Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c10.348

c10.348

ANACONDA, s. This word for a great python, or boa, is of very obscure origin. It is now applied in scientific zoology as the specific name of a great S. American water-snake. Cuvier has “*L’Anaconda (Boa scytale et murina, L.—Boa aquatica, Prince Max.),*” (*Règne Animal*, 1829, ii. 78). Again, in the Official Report prepared by the Brazilian Government for the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876, we find: “Of the genus *Boa* . . . . *sucuriù* or *sucuriuba* (B. anaconda), whose skins are used for boots and shoes and other purposes.” And as the subject was engaging our attention we read the following in the *St James’ Gazette* of April 3, 1882:—“A very unpleasant account is given by a Brazilian paper, the *Voz do Povo* of Diamantino, of the proceedings of a huge water-snake called the *sucuruyu*, which is to be found in some of the rivers of Brazil. . . . A slave, with some companions, was fishing with a net in the river, when he was suddenly seized by a *sucuruyu*, who made an effort with his hinder coils to carry off at the same time another of the fishing party.” We had naturally supposed the name to be S. American, and its S. American character was rather corroborated by our finding in Ramusio’s version of Pietro Martire d’Angheria such S. American names as *Anacauchoa* and *Anacaona*. Serious doubt was however thrown on the American origin of the word when we found that Mr H. W. Bates entirely disbelieved it, and when we failed to trace the name in any older books about S. America.