1879.—"The landlord prostrated himself as reverently, if not as lowly, as a Peruvian before his Grand Llama."—Patty's Dream, a novel reviewed in the Academy, May 17.
LAMASERY, LAMASERIE, s. This is a word, introduced apparently by the French R. C. Missionaries, for a lama convent. Without being positive, I would say that it does not represent any Oriental word (e.g. compound of lami and [serai]), but is a factitious French word analogous to nonnerie, vacherie, laiterie, &c.
[c. 1844.—"According to the Tartars, the Lamasery of the Five Towers is the best place you can be buried in."—Huc, Travels in Tartary, i. 78.]
LAMBALLIE, LOMBALLIE, LOMBARDIE, LUMBANAH, &c., s. Dakh. Hind. Lāmbāṛā, Mahr. Lambāṇ, with other forms in the languages of the Peninsula. [Platts connects the name with Skt. lamba, 'long, tall'; the Madras Gloss. with Skt. lampata, 'greedy.'] A wandering tribe of dealers in grain, salt, &c., better known as Banjārās (see [BRINJARRY]). As an Anglo-Indian word this is now obsolete. It was perhaps a corruption of Lubhāna, the name of one of the great clans or divisions of the Banjārās. [Another suggestion made is that the name is derived from their business of carrying salt (Skt. lavaṇa); see Crooke, Tribes of N.W.P. i. 158.]
1756.—"The army was constantly supplied ... by bands of people called Lamballis, peculiar to the Deccan, who are constantly moving up and down the country, with their flocks, and contract to furnish the armies in the field."—Orme, ii. 102.
1785.—"What you say of the scarcity of grain in your army, notwithstanding your having a cutwâl (see [COTWAL]), and so many Lumbânehs with you, has astonished us."—Letters of Tippoo, 49.
LANCHARA, s. A kind of small vessel often mentioned in the Portuguese histories of the 16th and 17th centuries. The derivation is probably Malay lanchār, 'quick, nimble.' [Mr. Skeat writes: "The real Malay form is Lanchar-an, which is regularly formed from Malay lanchār, 'swift,' and lanchara I believe to be a Port. form of lanchar-an, as lanchara could not possibly, in Malay, be formed from lanchār, as has hitherto been implied or suggested.">[
c. 1535.—"In questo paese di Cambaia (read Camboja) vi sono molti fiumi, nelli quali vi sono li nauili detti Lancharas, cõ li quali vanno nauigando la costa di Siam...."—Sommario de' Regni, &c., in Ramusio, i. f. 336.
c. 1539.—"This King (of the Batas) understanding that I had brought him a letter and a Present from the Captain of Malaca, caused me to be entertained by the Xabundar (see [SHABUNDER]).... This General, accompanied with five Lanchares and twelve Ballons, came to me to the Port where I rode at anchor."—Pinto, E.T. p. 81.
LANDWIND, s. Used in the south of India. A wind which blows seaward during the night and early morning. [The dangerous effects of it are described in Madras Gloss. s.v.] In Port. Terrenho.