Chapter DENGUE to DESTOOR of D by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

Seeds were sent to Europe by Capt. Gerard in 1819; but the first that grew were those sent by the Hon. W. Leslie Melville in 1822.

c. 1030.—“Deiudar (or rather Diudar) est ex genere abhel (i.e. juniper) quae dicitur pinus Inda, et Syr deiudar (Milk of Deodar) est ejus lac (turpentine).”—Avicenna, Lat. Transl. p. 297.

c. 1220.—“He sent for two trees, one of which was a…white poplar, and the other a deodár, that is a fir. He planted them both on the boundary of Kashmír.”—Chach Námah in Elliot, i. 144.

DERRISHACST, adj. This extraordinary word is given by C. B. P. (MS.) as a corruption of P. daryáshikast, ‘destroyed by the river.’

DERVISH, s. P. darvesh; a member of a Mahommedan religious order. The word is hardly used now among Anglo-Indians, fakír [see FAKEER] having taken its place. On the Mahommedan confraternities of this class, see Herklots, 179 seqq.; Lane, Mod. Egyptians, Brown’s Dervishes, or Oriental Spiritualism; Capt. E. de Neven, Les Khouan, Ordres Religieux chez les Musulmans (Paris, 1846).

c. 1540.—“The dog Coia Acem…crying out with a loud voyce, that every one might hear him…. To them, To them, for as we are assured by the Book of Flowers, wherein the Prophet Noby doth promise eternal delights to the Daroezes of the House of Mecqua, that he will keep his word both with you and me, provided that we bathe ourselves in the blood of these dogs without Law!”—Pinto (cap. lix.), in Cogan, 72.

1554.—“Hic multa didicimus à monachis Turcicis, quos Dervis vocant.”—Busbeq. Epist. I. p. 93.

1616.—“Among the Mahometans are many called Dervises, which relinquish the World, and spend their days in Solitude.”—Terry, in Purchas, ii. 1477.

[c. 1630.—“Deruissi.” See TALISMAN.]

1653.—“Il estoit Dervische ou Fakir et menoit une vie solitaire dans les bois.”—De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, ed. 1657, p. 182.

1670.—“Aureng- Zebe…was reserved, crafty, and exceedingly versed in dissembling, insomuch that for a long time he made profession to be a Fakire, that is, Poor, Dervich, or Devout, renouncing the World.” Bernier, E.T. 3; [ed. Constable, 10].

1673.—“The Dervises professing Poverty, assume this Garb here (i.e. in Persia), but not with that state they ramble up and down in India.”—Fryer, 392.

DESSAYE, s. Mahr. desáí; in W. and S. India a native official in charge of a district, often held hereditarily; a petty chief. (See DISSAVE.)

1590–91.—“…the Desayes, Mukaddams, and inhabitants of several parganahs made a complaint at Court.”—Order in Mirat-i-Ahmadi (Bird’s Tr.), 408.

[1811.—“Daiseye.”—Kirkpatrick, Letters of Tippoo, p. 196.]

1883.—“The Desai of Sawantwari has arrived at Delhi on a visit. He is accompanied by a European Assistant Political Officer and a large following. From Delhi His Highness goes to Agra, and visits Calcutta before returning to his territory, viâ Madras.”—Pioneer Mail, Jan. 24.

The regular title of this chief appears to be Sar-Deáí.

DESTOOR, s. A Parsee priest; P. dastur, from the Pahlavi dastôbar, ‘a prime minister, councillor of State…a high priest, a bishop of the Parsees; a custom, mode, manner’ (Hang, Old Pahlaví and Pazand Glossary). [See DUSTOOR.]

1630.—“…their Distoree or high priest…”—Lord’s Display, &c., ch. viii.

1689.—“The highest Priest of the Persies is called Destoor, their ordinary Priests Dároos, or Hurboods [HERBED].”—Ovington, 376.

1809.—“The Dustoor is the chief priest of his sect in Bombay.”—Maria Graham, 36.

1877.—“…le Destour de nos jours, pas plus que le Mage d’autrefois, ne soupconne les phases successives que sa religion a traversées.”—Darmesteter, Ormazd et Ahriman, 4.