The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c10.58

v1.c10.58

**Sanskrit names for tailors :** It has been somewhere said that had the ancient Hindu had needle-made garments, they would have had in their language names for them as well as for tailors; but that they had none such in Sanskrit. This is, however, not the case. In the *Vocabulary* of Amara Siṃha, there are two words for workers with needle, one applying exclusively to those who confined their profession to darning, and the other to general tailoring.³⁷ The first is *tunnavāya*, a word very similar to *tantuvāya* "a weaver", and the other, *saucika* or *sūcika*, general worker with the needle. The profession of the latter was of sufficient importance to necessitate the establishment of a separate tribe, and a mixed class, the lawful issue of Vaiśyas by Śūdra women, was, according to the ancient law-book of Uśanas, destined to live by it, and other manual arts.³⁸ These bore the distinctive tribal name of *Sauci* or needlemen.