Shooting an Elephant

Shooting an Elephant Glossary

Bazaars

Permanent markets where goods and services are exchanged, typically in Middle Eastern and Asian countries.

Betel juice

The red juice of the betel leaf, which is commonly chewed many parts of Asia.

Burman

A Burmese person

Moulmein

A city in lower Burma. The former capital of British Burma.

Saecula saeculorum

A Latin term connoting eternity. A direct translation is: unto the ages of the ages.

Imperialism

The process by which a nation or country acquires territory beyond their traditional boundaries either by force or by diplomacy. It may involve colonization as well as the material exploitation of the regions and the imposition of imperial law.

Prostrate

To be laying face down, stretched out, flat.

.44 Winchester

Technically referring to a width of rifle cartridge, Orwell uses it here to refer to the Winchester rifle itself.

In terrorem

Latin for "into/about" fear, referring to a threat or appeal to fear, impelling someone to act or obey, without needing to resort to law.

'Must'

A temporary aggressive state of frenzy that possesses certain male animals, particularly elephants, during mating season, when they are overcome with reproductive hormones. Also spelled, 'musth.'

Mahout

An elephant rider or keeper

Squalid

Relating to poor, filthy and often overcrowded living conditions.

Dravidian

Relating to a group of languages of southern India and Sri Lanka.

Coolie

In the 19th and early 20th century, coolie referred to an indentured servant, typically in or from the Indian subcontinent or South China. Coolies owed their labor to a company or family.

Paddy fields

Referring to the low wet or terraced fields where rice is grown.

Metalled road

A term for a rudimentary paving.

Miry

Wet, muddy or boggy.

Sahib

Originally an Arabic term referring to a master or owner. Orwell uses it here in this sense, though it also became the a polite form of a address for a man.

cross-hair sights

A pair of fine intersecting lines in the sight of a rifle, used for taking aim.

Dah

A Burmese word for knife. Also spelled 'dha.'

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