Wallah or Walla

From the Hindi/Urdu suffix -wālā, which has the sense of ‘pertaining to or connected with’ that preceding, which may be compared with the English suffix -er (as in, for example, baker, walker). Thanks to the Raj, in English it has progressed beyond its Indian roots and has come to mean:

1. One employed in a particular occupation or activity (eg. kitchen wallah; rickshaw wallah).
2. An important person in a particular field or organization.
3. One carrying out a routine administrative job; a civil servant, a bureaucrat.

Thus it is also a component of Indian names, eg. Unwalla (originally a wool worker or merchant).

Other examples of Anglo-Indian usage include:

• banghy-wallah, a porter who carries loads with a banghy or shoulder-yoke
• dhobi-wallah, a laundry worker (photo right)
• punkah-wallah, a servant who works a fan
• Dillī-wālā, inhabitant of Delhi.

Djinn or jinn.

In Islamic mythology (including the Quran) an order of spirits lower than the angels which is said to have the power of appearing in human and animal forms and which can to exercise supernatural influence over men. Together, the djinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of God.

In Islamic theology djinn are said to be creatures with free will, made from smokeless fire by Allah just as humans were made of clay etc. This free will allows them to do as they choose thus, like humans, the djinn can be good, evil or neutrally benevolent. They are usually invisible to humans, and humans do not appear clearly to them. They have the power to travel large distances at extreme speeds.

Commonly used as the singular to denote an individual spirit.

Like many words it seems to have it’s origins in English in the latter part of the 17th century, I suppose reflecting the increasing importance of international trade and travel. Due to The Thousand and One Nights, and hence Aladdin and pantomime, they are now best known as genies residing in lamps and bottles.

Yep that’s right.

Omnishambles has been declared word of the year. And not by me, but by the Oxford English Dictionary.

I’m sure that we can all guess it means “a situation which is shambolic from every possible angle”. Oh, yes, just like the BBC!

As a word I don’t like it. It is too long, too contrived, too, well … shambolic. But I have to admit it is pretty well descriptive of our times. Think just this last few weeks of Jimmy Savile, the latest BBC “McAlpine” fiasco, Abu Qatada, Abu Hamza, Italian earthquake scientists. And they’re only the ones I can think of immediately.

What I find even more amusing is that good old(ish) word (first recorded 1865 according to the OED) pleb was also shortlisted for word of the year. Now that would have been a even better choice, if only to cock-a-snook at a few people!

Piton

1. [Geology] A volcanic peak, especially a steep-sided dome, in the West Indies and other French-speaking regions.
2. [Mountaineering] A strong iron spike with an eye at one end through which a rope can be passed.

Time for another nice word …

Mendicant

1. [adj] Begging; given to or characterized by begging. Also, characteristic of a beggar. Espcially as applied to those religious orders which lived entirely on alms. The members of these orders were known as Friars; the most important were the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinian Hermits. Also applied to Brahmin, Buddhist, etc. priests who beg for food.

2. [n] A beggar; one who lives by begging.
3. [n] A begging friar.

OK, guys & gals, time for another unusual or interesting word. Today we have:

Alectryomancy

Divination by means of a cock (preferably a white rooster) with grains of corn, usually by recording the letters revealed as the cock eats kernels of corn that cover them.

From the Greek ἀλεκτρυών (alectryon) cock + µαντεία (manteia) divination.

Pavonine

1. [adj.] Of, pertaining to, resembling or characteristic of a peacock.
2. [adj.] Resembling the neck or the tail of the peacock in colouring.
3. [Zoological] [adj.] Of or pertaining to the genus Pavo or sub-family Pavoninæ, which includes the peafowl.
4. [Zoological] [noun] A bird of the sub-family Pavoninæ.
5. [Chemistry, Geology] [noun] An iridescent lustre or tarnish found on some ores and metals.

From the Latin pāvōn-em peacock.

Gugglet, or as the OED would have it more correctly Goglet.

A long-necked vessel for holding water, usually made of porous earthenware, so that the contents are kept cool by evaporation.

From the Portuguese gorgoleta, ‘an earthen and narrow-mouthed vessel, out of which the water runs and guggles’. Also possibly the French gargoulette which has a similar meaning.

The OED records the first English use in 1698.

Kudos to my local auction house’s catalogue for teaching me a word I really didn’t know.

Ordure

1. Filth, dirt.
2. Excrement, dung.
3. Applied to that which is morally filthy or defiling, or to foul language ‘cast’ or ‘thrown’ at a person.

From the French ordure, from ord filthy, foul, which is in turn from the Latin horridus horrid.

Shittimwood

The wood of the shittah tree (a species of acacia) from which the Ark of the Covenant and furniture of the Tabernacle were made.

[From the Hebrew shiṭṭīm, plural of shiṭṭāh; original meaning unknown]