‘bungri’, which means ‘glass’. A bangle is an ornamental bracelet or circlet, usually without a clasp. The bangle is an integral accessory of Indian women, especially married ones. Although bangle means glass in Hindi, it can be made of various materials including gold, silver, copper, lac, ivory and even plastic.

Another beautiful accessory is the Bindi, a dot marked or put onto the forehead, by Hindu wives to adorn themselves. From the Hindi word by the same name, the bindi has been made famous in the West by various pop stars.
The bindi also signifies the third eye, i.e. Lord Shiva (the destroyer) and is therefore sometimes used by men as well.

But amongst all the weapons in the Indian women’s ‘beauty arsenal’, nothing is more lethal than a Sari. Derived from the Hindi word by the same name, it is a mainly cotton or silk garment, ornately worn around the body. The usual length is around 6 feet and it is generally very brightly coloured with intricate embroideries.

What the Sari is to the traditional Indian women, the Dhoti is to the traditional Indian men. It is a loincloth made of cotton fabric and is derived from the Hindi word by the same name.

Speak of India, and Kashmir is almost at the top of the mind, but in the days of the British, Kashmir was famous for other things, amongst them Cashmere, a soft fabric made out of the wool of the Cashmere goat (or a similar fabric). The woolen clothing created from Cashmere was very popular as winter-wear.

And from another Indian state, Rajasthan, comes the word Jodhpurs. Named after the city of Jodhpur, these were long trousers, baggy at the top but tight from the knee to the ankle and were used for horse riding.

Continuing with clothes, Pajamas / pyjama are loose fitting trousers and generally used for sleeping or when relaxing. It is derived from the Hindi ‘paijama’, ‘pai’ meaning leg and ‘jamah’ meaning trousers.

A not very oft repeated word is Dungaree, a heavy and coarse fabric, generally of blue denim. Clothes made out this fabric are also known so. It has its roots in the Hindi ‘dumgri’, which stands for hard or coarse.

And the clothes section ends with Cummerbund, a formal dress accessory that now finds appeal amongst many men. It is a broad sash, generally pleated lengthwise and is normally worn with a dinner jacket. Known as ‘kamarband’ in Hindi & Urdu, it has its roots in the Persian ‘kamar’ (waist) and ‘bandi’ (band).

Moving onto food, we have Kedgeree, which is generally a breakfast dish of rice, fish and hard-boiled eggs but in Northern parts of India it refers to a mix of rice cooked with butter and dhal (a thick spicy stew). Kedegree mean ‘butter rice’ in Hindi.

And a very widely used food item in Indian cooking is Ghee, which is a semi liquid, clarified butter used as a cooking medium and also for burning during Hindu religious ceremonies (as it is considered purer than oil). Ghee tastes different from butter and its aroma can be described as nutty. It has its roots in the Hindi word ‘ghi’, which in itself is derived from the Sanskrit ‘ghrta’ or ‘gharati’.

And did you know that Shampoo is also derived from Hindi. The soapy, liquid preparation for washing hair has its roots in ’campoo’, meaning ‘press’ as a shampoo was originally a massage.

A Bungalow is a small house or cottage, generally single storied, but can have more than one floors and with thatched or tiled roofs. It is derived from the Hindi ‘bangala’ and the Bengali ‘bungalow’. Another feature of the bungalow is the sprawling Verandah, which is also derived from the Hindi ‘varanda’ and the Bengali ‘baranda’.

And a Gymkhana is a place of meet where various contests and functions are held. It is derived from the gend-khana, which means ball house (gend - ball & khana – house).

There are many other words that have their origins in Hindi, including Cot, which is derived from ‘khat’ (bed), Jungle, which has its roots in ‘jangala’ (uncultivated land or a wasteland), Basmati, which is a type of rice, Chai which is Hindi for tea and Masala, which means spice. Thus Masala Chai stands for spicy tea, a very popular beverage in India.

We end with Raja which is the title of an Indian king or prince. It is taken directly from the Hindi word ‘Raja’, meaning king. Through ‘raja’, the British rule in India came to be known ‘The Raj’.

And yes Pukka, which stands for genuine, is also a Hindi word. It actually means superior or excellent in Hindi.