Chapter BOYA to BRANDY COORTEE, -COATEE of B by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

BRANDY COORTEE, -COATEE, s. Or sometimes simply Brandy. A corruption of barani, ‘a cloak,’ literally pluviale, from P. baran, ‘rain.’ Barani-kurti seems to be a kind of hybrid shaped by the English word coat, though kurta and kurti are true P. words for various forms of jacket or tunic.

[1754.—“Their women also being not less than 6000, were dressed with great coats (these are called baranni) of crimson cloth, after the manner of the men, and not to be distinguished at a distance; so that the whole made a very formidable appearance.” —H. of Nadir Shah, in Hanway, 367.]

1788.—“Barrannee—a cloak to cover one from the rain.”—Ind. Vocab. (Stockdale).

[The word Barani is now commonly used to describe those crops which are dependent on the annual rains, not on artificial irrigation.

[1900.—“The recent rain has improved the barani crops.”—Pioneer Mail, 19th Feb.]