"munshi" meaning in English

See munshi in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈmuːnʃiː/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈmunʃi/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-munshi.wav Forms: munshis [plural]
Etymology: Borrowed from Urdu منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”) or directly from its etymon Classical Persian منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”), from Arabic مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ, “teacher; writer”). Etymology templates: {{refn|From the Royal Collection, located in Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK.|group=n|name=n1}}, {{bor|en|ur|منشی||secretary; munshi|tr=munšī}} Urdu منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”), {{glossary|etymon}} etymon, {{bor|en|fa-cls|منشی||secretary; munshi|tr=munšī}} Classical Persian منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”), {{der|en|ar|مُنْشِئ|t=teacher; writer}} Arabic مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ, “teacher; writer”), {{root|en|ar|ن ش ء}} Head templates: {{en-noun}} munshi (plural munshis)
  1. (South Asia) A clerk or secretary. Tags: South-Asia
    Sense id: en-munshi-en-noun-hWFV9Kc- Categories (other): South Asian English
  2. (South Asia) A language teacher, especially one teaching Hindustani or Persian. Tags: South-Asia Categories (topical): Occupations Translations (clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary): مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ) [masculine] (Arabic), münşi (Azerbaijani), মুন্সী (munśi) (Bengali), मुंशी (muñśī) [masculine] (Hindi), مُنْشی (monši) (Iranian Persian), മുൻശി (muṉśi) (Malayalam), منشي (monši) (Pashto), مُنْشِی (munšī) (Persian), ਮੁੰਸ਼ੀ (mũśī) (Punjabi), муншӣ (munši) (Tajik), münşi (Turkish), مُنْشی (munśī) [masculine] (Urdu), munshiy (Uzbek) Translations (language teacher): मुंशी (muñśī) [masculine] (Hindi), مُنْشی (monši) (Iranian Persian), منشي (monši) (Pashto), مُنْشِی (munšī) (Persian), مُنْشی (munśī) [masculine] (Urdu)
    Sense id: en-munshi-en-noun-6OeeoiU9 Disambiguation of Occupations: 32 68 Categories (other): South Asian English, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Azerbaijani translations, Terms with Bengali translations, Terms with Hindi translations, Terms with Malayalam translations, Terms with Pashto translations, Terms with Persian translations, Terms with Punjabi translations, Terms with Tajik translations, Terms with Turkish translations, Terms with Urdu translations, Terms with Uzbek translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 3 97 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 2 98 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 2 98 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 98 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 7 93 Disambiguation of Terms with Azerbaijani translations: 11 89 Disambiguation of Terms with Bengali translations: 11 89 Disambiguation of Terms with Hindi translations: 3 97 Disambiguation of Terms with Malayalam translations: 4 96 Disambiguation of Terms with Pashto translations: 4 96 Disambiguation of Terms with Persian translations: 7 93 Disambiguation of Terms with Punjabi translations: 8 92 Disambiguation of Terms with Tajik translations: 9 91 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 7 93 Disambiguation of Terms with Urdu translations: 3 97 Disambiguation of Terms with Uzbek translations: 10 90 Disambiguation of 'clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary': 36 64 Disambiguation of 'language teacher': 10 90
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: moonshee [archaic], moonshi [archaic], munsee [archaic], munshee [archaic] Related terms: Munshi (english: a surname)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "From the Royal Collection, located in Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK.",
        "group": "n",
        "name": "n1"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "refn"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ur",
        "3": "منشی",
        "4": "",
        "5": "secretary; munshi",
        "tr": "munšī"
      },
      "expansion": "Urdu منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”)",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
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      "expansion": "etymon",
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fa-cls",
        "3": "منشی",
        "4": "",
        "5": "secretary; munshi",
        "tr": "munšī"
      },
      "expansion": "Classical Persian منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”)",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "مُنْشِئ",
        "t": "teacher; writer"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ, “teacher; writer”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ن ش ء"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Urdu منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”) or directly from its etymon Classical Persian منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”), from Arabic مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ, “teacher; writer”).",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "munshis",
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        "plural"
