Chapter MALADOO to MALDIVES of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

their staple product. Those of one class are called Diva-Kuzah (or the Cowry Divahs), because of the cowries which are gathered from coco - branches planted in the sea. The others are called Diva-Kanbar, from the word kanbar (see COIR), which is the name of the twine made from coco-fibres, with which vessels are stitched.”—Al-Biruni, in Reinaud, Fragmens, 124.

1150.—See also Edrisi, in Jaubert’s Transl. i. 68. But the translator prints a bad reading, Raibihat, for Dibajat.

c. 1343.—“Ten days after embarking at Calecut we arrived at the Islands called Dhibat-al-Mahal.… These islands are reckoned among the wonders of the World; there are some 2000 of them. Groups of a hundred, or not quite so many, of these islands are found clustered into a ring, and each cluster has an entrance like a harbourmouth, and it is only there that ships can enter.… Most of the trees that grow on these islands are coco-palms.… They are divided into regions or groups … among which are distinguished … 3° Mahal, the group which gives a name to the whole, and which is the residence of the Sultans.” —Ibn Batuta, iv. 110 seqq.

1442.—Abdurrazzak also calls them “the isles of Diva-Mahal.”—In Not. et Exts. xiv. 429.

1503.—“But Dom Vasco … said that things must go on as they were to India, and there he would inquire into the truth. And so arriving in the Gulf (golfão) where the storm befel them, all were separated, and that vessel which steered badly, parted company with the fleet, and found itself at one of the first islands of Maldiva, at which they stopped some days enjoying themselves. For the island abounded in provisions, and the men indulged to excess in eating cocos, and fish, and in drinking bad stagnant water, and in disorders with women; so that many died.”—Correa, i. 347.

[1512.—“Mafamede Maçay with two ships put into the Maldive islands (ilhas de Maldiva).”—Albuquerque, Cartas, p. 30.]

1563.—“R. Though it be somewhat to interrupt the business in hand,—why is that chain of islands called ‘Islands of Maldiva’?

“O. In this matter of the nomenclature of lands and seas and kingdoms, many of our people make gerat mistakes even in regard to our own lands; how then can you expect that one can give you the rationale of etymologies of names in foreign tongues? But, nevertheless, I will tell you what I have heard say. And that is that the right name is not Maldiva, but Nalediva; for nale in Malabar means ‘four,’ and diva ‘island,’ so that in the Malabar tongue the name is as much as to say ‘Four Isles.’ … And in the same way we call a certain island that is 12 leagues from Goa Angediva (see ANCHEDIVA), because there are five in the group, and so the name in Malabar

means ‘Five Isles,’ for ange is ‘five.’ But these derivations rest on common report, I don’t detail them to you as demonstrable facts.”—Garcia, Colloquios, f. 11.

1572.—“Nas ilhas de Maldiva.” (See COCO-DE-MER.)

c. 1610.—“Ce Royaume en leur langage s’appelle Malé-ragué, Royaume de Malé, et des autres peuples de l’Inde il s’appelle Malé-divar, et les peuples diues … L’Isle principale, comme j’ay dit, s’appelle Malé, qui donne le nom à tout le reste des autres; car le mot Diues signifie vn nombre de petites isles amassées.”—Pyrard de Laval, i. 63, 68, ed. 1679. [Hak. Soc. i. 83, 177.]

1683.—“Mr. Beard sent up his Couries, which he had received from ye Mauldivas, to be put off and passed by Mr. Charnock at Cassumbazar.”—Hedges, Diary, Oct. 2; [Hak. Soc. i. 122].

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