History of Bengali Language and Literature c8.4

c8.4

shade while those of the Muhammadans flourished. The word নগর which means a city was replaced by the word সহর; the Bengali টাকা a rupee (from Sanskrit টঙ্কা) when received as revenue by the Muhammadan rulers became খাজনা; the words ভূমি and ভূঞা (from Sans ভৌমিক) signifying land and landowner were replaced by জমি and জমিদার. The mansions of the rich and all big buildings were no longer called অট্টালিকা but became known as এমারৎ. The little earthen lamp retained its old name প্রদীপ, but the word which once implied all classes of lamps became restricted in sense. Chandeliers and the wall-lamps were now called ঝাড় and দেওয়ালগিরি respectively, and so in all departments of life, the very words imported into our tongue by the Muhammadans shew that they were enjoying the cream of things and monopolizing all power. The case was the same as that of the Saxon language after the Norman conquest. The victors who were placed in power introduced their own words into the spheres with which they were directly connected.