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BANYAN, or BANIAN (an Arab corruption, borrowed by the Portuguese from the See also: tree of the fig genus
.
The name was originally given by Europeans to a particular tree on the Persian Gulf beneath which some See also: Hindu " merchants " had built a pagoda
.
In See also: Calcutta the word was once generally applied to a native broker or See also: head clerk in any business or private See also: house, now usually known as sircar
.
Bunya, a corruption of the word See also: common in See also: Bengal generally, is usually applied to the native grain-dealer
.
Early writers sometimes use the See also: term generically for all See also: Hindus in western See also: India
.
Banyan was long Anglo-See also: Indian. for an undershirt, in allusion to the See also: body garment of the Hindus, especially the Banyan
.
Banyan days is a nautical See also: slang term, In the See also: British See also: navy there were formerly two days in each week on which See also: meat formed no See also: part of the men's rations
.
These were called banyan days,, in allusion to the vegetarian See also: diet of the Hindu merchants
.
Banyan hospital also became a slang term for a hospital for animals, in reference to the Hindu's humanity and his dislike of taking the See also: life of any animal
.
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