language

In 1842, Major General Charles Napier was commanded to quell a protracted rebellion in Sindh (now in Pakistan). He however exceeded his mandate and conquered the entire province. Once done, Napier is rumoured to have sent a telegram to his superiors with just one word, peccavi, Latin for "I have sinned".

The name of the gemstone, beryl, probably originates from the Prakrit veruliya and Sanskrit vaidurya- which might be of Dravidian provenance. One theory points its source to the city of Velur (modern Belur, Karnataka). Derivatives such as brilliant and beryllium share these origins.

Gondwanaland, the Pangaean supercontinent that existed millions of years ago is named after Gondwana, a region in Central India. Gondwana comes from the Sanskrit goṇḍavana or the forest of the Gonds, a tribe spread across the area.

पोटा (pōṭā) in Sanskrit is a word that represents a masculine woman, or a bearded woman or one with other such masculine features. Alternatively, it can also mean hermaphrodite or simply, a female servant.

There is a village in Kerala named Areacode. Its area code is 0483 (for Malappuram).

Travelling about 80kms from Darjeeling and to an altitude of 7200 feet gets you to the cool climes of a hill-station named Lava.

The Loo is a hot, debilitating wind that sweeps across Western India, particularly Rajasthan in the months of May and June. Heatstrokes are referred to as Loo lagna (लू लगना). Apparently, Hamdard's Rooh-afza is based on a unani recipe for a drink with cooling properties recommended during this time.

The word saffron, a colour often associated with Hinduism, is believed to have its root in the Arabic word, az-za'faran which is itself of unknown origin.