Dictionary

cutcherry en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷer- Sanskrit कृ (kṛ) Proto-Indo-European *-yós Sanskrit -य (-ya) Sanskrit कृत्य (kṛtya) Ashokan Prakrit 𑀓𑀘 (kaca) Prakrit 𑀓𑀘𑁆𑀘 (kacca) Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ-der. Proto-Indo-Iranian *gʰr̥dʰás Sanskrit गृह (gṛha) Proto-Middle Indo-Aryan *𑀕𑀭𑁆𑀳 (*garha) Prakrit 𑀖𑀭 (ghara) Proto-New Indo-Aryan *𑀓𑀘𑁆𑀘𑀳𑀭𑀺𑀆 (*kaccahariā) Hindi कचहरी (kacahrī)bor. Marathi कचेरी (kacerī)bor. Tamil கச்சேரி (kaccēri)bor. English cutcherry Borrowed from Tamil கச்சேரி (kaccēri, “office, administrative office”).

Meanings

1. An administration office in India.
   • He went to the cutcherry and enrolled himself as a muktear (attorney) and soon the litigants and the magistrates found out how clever he was and he acquired a big practice. 1909, Cecil Henry Bompas, Folklore of the Santal Parganas:
   • The cutcherry clerks and the police are with him everywhere; higher native officials are often on his side. 1914, George Robert Aberigh-Mackay, Twenty-One Days in India; and, the Teapot Series:
   • --Since the first edition was published, I have been told by a late officer of the Ceylon Government, that many years ago, what remained of the Dutch records were removed from the record-room of the Colonial Office to the cutcherry of the government agent of the western province: where some of them may still be found. 1860, James Emerson Tennent, Ceylon; an Account of the Island Physical, Historical, and:
2. (India) A hall used for business, political, or social assemblies, such as a magistrate's court or a building housing a public agency.
   • I walked through the ruins of the Fort of Bangalore ... it is not without some degree of magnificence. On the upper storey it contains four halls, each comprising two balconies of state for the prince, and each balcony faces a different Cutchery, or court for giving audience. No person, except a few trusty guards, were admitted into the hall with the Sultan: but at each end of the court was erected a balcony for the officers of the highest rank. 1807, Francis Buchanan, A Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Cananara and Malabar, London:
3. Kaempferia galanga, a plant resembling ginger.

Forms

Relateds

kedgeree