      ]
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "munshi (plural munshis)",
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    "mun‧shi"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "english": "a surname",
      "word": "Munshi"
    }
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        {
          "ref": "1773 June 18, “Fifth Report from the Committee Appointed to Enquire into the Nature, State, and Condition, of the East India Company, and of the British Affairs in the East Indies”, in Reports from Committees of the House of Commons, volume III, [London]: Printed by order of the House, →OCLC, page 546, column 1:",
          "text": "Then Your Committee examined Goneſhamdaſs, who was formerly Moonſhee, or Perſian Tranſlator, to Colonel Graham; [...]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1777 September, “A Code of Gentoo Laws, or Ordinations of the Pundits, from a Persian Translation, Made from the Original, Written in the Shanscrit Language. 4to. London, 1776.—Printed at the Expence of the East India Company, and Not to be Purchased.”, in The Critical Review: Or, Annals of Literature (Series the Fifth), volume XLIV, London: Printed for A. Hamilton, […], →OCLC, page 182:",
          "text": "Whoever has memory to retain what he hears, and who ſpeaks ſo intelligibly that no doubt of his meaning ariſes in his audience, and who is a man of good actions, [...] ſuch perſon the magiſtrate ſhall conſtitute his Leekhuk or Moonſhi, and writer.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1795, William Ouseley, “Explanation of the Miscellaneous Specimens”, in Persian Miscellanies: An Essay to Facilitate the Reading of Persian Manuscripts; […], London: Printed for Richard White, […], →OCLC, page 94:",
          "text": "This, and the two other examples given in the ſame plate, are from manuſcripts written in the coarſe and haſty manner of the Indian Munſhees: the reader muſt not expect, therefore, in ſuch writings, to have his eye delighted with graceful flouriſhes, minute hair-ſtrokes, or elegant combinations.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1849, quoting Paunchkourí Khan, “Art. III.—The Revelations of an Orderly, by Paunchkourí Khan. Being an Attempt to Expose the Abuses of Administration, by the Relation of Every-day Occurrences in the Mofussil Courts. Benares: Printed at the Recorder Press: 1848.”, in The Calcutta Review, volume XI, number XXII, Calcutta: Printed for the proprietor, by Sanders, Cones and Co., […], →OCLC, page 322:",
          "text": "The next day, as soon as a case was decided, he quietly sneaked out of the room, and, following the successful suitor, significantly held out his palm. \"To my joy and surprise,\" says Paunchkourí, \"he slipped a rupee into it, and whispered to me to give the múnshí (the Persian clerk) his share.[\"]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1866 February 26, “Tarakant Bannerjee, versus Puddomoney Dossee and Others”, in D. Sutherland, editor, Judgments of the Privy Council on Appeals from India. From 1831 to 1867, Calcutta: Published by Messrs. Thacker, Spink & Co., published 1867, →OCLC, page 632:",
          "text": "The moonshees succeeded in that litigation, and the decree in their suit declared the lands to be part of the jote tenure, and limited the zemindar's claim to a title to assess them for rent.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1877 December, “[Literary Notices.] Sleepy Sketches—or How We Live and How We Do Not Live—from Bombay. London: Sampson Low & Co. 1877. [book review]”, in The Dublin University Magazine, a Literary and Political Journal, volume XC, number DXL, London: Hurst & Blackett, […]; Dublin: W. Ridings, […]; Melbourne, Vic.: George Robertson, →OCLC, page 748, column 2:",
          "text": "My munshi, a Mohammedan, gave us one morning a long account of what he believed, and what religious observances he had to follow. [...] The munshi smiled, as is the way of munshis, whatever answer is given them, but he asked no more.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 June 11, Tessa Hadley, “River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh – review”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2016-09-17:",
          "text": "The Raja, for example, escaped and, while in disguise, finds work as Bahram's munshi or secretary – but these strands never quite recover the verve of their first outing.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 August 15, Bhuvaneshwar Prasad, “Patriotism still on his mind, says freedom fighter Parimal Das”, in The Times of India, Mumbai, Maharashtra: The Times Group, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“Not only my father Garib Das and two elder brothers—Raghav Das and Anurag Das—and brother-in-law Anup Lal were indomitable freedom fighters, but even our ‘munshi’ and domestic servants were greatly touched by the patriotic fervour”, says 83-year-old Parimal Das, a native of village Khajuri in Araria district.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
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      "glosses": [
        "A clerk or secretary."
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        "(South Asia) A clerk or secretary."
