Chapter GARDENS to GAVIAL of G by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

Romance languages, analogies extending into minute details, have been treated by several scholars; and a very interesting view of the subject is given by Mr. Brandreth in vols. xi. and xii. of the J.R.A.S., N.S.

GAUTAMA, n.p. The surname, according to Buddhist legend, of the Sakya tribe from which the Buddha Sakya Muni sprang. It is a derivative from Gotama, a name of “one of the ancient Vedic bard-families” (Oldenberg). It is one of the most common names for Buddha among the Indo-Chinese nations. The Sommona-codom of many old narratives represents the Pali form of S’ramana Gautama, “The Ascetic Gautama.”

1545.—“I will pass by them of the sect of Godomem, who spend their whole life in crying day and night on those mountains, Godomem, Godomem, and desist not from it until they fall down stark dead to the ground.”—F. M. Pinto, in Cogan, p. 222.

c. 1590.—See under Godavery passage from Ain, where Gotam occurs.

1686.—“J’ai cru devoir expliquer toutes ces choses avant que de parler de Sommono- khodom (c’est ainsi que les Siamois appellent le Dieu qu’ils adorent à present).”—Voy. de Siam, Des Pères Jesuites, Paris, 1686, p. 397.

1687-88.—“Now tho’ they say that several have attained to this Felicity (Nireupan, i.e. Nirvana)…yet they honour only one alone, whom they esteem to have surpassed all the rest in Vertue. They call him Sommona-Codom; and they say that Codom was his Name, and that Sommona signifies in the Balie Tongue a Talapoin of the Woods.”—Hist. Rel. of Siam, by De La Loubere, E.T. i. 130.

[1727.—“…inferior Gods, such as Somma Cuddom.…”—A. Hamilton, ed. 1744, ii. 54.]

1782.—“Les Pegouins et les Bahmans.…Quant à leurs Dieux, ils en comptent sept principaux.…Cependant ils n’en adorent qu’un seul, qu’ils appellent Godeman.…”—Sonnerat, ii. 299.

1800.—“Gotma, or Goutum, according to the Hindoos of India, or Gaudma among the inhabitants of the more eastern parts, is said to have been a philosopher…he taught in the Indian schools, the heterodox religion and philosophy of Boodh. The image that represents Boodh is called Gautama, or Goutum.…”—Symes, Embassy, 299.

1828.—“The titles or synonymes of Buddha, as they were given to me, are as follow: “Kotamo (Gautama)…Somana kotamo, agreeably to the interpretation given me, means in the Pali language, the priest Gautama.”—Crawfurd, Emb. to Siam, p. 367.

GAVEE, s. Topsail. Nautical jargon from Port. gavea, the top. (Roebuck).

GAVIAL, s. This is a name adopted by zoologists for one of the alligators of the Ganges and other Indian rivers, Gavialis gangeticus, &c. It is the less dangerous of the Gangetic saurians, with long, slender, sub-cylindrical jaws expanding into a protuberance at the muzzle. The name must have originated in some error, probably a clerical one, for the true word is Hind. ghariyal, and gavial is nothing. The term (gariyali, is used by Baber (p. 410), where the translator’s note says: “The geriali is the round- mouthed crocodile,” words which seem to indicate the magar (see MUGGUR) (Crocodilus biporcatus) not the ghariyal.

c. 1809.—“In the Brohmoputro as well as in the Ganges there are two kinds of crocodile, which at Goyalpara are both called Kumir; but each has a specific name. The Crocodilus Gangeticus is called Ghoriyal, and the other is called Bongcha.”—Buchanan’s Rungpoor, in Eastern India, iii. 581-2.