1799.—"The kioums or convents of the Rhahaans are different in their structure from common houses, and much resemble the architecture of the Chinese; they are made entirely of wood; the roof is composed of different stages, supported by strong pillars," &c.—Symes, p. 210.
KYTHEE, s. Hind. Kaithī. A form of cursive Nagari character, used by Bunyas, &c., in Gangetic India. It is from Kāyath (Skt. Kāyastha), a member of the writer-caste.
L
LAC, s. Hind. lākh, from Skt. lākshā, for rākshā. The resinous incrustation produced on certain trees (of which the dhāk (see [DHAWK]) is one, but chiefly [Peepul], and khossum [kusum, kusumb], i.e. Schleichera bijuga, trijuga) by the puncture of the Lac insect (Coccus Lacca, L.). See Roxburgh, in Vol. III. As. Res., 384 seqq.; [and a full list of the trees on which the insect feeds, in Watt, Econ. Dict. ii. 410 seq.]. The incrustation contains 60 to 70 per cent. of resinous lac, and 10 per cent. of dark red colouring matter from which is manufactured lac-dye. The material in its original crude form is called stick-lac; when boiled in water it loses its red colour, and is then termed seed-lac; the melted clarified substance, after the extraction of the dye, is turned out in thin irregular laminae called shell-lac. This is used to make sealing-wax, in the fabrication of varnishes, and very largely as a stiffening for men's hats.
Though lāk bears the same sense in Persian, and lak or luk are used in modern Arabic for sealing-wax, it would appear from Dozy (Glos., pp. 295-6, and Oosterlingen, 57), that identical or approximate forms are used in various Arabic-speaking regions for a variety of substances giving a red dye, including the coccus ilicis or Kermes. Still, we have seen no evidence that in India the word was applied otherwise than to the lac of our heading. (Garcia says that the Arabs called it loc-sumutri, 'lac of Sumatra'; probably because the Pegu lac was brought to the ports of Sumatra, and purchased there.) And this the term in the Periplus seems unquestionably to indicate; whilst it is probable that the passage quoted from Aelian is a much misconceived account of the product. It is not nearly so absurd as De Monfart's account below. The English word lake for a certain red colour is from this. So also are lacquer and lackered ware, because lac is used in some of the varnishes with which such ware is prepared.
c. A.D. 80-90.—These articles are imported (to the ports of Barbaricē, on the W. of the Red Sea) from the interior parts of Ariakē:—
"Σίδηρος Ἰνδικὸς καὶ στόμωμα (Indian iron and steel)
* * * * *
Λάκκος χρωμάτινος (Lac-dye)."
Periplus, § 6.