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        {
          "_dis": "32 68",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Occupations",
          "orig": "en:Occupations",
          "parents": [
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        {
          "ref": "1875 April, [John Arthur Bayley], chapter IV, in Reminiscences of School and Army Life, 1839 to 1859, [London?]: [Privately printed; s.n.], →OCLC, pages 54–55:",
          "text": "Several of us, at one time or another, engaged \"moonshis\" or teachers, and tried to learn Hindustani, in which language, with one exception I think, none of us became very proficient.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1875 December 11, “The Prince of Wales and the Native Church of Tinnevelly”, in The Church Missionary Intelligencer and Record, a Monthly Journal of Missionary Information, volume I (New Series), London: Church Missionary House, […]; Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, […]; Hatchard and Co., […]; and J. Nisbet and Co., […], published February 1876, →OCLC, page 66:",
          "text": "[A] beautifully-bound Tamil Bible and Prayer Book were brought over from the body of Christians on the other side the line by Edward Muttiyathillay, the munshee who had rendered such efficient help in the translation of both these books.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008 October 14, Amitav Ghosh, chapter 6, in Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy; 1), London: John Murray, →ISBN; 1st Picador edition, New York, N.Y.: Picador, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009, →ISBN, pages 127–128:",
          "text": "This meant that Paulette had learnt a good deal of Latin from her father, while also absorbing Indian languages from the learned munshis who had been enlisted to assist the curator with his collections.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 August, Sarah Bradford, “Merry Monarch: Bertie: A Life of Edward VII: By Jane Ridley: Chatto & Windus 496pp £30 [book review]”, in Literary Review, number 401, London: The Literary Review & Quarto, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2019-05-22:",
          "text": "When [Queen] Victoria died Bertie took his revenge by expunging every personal trace of her life at Windsor, dismantling her rooms (which he then occupied), and burning her letters to her Indian servant, the ‘Munshi’, in the latter’s presence.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A language teacher, especially one teaching Hindustani or Persian."
      ],
      "id": "en-munshi-en-noun-6OeeoiU9",
      "links": [
        [
          "language",
          "language"
        ],
        [
          "teacher",
          "teacher"
        ],
        [
          "teach",
          "teach"
        ],
        [
          "Hindustani",
          "Hindustani#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "Persian",
          "Persian#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) A language teacher, especially one teaching Hindustani or Persian."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "munšiʔ",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "مُنْشِئ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "münşi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "bn",
          "lang": "Bengali",
          "roman": "munśi",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "মুন্সী"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "muñśī",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "मुंशी"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "ml",
          "lang": "Malayalam",
          "roman": "muṉśi",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "മുൻശി"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "ps",
          "lang": "Pashto",
          "roman": "monši",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "منشي"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "fa-cls",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "raw_tags": [
            "Classical Persian"
          ],
          "roman": "munšī",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "مُنْشِی"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "fa-ira",
          "lang": "Iranian Persian",
          "roman": "monši",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "مُنْشی"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "pa",
          "lang": "Punjabi",
          "roman": "mũśī",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "ਮੁੰਸ਼ੀ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "tg",
          "lang": "Tajik",
          "roman": "munši",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "муншӣ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "münşi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "ur",
          "lang": "Urdu",
          "roman": "munśī",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "مُنْشی"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "36 64",
          "code": "uz",
          "lang": "Uzbek",
          "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
          "word": "munshiy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "muñśī",
          "sense": "language teacher",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "मुंशी"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "code": "ps",
          "lang": "Pashto",
          "roman": "monši",
          "sense": "language teacher",
          "word": "منشي"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "code": "fa-cls",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "raw_tags": [
            "Classical Persian"
          ],
          "roman": "munšī",
          "sense": "language teacher",
          "word": "مُنْشِی"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "code": "fa-ira",
          "lang": "Iranian Persian",
          "roman": "monši",
          "sense": "language teacher",
          "word": "مُنْشی"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "code": "ur",
          "lang": "Urdu",
          "roman": "munśī",
          "sense": "language teacher",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "مُنْشی"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmuːnʃiː/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-munshi.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-munshi.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-munshi.wav.mp3",
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    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmunʃi/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "moonshee"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "moonshi"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "munsee"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "munshee"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "East Cowes",
