So the next time I am tippling, i am simply having tiffin! On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 7:48 AM, Suresh Ramasubramanian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
> Tiffin? It is a fine old british colonial tradition.. > > Hobson Jobson has some weird and wonderful etymologies in it (aka not > always > accurate) but for once they seem to confine themselves to fact here .. > > http://www.bibliomania.com/2/3/260/1287/20268/1/frameset.html > > TIFFIN, s. Luncheon, Anglo-Indian and Hindustani, at least in English > households. Also to Tiff, v. to take luncheon. Some have derived this word > from Ar. tafannun, 'diversion, amusement,' but without history, or evidence > of such an application of the Arabic word. Others have derived it from > Chinese ch'ih- fan, 'eat-rice,' which is only an additional example that > anything whatever may be plausibly resolved into Chinese monosyllables. We > believe the word to be a local survival of an English colloquial or slang > term. Thus we find in the Lexicon Balatronicum, compiled originally by > Capt. > Grose (1785): "Tiffing, eating or drinking out of meal-times," besides > other > meanings. Wright (Dict. of Obsolete and Provincial English) has: "Tiff, s. > (1) a draught of liquor, (2) small beer;" and Mr. Davies (Supplemental > English Glossary) gives some good quotations both of this substantive and > of > a verb "to tiff," in the sense of 'take off a draught.' We should > conjecture > that Grose's sense was a modification of this one, that his "tiffing" was a > participial noun from the verb to tiff, and that the Indian tiffin is > identical with the participial noun. This has perhaps some corroboration > both from the form "tiffing" used in some earlier Indian examples, and from > the Indian use of the verb "to Tiff." [This view is accepted by Prof. > Skeat, > who derives tiff from > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:silklist-bounces+suresh <silklist-bounces%2Bsuresh>=hserus.net@ > lists.hserus.net] On Behalf > > Of Radhika, Y. > > Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 8:01 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [silk] Casual Hellos and Food > > > > Tiffin is an Andhra staple and I always thought it was unique to andhra! > > > > On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 7:26 AM, Namitha Jagadeesh > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > > > @ Deepa, Nishant, > > > Not sure why culturally it is so, but it gets asked and answered > > almost > > > automatically. I usually just say "Hu, ayithu" and smile, as an auto > > > response, without actually pausing to think if I have eaten or not. > > > "Nimma ashirvada" is used more in context of elders asking you > > > "Chennagideeya?" and not so much with food-related Qs, as far as I > > know. > > > > > > Did not notice that it was such a Kannadiga thing until it was > > pointed out > > > here. Another common variation is "Tiffin ayitha?"...recently > > discovered > > > that "tiffin", with connotations of breakfast/evening snack is also > > > somewhat > > > unique to Karnataka, when I used the word in a mixed crowd and no one > > got > > > it. Do other cultures also use tiffin in that sense? > > > > > > On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 6:44 PM, Suresh Ramasubramanian > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > > > > > Gautam John [29/08/08 18:40 +0530]: > > > > > > > >> On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 6:35 PM, ss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> its a politeness thing. And not Asian > > > >>> > > > >> > > > >> You don't have to ask if someone has eaten to be polite, yes? > > > >> > > > > > > > > I wonder if there's a culture somewhere where the question is "have > > you > > > > crapped today?" > > > > > > > > 1. The guy's eaten - obvious deduction from that question > > > > 2. His digestive system works fine - sense of physical well being > > etc etc > > > > > > > > srs > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Radhika, Y.R. > > Project Manager, > > Centering Women project, Sri Lanka > > International Center for Sustainable Cities > > 415 - 1788 W. 5th Avenue > > Vancouver BC Canada > > > -- Radhika, Y.R. Project Manager, Centering Women project, Sri Lanka International Center for Sustainable Cities 415 - 1788 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver BC Canada
