1810.—"The viranda keeps off the too great glare of the sun, and affords a dry walk during the rainy season."—Maria Graham, 21.
c. 1816.—"... and when Sergeant Browne bethought himself of Mary, and looked to see where she was, she was conversing up and down the verandah, though it was Sunday, with most of the rude boys and girls of the barracks."—Mrs. Sherwood's Stories, p. 47, ed. 1873.
VERDURE, s. This word appears to have been used in the 18th century for vegetables, adapted from the Port. verduras.
1752.—Among minor items of revenue from duties in Calcutta we find:
| RS. | A. | P. | ||
| "Verdure, fish pots, firewood | 216 | 10 | 6." | —In Long, 35. |
[VERGE, s. A term used in S. India for rice lands. It is the Port. Vársea, Varzia, Vargem, which Vieyra defines as 'a plain field, or a piece of level ground, that is sowed and cultivated.'
[1749.—"... as well as vargems lands as hortas" (see [OART]).—Treaty, in Logan, Malabar, iii. 48.
[1772.—"The estates and verges not yet assessed must be taxed at 10 per cent."—Govt. Order, ibid. i. 421.]
VETTYVER, s. This is the name generally used by the French for the fragrant grass which we call [cuscus] (q.v.). The word is Tamil vettiver, [from vettu, 'digging,' ver, 'root'].
1800.—"Europeans cool their apartments by means of wetted tats (see [TATTY]) made of straw or grass, and sometimes of the roots of the wattie waeroo, which, when wetted, exhales a pleasant but faint smell."—Heyne's Tracts, p. 11.