    "Osborne House",
    "Queen Victoria",
    "Royal Collection",
    "Rudolf Swoboda"
  ],
  "word": "munshi"
}
{
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    "Terms with Malayalam translations",
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    "Terms with Punjabi translations",
    "Terms with Tajik translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Urdu translations",
    "Terms with Uzbek translations",
    "en:Occupations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "From the Royal Collection, located in Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK.",
        "group": "n",
        "name": "n1"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "refn"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ur",
        "3": "منشی",
        "4": "",
        "5": "secretary; munshi",
        "tr": "munšī"
      },
      "expansion": "Urdu منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”)",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fa-cls",
        "3": "منشی",
        "4": "",
        "5": "secretary; munshi",
        "tr": "munšī"
      },
      "expansion": "Classical Persian منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”)",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "مُنْشِئ",
        "t": "teacher; writer"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ, “teacher; writer”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ن ش ء"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Urdu منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”) or directly from its etymon Classical Persian منشی (munšī, “secretary; munshi”), from Arabic مُنْشِئ (munšiʔ, “teacher; writer”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "munshis",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "munshi (plural munshis)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "mun‧shi"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "english": "a surname",
      "word": "Munshi"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "South Asian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1773 June 18, “Fifth Report from the Committee Appointed to Enquire into the Nature, State, and Condition, of the East India Company, and of the British Affairs in the East Indies”, in Reports from Committees of the House of Commons, volume III, [London]: Printed by order of the House, →OCLC, page 546, column 1:",
          "text": "Then Your Committee examined Goneſhamdaſs, who was formerly Moonſhee, or Perſian Tranſlator, to Colonel Graham; [...]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1777 September, “A Code of Gentoo Laws, or Ordinations of the Pundits, from a Persian Translation, Made from the Original, Written in the Shanscrit Language. 4to. London, 1776.—Printed at the Expence of the East India Company, and Not to be Purchased.”, in The Critical Review: Or, Annals of Literature (Series the Fifth), volume XLIV, London: Printed for A. Hamilton, […], →OCLC, page 182:",
          "text": "Whoever has memory to retain what he hears, and who ſpeaks ſo intelligibly that no doubt of his meaning ariſes in his audience, and who is a man of good actions, [...] ſuch perſon the magiſtrate ſhall conſtitute his Leekhuk or Moonſhi, and writer.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1795, William Ouseley, “Explanation of the Miscellaneous Specimens”, in Persian Miscellanies: An Essay to Facilitate the Reading of Persian Manuscripts; […], London: Printed for Richard White, […], →OCLC, page 94:",
          "text": "This, and the two other examples given in the ſame plate, are from manuſcripts written in the coarſe and haſty manner of the Indian Munſhees: the reader muſt not expect, therefore, in ſuch writings, to have his eye delighted with graceful flouriſhes, minute hair-ſtrokes, or elegant combinations.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1849, quoting Paunchkourí Khan, “Art. III.—The Revelations of an Orderly, by Paunchkourí Khan. Being an Attempt to Expose the Abuses of Administration, by the Relation of Every-day Occurrences in the Mofussil Courts. Benares: Printed at the Recorder Press: 1848.”, in The Calcutta Review, volume XI, number XXII, Calcutta: Printed for the proprietor, by Sanders, Cones and Co., […], →OCLC, page 322:",
          "text": "The next day, as soon as a case was decided, he quietly sneaked out of the room, and, following the successful suitor, significantly held out his palm. \"To my joy and surprise,\" says Paunchkourí, \"he slipped a rupee into it, and whispered to me to give the múnshí (the Persian clerk) his share.[\"]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1866 February 26, “Tarakant Bannerjee, versus Puddomoney Dossee and Others”, in D. Sutherland, editor, Judgments of the Privy Council on Appeals from India. From 1831 to 1867, Calcutta: Published by Messrs. Thacker, Spink & Co., published 1867, →OCLC, page 632:",
          "text": "The moonshees succeeded in that litigation, and the decree in their suit declared the lands to be part of the jote tenure, and limited the zemindar's claim to a title to assess them for rent.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1877 December, “[Literary Notices.] Sleepy Sketches—or How We Live and How We Do Not Live—from Bombay. London: Sampson Low & Co. 1877. [book review]”, in The Dublin University Magazine, a Literary and Political Journal, volume XC, number DXL, London: Hurst & Blackett, […]; Dublin: W. Ridings, […]; Melbourne, Vic.: George Robertson, →OCLC, page 748, column 2:",
          "text": "My munshi, a Mohammedan, gave us one morning a long account of what he believed, and what religious observances he had to follow. [...] The munshi smiled, as is the way of munshis, whatever answer is given them, but he asked no more.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 June 11, Tessa Hadley, “River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh – review”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2016-09-17:",
          "text": "The Raja, for example, escaped and, while in disguise, finds work as Bahram's munshi or secretary – but these strands never quite recover the verve of their first outing.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 August 15, Bhuvaneshwar Prasad, “Patriotism still on his mind, says freedom fighter Parimal Das”, in The Times of India, Mumbai, Maharashtra: The Times Group, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“Not only my father Garib Das and two elder brothers—Raghav Das and Anurag Das—and brother-in-law Anup Lal were indomitable freedom fighters, but even our ‘munshi’ and domestic servants were greatly touched by the patriotic fervour”, says 83-year-old Parimal Das, a native of village Khajuri in Araria district.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A clerk or secretary."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "clerk",
