1626.—"The writing was on leaves of Palme, which they call Olla."—Purchas, Pilgrimage, 554.
1673.—"The houses are low, and thatched with ollas of the Cocoe-Trees."—Fryer, 66.
c. 1690.—"... Ola peculiariter Malabaris dicta, et inter alia Papyri loco adhibetur."—Rumphius, i. 2.
1718.—"... Damulian Leaves, commonly called Oles."—Prop. of the Gospel, &c., iii. 37.
1760.—"He (King Alompra) said he would give orders for Olios to be made out for delivering of what Englishmen were in his Kingdom to me."—Capt. Alves, in Dalrymple, Or. Rep. i. 377.
1806.—"Many persons had their Ollahs in their hands, writing the sermon in Tamil shorthand."—Buchanan, Christian Res. 2nd ed. 70.
1860.—"The books of the Singhalese are formed to-day, as they have been for ages past, of olas, or strips taken from the young leaves of the Talipot or the Palmyra palm."—Tennent, Ceylon, i. 512.
1870.—"... Un manuscrit sur olles...."—Revue Critique, June 11, 374.
OMEDWAUR, s. Hind. from Pers. ummedwār (ummed, umed, 'hope'); literally, therefore, 'a hopeful one'; i.e. "an expectant, a candidate for employment, one who awaits a favourable answer to some representation or request." (Wilson.)
1816.—"The thoughts of being three or four years an omeedwar, and of staying out here till fifty deterred me."—M. Elphinstone, in Life, i. 344.