_ sticks, but it does in Gipsy; and in Hindustani, _pichchi_ means
sticking or adhering. I find in all cases of such resemblance that the
Gipsy word has invariably a closer affinity as regards meaning to the
Hindu than to the English, and that its tendencies are always rather
Oriental than Anglo-Saxon. As an illustration, I may point out _piller_
(English Gipsy) to attack, having an affinity in _pilna_ (Hindustani),
with the same meaning. Many readers will at once revert to _pill_,
_piller_, and _pillage_--all simply _implying_ attack, but really meaning
to _rob_, or robbery. But _piller_ in English Gipsy also means, as in
Hindustani, to assault indecently; and this is almost conclusive as to
its Eastern origin.

It is remarkable that the Gipsies in England, or all the world over,
have, like the Hindus, a distinctly descriptive expression for every
degree of relationship. Thus a _pivli beebee_ in English Gipsy, or
_pupheri bahim_ in Hindustani, is a father's sister's daughter. This in
English, as in French or German, is simply a cousin.

_Quod_, imprisonment, is an old English cant and Gipsy word which Mr
Hotten attempts to derive from a college quadrangle; but when we find
that the Hindu _quaid_ also means confinement, the probability is that it
is to it we owe this singular term.

There are many words in which it is evident that the Hindu Gipsy meaning
has been shifted from a cognate subject. Thus _putti_, the hub of a
wheel in Gipsy, means the felly of a wheel in Hindustani. _Kaizy_, to
rub a horse down, or scrape him, in the original tongue signifies "to tie
up a horse's head by passing the bridle to his tail," to prevent his
kicking while being rubbed or 'scraped. _Quasur_, or _kasur_, is in
Hindustani flame: in English Gipsy _kessur_ signifies smoke; but I have
heard a Gipsy more than once apply the same term to flame and smoke, just
as _miraben_ stands for both life and death.

Very Oriental is the word kismet, or destiny, as most of my readers are
probably aware. It is also English Gipsy, and was explained to me as
follows: "A man's _kismut_ is what he's bound to kair--it's the kismut of
his see. Some men's kismut is better'n wavers, 'cos they've got more
better chiv. Some men's kismut's to bikin grais, and some to bikin
kanis; but saw foki has their kismut, an' they can't pen chichi elsus."
In English, "A man's destiny is what he is bound to do--it is the fate of
his soul (life). Some men's dest