[1819.—"Negraglia." See under [MUNNEEPORE].]
NELLY, NELE. s. Malayāl. nel, 'rice in the husk'; [Tel. and Tam. nelli, 'rice-like']. This is the Dravidian equivalent of [paddy] (q.v.), and is often used by the French and Portuguese in South India, where Englishmen use the latter word.
1606.—"... when they sell nele, after they have measured it out to the purchaser, for the seller to return and take out two grains for himself for luck (com superstição), things that are all heathen vanities, which the synod entirely prohibits, and orders that those who practise them shall be severely punished by the Bishop."—Gouvea, Synodo, f. 52b.
1651.—"Nili, that is unpounded rice, which is still in the husk."—Rogerius, p. 95.
1760.—"Champs de nelis." See under [JOWAUR].
[1796.—"75 parahs Nelly."—List of Export Duties, in Logan, Malabar, iii. 265.]
NELLORE, n.p. A town and district north of Madras. The name may be Tamil Nall-ūr, 'Good Town.' But the local interpretation is from nel (see NELLY); and in the local records it is given in Skt. as Dhānyapuram, meaning 'rice-town' (Seshagiri Sāstri). [The Madras Man. (ii. 214) gives Nall-ūr, 'Good-town'; but the Gloss. (s.v.) has nellu, 'paddy,' ūru, 'village.' Mr. Boswell (Nellore, 687) suggests that it is derived from a nelli chett tree under which a famous lingam was placed.]
c. 1310.—"Ma'bar extends in length from Kulam to Niláwar, nearly 300 parasangs along the sea coast."—Wassáf, in Elliot, iii. 32.
NERBUDDA R., n.p. Skt. Narmadā, 'causing delight'; Ptol. Νάμαδος; Peripl. Λαμναιος (amended by Fabricius to Νάμμαδος). Dean Vincent's conjectured etymology of Nahr-Budda, 'River of Budda,' is a caution against such guesses.
c. 1020.—"From Dhár southwards to the R. Nerbadda nine (parasangs); thence to Mahrat-des ... eighteen ..."—Al-Birūnī, in Elliot, i. 60. The reading of Nerbadda is however doubtful.