< previous page page_82 next page >

Page 82

3  

The word bābu is used in all languages in the Indian subcontinent. The etymology of the word is shrouded in obscurity. It is suspected that the word bābu became a signifier of social status only in the eighteenth century. Initially signifying that the person addressed was a landowner, by the end of the century it denoted the economically privileged and with time, softened even further to denote educated men even from the middle class. Some historians have conjectured that the word is actually a Bengali corruption of the English ‘‘baboon,” which the colonizers used to identify their subjects and to whose pejorative signification the Natives had no access. But this last theory is yet to be substantiated with concrete evidence.

4  

All subsequent citations from The Calcutta Star and other contemporary English language newspapers of Calcutta, such as The Englishman and The Bengal Hurkaru, are from Amal Mitra’s Kalkātāy Bideśī Ranṇgālay [Foreign Theaters in Calcutta].

5  

All citations from the Calcutta Journal are from New York University’s microfilm holdings. Page numbers refer to the volume of the particular year from which the quote is taken.

6  

The edition of Camper’s book came with the following publishing information: London, Sold by J.Hearne, Priestiey, Weale, E.Butler, W.Mason. 1821.

< previous page page_82 next page >