Chapter BURMA to BURRAMPOOTER of B by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

BURRA-BEEBEE, s. H. bari bibi, ‘Grande dame.’ This is a kind of slang word applied in Anglo-Indian society to the lady who claims precedence at a party. [Nowadays Bari Mem is the term applied to the chief lady in a Station.]

1807.—“At table I have hitherto been allowed but one dish, namely the Burro Bebee, or lady of the highest rank.”— Lord Minto in India, 29.

1848.—“The ladies carry their burrahbibiship into the steamers when they go to England.… My friend endeavoured in vain to persuade them that whatever their social importance in the ‘City of Palaces,’ they would be but small folk in London.” —Chow Chow, by Viscountess Falkland, i. 92.

[BURRA-DIN, s. H. bara-din. A ‘great day,’ the term applied by natives to a great festival of Europeans, particularly to Christmas Day.

[1880.—“This being the Burra Din, or great day, the fact of an animal being shot was interpreted by the men as a favourable augury.”—Ball, Jungle Life, 279.]

BURRA-KHANA, s. H. bara khana, ‘big dinner’; a term of the same character as the two last, applied to a vast and solemn entertainment.

[1880.—“To go out to a burra khana, or big dinner, which is succeeded in the same or some other house by a larger evening party.”—Wilson, Abode of Snow, 51.]

BURRA SAHIB. H. bara, ‘great’; ‘the great Sahib (or Master),’ a term constantly occurring, whether in a family to distinguish the father or the elder brother, in a station to indicate the Collector, Commissioner, or whatever officer may be the recognised head of the society, or in a department to designate the head of that department, local or remote.

[1889.—“At any rate a few of the great lords and ladies (Burra Sahib and Burra Mem Sahib) did speak to me without being driven to it.”—Lady Dufferin, 34.]

BURRAMPOOTER, n.p. Properly (Skt.) Brahmaputra (‘the son of Brahma’), the great river Brahmputr of which Assam is the valley. Rising within 100 miles of the source of the Ganges, these rivers, after being separated by 17 degrees of longitude, join before entering the sea. There is no distinct recognition of this great river by the ancients, but the Diardanes or Oidanes, of Curtius and Strabo, described as a large river in the remoter parts of India, abounding in dolphins and crocodiles, probably represents this river under one of its Skt. names, Hladini.

1552.—Barros does not mention the name before us, but the Brahmaputra seems to be the river of Caor, which traversing the kingdom so called (Gour) and that of Comotay, and that of Cirote (see SILHET), issues above Chatigão (see CHITTAGONG), in that notable arm of the Ganges which passes through the island of Sornagam.

c. 1590.—“There is another very large river called Berhumputter, which runs from Khatai to Coach (see COOCH BEHAR) and from thence through Bazoohah to the sea.” —Ayeen Akberry (Gladwin) ed. 1800, ii. 6; [ed. Jarrett, ii. 121].

1726.—“Out of the same mountains we see … a great river flowing which … divides into two branches, whereof the easterly one on account of its size is called the Great Barrempooter.”—Valentijn, v. 154.

1753.—“Un peu au-dessous de Daka, le Gange est joint par une grosse rivière, qui sort de la frontière du Tibet. Le nom de Bramanpoutre qu’on lui trouve dans quelques cartes est une corruption de celui de Brahmaputren, qui dans le langage du pays signifie tirant son origine de Brahma.” —D’Anville, Eclaircissemens, 62.

1767.—“Just before the Ganges falls into ye Bay of Bengall, it receives the Baramputrey or Assam River. The Assam River is larger than the Ganges … it is a perfect Sea of fresh Water after the Junction of the two Rivers.…”—MS. Letter of James Rennell, d. 10th March.

1793.—“… till the year 1765, the Burrampooter, as a capital river, was unknown in Europe. On tracing this river in 1765, I was no less surprised at finding it rather larger than the Ganges, than at its course previous to its entering Bengal.… I could no longer doubt that the Burrampooter and Sanpoo were one and the same river.” —Rennell, Memoir, 3rd ed. 356.