The secret language of Palanquin bearers (long thread, 🙏)
A Palanquin is a covered wheel-less carriage (litter) carried on two horizontal poles by men.The word "Palanquin" is from Portuguese palanquin, from Malay or Javanese pelangki, of Indo-Aryan origin; ...
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From Odia pālaṅki, (related to pālkī पालकी) based on Sanskrit पर्यङ्क paryaṅka (= bed, couch). Some other names of palanquin are śivikā शिविका, vāhya वाह्य etc.
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The tradition of wheel-less carriages for travelling short & long distances is very old in Indian subcontinent & its use was often restricted to royals, nobles & wealthy. The people who carried these palanquins were variously known as Kahār कहार, Gond गोंड, or Bhoi भोई in...
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Travelling by European style Indian palanquins would usually require services of 8 bearers, a mashālcī (torch bearer), & a porter. These palanquin bearers were usually hired by the Palanquin user for the entire journey or on semi-permanent basis, notwithstanding the distance.
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Because travelling long distances with the same set of bearers demanded longer time, more rest & provisions, in 1778 East India company under Captain John Harvey started the first "Relay Palanquin Service" between Calcutta & Benaras.
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A set of 8 bearers, 2 torch bearers, & a porter were kept ready on the interval of 10 miles, with a sardār (leader) entrusted to supervise them. In 1783, the contract to operate this relay service was later handed over to Post Office Department, giving it the name ḍāk service.
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Under this contract, the relay had to cover approx 96 miles per day. Since travelling at this speed over long distances required good navigation & excellent communication between Palanquin bearers, they developed an argot in their languages to communicate effectively...
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about the dynamic geography of the path, where to sprint, where to slow, change of shoulders, stopping & starting etc. It became rather important to do this, given bearers at the back side had no clue of what's coming ahead!
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Some of the expressions were -
Rāj dariddar rase rase राज दरिद्दर रसे रसे= path is narrow, go slow
Santo, chūṭal māyā संतो छूटल माया= path strewn with sharp stubble
Boltā hau बोलता हौ = there are people on the way
Bhar Kadam भर कदम= take a full step (while crossing an obstacle)
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Caltā hau चलता हौ= ground is slippery
Chahāṭā hau छहाटा हौ = ground is muddy
Gaūdān गऊदान= there's cattle on the path
Bail ke kamāi hau बैल के कमाई हौ = a ploughed field ahead. Etc
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Interestingly, There were 6 main types of palanquins used across Indian subcontinent.
ḍolī डोली = a litter for women (especially brides)
muḥāfah मुहाफह = curtained litter for women
pālkī पालकी = a litter for men
nālkī नालकी = a kind of open litter (used by bridegrooms)
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miyānā मियाना = a mid sized litter with upper cover
Another one was known as tāmjān तामजान, which was an exquisite open palanquin. No wonder Hindi / Urdu for an elaborate although unnecessary arrangement is still known as tāmjhām तामझाम.
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If you are a fan of secret languages and codes, here is one thread on
"The Secret Language of Boatman of Prayag (Allahabad), India
A secret language of Boatmen of Prayag (Allahabad, India)
Interesting to learn about this argot of boatmen of Prayag, which they use to communicate among themselves for the purpose of excluding their clients.
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''A Secret Language of Prisoners in North Indian Jails''
In a fascinating research conducted by Dr. Indra J. Singh in 1980s, it was revealed that prison inmates in north-Indian jails have a secret argot which they use to communicate among themselves.
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Bhaktiprasad Mallik in his 1972 book “Language of the Underworld of West Bengal” (also published in Bengali as অপরাধ জগতের ভাষা 1971) gave an authentic account of a language variety used by criminals, near-criminals & anti-social groups in West Bengal between 1960s to early 1970s
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@avtansa
A thread that may interest
@LauChircopReyes
who wrote recently on late imperial China martial escorts 鏢客 secret language
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