Word origins

• cowrieA small gastropod (Monetaria moneta, syn. Cypraea moneta) common in the Indian Ocean; its shell.
• choleChickpeas, or a curry consisting mainly of chickpeas.
• DevdasA grieving male lover.
• SheetalA female given name from Hindi.
• GopinathA form of the Hindu deity Krishna.
• ChaturvediA surname from Hindi.
• KhatriAn Indian merchant caste from Punjab.
• guggulCommiphora wightii, a flowering plant most common in northern India, with thin papery bark and thorny branches.
• LodhiA surname from Hindi.
• RathoreA surname from Hindi.
• TanejaA surname from Hindi.
• JuhiA female given name from Sanskrit used in India.
• MamtaA female given name from Hindi.
• biryaniA spiced dish of rice, blended with meat and/or vegetables.
• runnA tract of sandy or boggy land often overflowed by the tide.
• sangeetA gathering for the purpose of singing songs; a musical ceremony.
• SaharanpurA city, district, and division of Uttar Pradesh, in northern India.
• chikanAny act of public molestation or offense, usually of a sexual nature, against unsuspecting victims.
• dholA type of drum from India.
• vakilA surname from Hindi [in turn from Arabic].
• RastogiA surname from Hindi.
• bahuA daughter-in-law or sister-in-law, especially one who lives with her husband's family when married.
• KanwarA member of a tribal community of central India, mainly in the state of Chhattisgarh.
• RajneeshA religious and spiritual leader from India.
• Nehraa surname of the Jat community found in Haryana, northwest Rajasthan
• machanA kind of safety platform in a tree, used when hunting large animals or to escape a flood; found most commonly in Indian jungles.
• RajaramA surname from Hindi.
• banjaraA community usually described as nomadic people from the northwestern belt of the Indian subcontinent.
• tocoCorporal punishment; chastisement; beatings.
• bandhA general strike, shutdown, or other form of protest used in South Asia in which a substantial portion of the population stays home and does not report to work.
• ganjganja.
• ShindeA surname from Hindi.
• BagheeraThe deputy leader of a pack of Cub Scouts.
• NizamabadA city and district of Telangana, India.
• chupA short, loud, and urgent sound, usually of a bird.
• LalitpurA city and district of Jhansi division, Uttar Pradesh, India.
• tolaA unit of mass used in India, equal to the mass of a silver rupee coin, fixed at 180 troy grains (11.663 8038 grams) in 1833, and of a similar but slightly variable value before that date.
• chikaraAn Indian antelope (Gazella bennettii).
• poonamA sari made of imported polyester, as opposed to a traditional cotton sari.
• bijuThe honey badger.
• malaiAn Indian cream made by heating and then cooling non-homogenized whole milk and then skimming off the resulting fatty layer.
• chapatiA flat, unleavened bread from northern India and Pakistan.
• daftarA record or register consisting of a set of loose sheets filed on a string or tied up in a cloth.
• sarangiA bowed string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India.
• doobDoob grass.
• AhirA member of a clan or community, mostly in northern India, whose traditional occupations are cattle-herding and agriculture, and many of whom identify themselves as Yadav.
• dabbaA kind of lunchbox or food container.
• purohitA family priest.
• gularParticularly of an animal: of, pertaining to, or located at the gula (“the upper front of the neck next to the chin”) or the throat.
• UpadhyayA surname from Hindi.
• DwivediA surname.
• dupattaA double layer of cloth worn by women as a scarf, veil etc.
• apsaraa class of female celestial beings, originally associated with waters and clouds and later especially with celestial dance, music, beauty and the divine courts.
• MirzapurA city and district of Uttar Pradesh, India.
• uradVigna mungo, a South Asian bean used to make dal.
• JeenaA female given name from Hindi.
• dungareeHeavy denim fabric, often blue; blue jean material.
• wallahA servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah.
• sarodA fretless string instrument used mainly in Indian classical music.
• ryotA farmer or tiller of the soil.
• chintzyOf or decorated with chintz.
• chotaSmall; younger.
• maundA wicker basket.
• mudarCalotropis gigantea (crown flower, giant milkweed)
• NamrataA female given name from Hindi borne mainly by Indians and Nepalis.
• ChandiA fierce form of the goddess Durga or Shakti
• pachisiAn ancient Indian board game in which players, throwing dice, shells, etc. to determine the distance of each move, attempt to be the first to take all of their counters around the board.
• RampurA city and district of Moradabad division, Uttar Pradesh, India.
• baelA tropical fruit tree from India, Aegle marmelos.
• KumaonA historical region: the eastern half of Uttarakhand, India.
• ottaFlour.
• palluThe usually decorated end of a sari that hangs loose when worn.
• DikshitA surname, of Indian origin
• shalwarLoose trousers worn in some South Asian or Islamic countries, especially by women but also by men, especially with a kamees.
• pagiA native tracker; a person employed to track thieves by their footprints etc.
• rangoliA geometric or stylized design on the floor (or other flat surface) made using small coloured granules, powder or flowers.
• AnmolA unisex given name from Hindi used in India among the followers of Hinduism, particularly in the northern part of the country.
• challanAn official form or other kind of document, piece of paperwork, citation etc.
• KhandelwalA surname from Hindi.
• dharnaA sit-in.
• sarafA provider of financial services in the Middle East and in South Asia, especially (historical) during the early modern and colonial period.
• JariwalaA surname from Hindi.
• matkaAn earthenware pot.
• RamnathA surname from Hindi.
• chutA repeated short, low vocal sound made by guinea pigs, thought to express interest or curiosity.
• malwabeer made with millet, common in Africa
• kumkumA red powder, made from saffron or turmeric, used ceremonially by Hindu women to make various markings on the body, especially the tilak.
• KanchanA female given name from Sanskrit used in India.
• bapufather
• bhabhiA title used for a sister-in-law
• morchaA gathering of like-minded people protesting for a cause.
• swadeshiA policy of nationalist self-sufficiency in India, involving the revival and promotion of domestic production and (originally) the boycott of British products.
• lathiA heavy stick or club, usually used by policemen.
• DharamshalaA city, the summer capital of Himachal Pradesh, India.
• PahariIn South Asia, someone from the hills or mountains, a hillman; specifically a member of any of various peoples living in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal.
• kabaddiA South Asian team sport in which players must hold their breath while making raids into the opposing team's half of the field.
• SundeepA male given name from Hindi, variant of Sandeep, used in India.
• ojhaA sorcerer or folk healer in parts of India and Nepal.
• SutlejThe longest of five rivers that run through Punjab in both India and Pakistan.
• methifenugreek