Hobson-Jobson

views updated

Hobson-Jobson assimilation of adopted foreign words to the sound-pattern of the adopting language, from the title of a famous collection (1886) of Anglo-Indian words by Yule & Burnell, representing an alteration (by British hearers) of Arabic Yā Ḥasan! Yā Ḥusayn! O Hasan! O Husayn!, a cry used by Muslims at the ceremonies held at Muharram.

More From encyclopedia.com