A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c21.s2.47

c21.s2.47

² Aljofar. This word is constantly used in the chronicles. Garcia da Orta (Colloq. xxxv.) derives it from Cape Julfar in Arabia, near Ormuz. Cobarruvias says it is from Arabic jauhar, “jewel” (Yule and Burnell, Dict.). Da Orta writes: “Chama-se perla em castelhano e perola em portuguez, e em latim unio, e isto no aljofar grande; porque o miudo chama-se em latim margarita, e em arabio lulu, e em persio e nest’ outras gerações da India moti, e em malavar mutu, e em portuguez e castelhano aljofar;” i.e. a large pearl is called perla in Spanish, perola in Portuguese, unio in Latin; a small pearl is called in Latin margarita, in Arabic lulu, in Persian and many Indian languages moti, in Malayâlam mutu, and in Portuguese and Spanish aljofar.