          "clerk"
        ],
        [
          "secretary",
          "secretary"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) A clerk or secretary."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "South Asian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1875 April, [John Arthur Bayley], chapter IV, in Reminiscences of School and Army Life, 1839 to 1859, [London?]: [Privately printed; s.n.], →OCLC, pages 54–55:",
          "text": "Several of us, at one time or another, engaged \"moonshis\" or teachers, and tried to learn Hindustani, in which language, with one exception I think, none of us became very proficient.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1875 December 11, “The Prince of Wales and the Native Church of Tinnevelly”, in The Church Missionary Intelligencer and Record, a Monthly Journal of Missionary Information, volume I (New Series), London: Church Missionary House, […]; Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, […]; Hatchard and Co., […]; and J. Nisbet and Co., […], published February 1876, →OCLC, page 66:",
          "text": "[A] beautifully-bound Tamil Bible and Prayer Book were brought over from the body of Christians on the other side the line by Edward Muttiyathillay, the munshee who had rendered such efficient help in the translation of both these books.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008 October 14, Amitav Ghosh, chapter 6, in Sea of Poppies (Ibis Trilogy; 1), London: John Murray, →ISBN; 1st Picador edition, New York, N.Y.: Picador, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009, →ISBN, pages 127–128:",
          "text": "This meant that Paulette had learnt a good deal of Latin from her father, while also absorbing Indian languages from the learned munshis who had been enlisted to assist the curator with his collections.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 August, Sarah Bradford, “Merry Monarch: Bertie: A Life of Edward VII: By Jane Ridley: Chatto & Windus 496pp £30 [book review]”, in Literary Review, number 401, London: The Literary Review & Quarto, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2019-05-22:",
          "text": "When [Queen] Victoria died Bertie took his revenge by expunging every personal trace of her life at Windsor, dismantling her rooms (which he then occupied), and burning her letters to her Indian servant, the ‘Munshi’, in the latter’s presence.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A language teacher, especially one teaching Hindustani or Persian."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "language",
          "language"
        ],
        [
          "teacher",
          "teacher"
        ],
        [
          "teach",
          "teach"
        ],
        [
          "Hindustani",
          "Hindustani#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "Persian",
          "Persian#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(South Asia) A language teacher, especially one teaching Hindustani or Persian."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Asia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmuːnʃiː/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-munshi.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-munshi.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-munshi.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-munshi.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-munshi.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈmunʃi/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "moonshee"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "moonshi"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "munsee"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "munshee"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "munšiʔ",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "مُنْشِئ"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "münşi"
    },
    {
      "code": "bn",
      "lang": "Bengali",
      "roman": "munśi",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "মুন্সী"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "muñśī",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "मुंशी"
    },
    {
      "code": "ml",
      "lang": "Malayalam",
      "roman": "muṉśi",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "മുൻശി"
    },
    {
      "code": "ps",
      "lang": "Pashto",
      "roman": "monši",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "منشي"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa-cls",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Persian"
      ],
      "roman": "munšī",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "مُنْشِی"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa-ira",
      "lang": "Iranian Persian",
      "roman": "monši",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "مُنْشی"
    },
    {
      "code": "pa",
      "lang": "Punjabi",
      "roman": "mũśī",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "ਮੁੰਸ਼ੀ"
    },
    {
      "code": "tg",
      "lang": "Tajik",
      "roman": "munši",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "муншӣ"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "münşi"
    },
    {
      "code": "ur",
      "lang": "Urdu",
      "roman": "munśī",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "مُنْشی"
    },
    {
      "code": "uz",
      "lang": "Uzbek",
      "sense": "clerk; secretary — see also clerk, secretary",
      "word": "munshiy"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "muñśī",
      "sense": "language teacher",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "मुंशी"
    },
    {
      "code": "ps",
      "lang": "Pashto",
      "roman": "monši",
      "sense": "language teacher",
      "word": "منشي"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa-cls",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Persian"
      ],
      "roman": "munšī",
      "sense": "language teacher",
      "word": "مُنْشِی"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa-ira",
      "lang": "Iranian Persian",
      "roman": "monši",
      "sense": "language teacher",
      "word": "مُنْشی"
    },
    {
      "code": "ur",
      "lang": "Urdu",
      "roman": "munśī",
      "sense": "language teacher",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "مُنْشی"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "East Cowes",
    "Osborne House",
    "Queen Victoria",
    "Royal Collection",
    "Rudolf Swoboda"
  ],
  "word": "munshi"
}

Download raw JSONL data for munshi meaning in English (12.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.