Adwa: Rice husked without having been boiled.
Arta: Red pigment applied to the feet for ornament.
Baha Porob: The flower festival; the spring festival held about February.
Bandi: A receptacle for storing grain, made of straw rope.
Bharia: A bamboo carried on the shoulder with a load slung at each end.
Bhut: A ghost, a harmful spirit, not originally a Santal word.
Bonga: The name for all gods, godlings and supernatural beings. Sing bonga is the sun god; the spirits of ancestors are bongas, there are bongas of the hills, streams and the forest; others are like fairies and take human form. Sacrifices are offered to bongas on all occasions.
Brinjal: The egg plant.
But: Grain, a kind of pulse.
Chamar: A low caste, workers in leather.
Chando: The sun, the supreme god of the Santals.
Champa: A country in which according to their traditions, the Santals once lived.
Charak Puja: The festival at which men are swung by hooks from a pole.
Chatar: A festival at which dancing takes place round an umbrella.
Chowkidar: A watchman.
Churin: The spirit of a woman who has died while pregnant, her feet are turned backwards. Not originally Santal.
Chumaura: A ceremony observed at marriage, and Sohrae festival.
Dain: A witch. Witches are supposed to use their powers to cause sickness and death; women accused of witchcraft are often murdered.
Dehri: The president of the annual hunt; he presides over the Court which during the hunt hears appeals against unjust decisions of paganas.
Dewan: The chief minister of a Raja.
Dhobi: A washerman.
Dhoti: The waistcloth worn by men.
Dom: A low caste, scavengers, basketmakers and drummers.
Gamcha: A small piece of cloth worn round the neck, or when bathing.
Ghât: The approach to a pool or river at which people bathe; the crossing place of a river.
Ghormuha: A horse-headed monster; not a Santal name.
Goâla: A man of the cow keeping caste.
Godet: The village constable, the official messenger of the headman.
Goondli: A small millet.
Gosain: A religious ascetic, usually of the Vishnuite persuasion.
Gupinî: A celestial milkmaid, such as those who danced with Krishna; not a Santal creation.
Gûr: Juice of sugar cane, molasses.
Hadi: A low caste of scavengers.
Jan or Jan guru: A witch finder. When a man is ill the Jan is consulted as to what witch is responsible. The Jan usually divines by gazing at an oiled leaf.
Jahirthan: The group of sacred trees left in each village for the accommodation of the spirits of the forest when the jungle is cleared.
Jai tuk: A bullock given to a woman at her marriage.
Jhalka: A boastful man.
Jogi or Jugi: A religious ascetic, a mendicant.
Lota: A small brass water pot.
Lakh: One hundred thousand.
Mahadeo: The great god, i.e. Siva.
Mahajan: A moneylender.
Mahuli: A tribe akin to the Santals, basket makers by profession.
Malhan: A cultivated leguminous plant.
Manjhithan: The little pavilion in the centre of every Santal village at which the spirits of dead headmen are worshipped and where village councils are held.
Mantra: An incantation, sacred or magic formula.
Marang Burn: The great spirit, the original chief god of the Santals.
Marwari: A trader from Rajputana and the adjoining parts.
Maund: A weight, 40 seers or 82 pounds.
Meral: A small tree. Phyllanthus emblica.
More Turuiko: Lit.: The five or six--certain Santal godlings.
Mowah: A tree, Bassia latifolia, the fleshy flower is eaten and spirit is distilled from it.
Musahar: A semi-aboriginal caste which catches and eats rats.
Nala: A water course with steep banks.
Narta: The namegiving ceremony observed three or five days after birth, by which the child is formally admitted into the tribe.
Ninda Chando: The moon goddess, wife of Singchando the Sun god.
Kat: A dry measure used for grain.
Kisar Bonga: A spirit which takes up its abode in the house, frolicsome and mischievous.
Kisku: One of the twelve exogamous septs of Santals, by tradition it was formerly the royal sept.
Koeri: A cultivating caste of Hindus.
Kora: A youth or young man, the hero of a story is often called so throughout, and I have for convenience adopted it as a proper name.
Kos: A measure of distance, two miles.
Ojha: An exorcist, a charm doctor, one who counteracts the effects of witchcraft.
Pachet: A place in the Manbhum district which the Santals occupied in the course of their immigrations.
Panchayat: A council primarily of five which meets to decide a dispute.
Pagri: A cloth worn round the head, a turban.
Paharia: A hill man; the Saurias or Malé of the Rajmahal hills.
Pai: A wooden or metal measure containing half a seer.
Pan: Betel used for chewing.
Parganna: A Santal chief having jurisdiction over a number of villages.
Paranic: The assistant headman of a village.
Parrab: A festival.
Peepul or pipal: A tree, ficus religiosa.
Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Budhi: The first man and woman.
Rahar: A cultivated crop, a kind of pulse.
Raibar: A marriage go-between, a man employed to arrange a marriage.
Rakas: An ogre. Sanskrit Rakhshya.
Rum: To be possessed, to fall into a cataleptic state.
Sabai: A kind of grass used for making rope.
Sal: A forest tree. Shorea robusta.
Seer: A weight, about two pounds.
Sid atang: To take the final step, to be completely initiated.
Sing bonga: The Sun god.
Sipahi: An armed guard, a soldier, armed messenger.
Sohrai: The great winter festival of the Santals.
Taluq: A revenue division of the country.
Tarop tree: A small tree, Buchanania latifolia.
Thakur: The supreme Being.
Tika: A mark on the forehead, the giving of which corresponds to coronation.
Tola: A hamlet, a detached quarter of a village.
