Chapter FAGHFÚR to FANÁM of F by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

FAGHFÚR to FANÁM

[FAGHFÚR, n.p. “The common Moslem term for the Emperors of China; in the Kamus the first syllable is Zammated (Fugh); in Al-Mas’udi (chap. xiv.) we find Baghfúr and in Al-Idrisi Baghbúgh, or Baghbún. In Al-Asma’i Bagh =god or idol (Pehlewi and Persian); hence according to some Baghdád (?) and Bághistán, a pagoda (?) Sprenger (Al-Mas’udi, p. 327) remarks that Baghfúr is a literal translation of Tien-tse, and quotes Visdelou: “pour mieux faire comprendre de quel ciel ils veulent parler, ils poussent la généalogie (of the Emperor) plus loin. Ils lui donnent le ciel pour père, la terre pour mère, le soleil pour frère aîné, et la lune pour sœur aînée.”— Burton, Arabian Nights, vi. 120–121.]

FAILSOOF, s. Ar.—H. failsuf, from [Greek Text] filosofoV. But its popular sense is a ‘crafty schemer,’ an ‘artful dodger.’ Filosofo, in Manilla, is applied to a native who has been at college, and returns to his birthplace in the provinces, with all the importance of his acquisitions, and the affectation of European habits (Blumentritt, Vocabular.).

FAKEER, s. Hind. from Arab. fakir (‘poor’). Properly an indigent person, but specially ‘one poor in the sight of God,’ applied to a Mahommedan religious mendicant, and then, loosely and inaccurately, to Hindu devotees and naked ascetics. And this last is the most ordinary Anglo-Indian use.

1604.—“Fokers are men of good life, which are only given to peace. Leo calls them Hermites; others call them Talbies and Saints.”—Collection of things … of Barbarie, in Purchas, ii. 857.

„ “Muley Boferes sent certaine Fokers, held of great estimation amongst the Moores, to his brother Muley Sidan, to treate conditions of Peace.”—Ibid.

1633.—“Also they are called Fackeeres, which are religious names.”—W. Bruton, in Hakl. v. 56.

1653.—“Fakir signifie pauure en Turq et Persan, mais en Indien signifie … vne espece de Religieux Indou, qui foullent le monde aux pieds, et ne s’habillent que de haillons qu’ils ramassent dans les ruës.”—De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, ed. 1657, 538.

c. 1660.—“I have often met in the Field, especially upon the Lands of the Rajas, whole squadrons of these Faquires, altogether naked, dreadful to behold. Some held their Arms lifted up …; others had their terrible Hair hanging about them …; some had a kind of Hercules’s Club; others had dry and stiff Tiger-skins over their Shoulders. …”—Bernier, E.T. p. 102; [ed. Constable, 317].

1673.—“Fakiers or Holy Men, abstracted from the World, and resigned to God.”— Fryer, 95.

[1684.—“The Ffuckeer that Killed ye Boy at Ennore with severall others … were brought to their tryalls. …”—Pringle, Diary, Ft. St. Geo. 1st ser. iii. 111.]

1690.—“They are called Faquirs by the Natives, but Ashmen commonly by us, because of the abundance of Ashes with which they powder their Heads.”—Ovington, 350.

1727.—“Being now settled in Peace, he invited his holy Brethren the Fakires, who are very numerous in India, to come to Agra and receive a new Suit of Clothes.”— A. Hamilton, i. 175; [ed. 1744, ii. 177].

1763.—“Received a letter from Dacca dated 29th Novr., desiring our orders with regard to the Fakirs who were taken prisoners at the retaking of Dacca.”—Ft. William Cons. Dec. 5, in Long, 342. On these latter Fakirs, see under SUNYASEE.

1770.—“Singular expedients have been tried by men jealous of superiority to share with the Bramins the veneration of the multitude; this has given rise to a race of monks known in India by the name of Fakirs.”—Raynal (tr. 1777), i. 49.

1774.—“The character of a fakir is held in great estimation in this country.”—Bogle, in Markham’s Tibet, 23.

1856.—

“There stalks a row of Hindoo devotees,
Bedaubed with ashes, their foul matted hair
Down to their heels; their blear eyes fiercely scowl
Beneath their painted brows. On this side struts
A Mussulman Fakeer, who tells his beads,
By way of prayer, but cursing all the while
The heathen.”—The Banyan Tree.

1878.—“Les mains abandonnées sur les genoux, dans une immobilité de fakir.”— Alph. Daudet, Le Nabob, ch. vi.

FALAUN, s. Ar. falan, fulan, and H. fulana, falana, ‘such an one,’ ‘a certain one’; Span. and Port. fulano, Heb. Fuluni (Ruth iv. 1). In Elphinstone’s Life we see that this was the term by which he and his friend Strachey used to indicate their master in early days, and a man whom they much respected, Sir Barry Close. And gradually, by a process of Hobson-Jobson, this was turned into Forlorn. 1803.—“The General (A. Wellesley) is an excellent man to have a peace to make. … I had a long talk with him about such a one; he said he was a very sensible man.” —Op. cit. i. 81.

1824.—“This is the old ghaut down which we were so glad to retreat with old Forlorn.” —ii. 164. See also i. 56, 108, 345, &c.