Manipuri - English
ও
ওজাoja0ozàBan.ওঝাmedicine man, witch doctorSoon after the introduction of Hindu as the state religion of Manipur in the first quarter of the 18th century, Bengali Hindu missionaries came in touch with the indigenous medicine men, witch doctors and black magic practitioners of Manipur. The male practitioners were called "maiba" and the female practitioners were referred to as "maibi." The Bengali term for these practitioners is "ওঝা." The Bengali missionaries called these practitioners ওঝা. The Manipuris picked up the term ওজা (by naturalizing ঝ) and applied it to the maibas, who were the most learned people in Manipur at that time, and they called them ওজা মাইবা. Through its association with learned persons, the term ওজা acquired a new sense--anybody who is learned and teaches. Thus, when attempts were made to start formal education for the first time in Manipur in the 1870s and then the current Johstone Higher Secondary School was established in 1885, the term ওজা had already been adopted in the newly acquired sense. Teachers, irrespective of their sex, are educated, cultured and socially honored. In fact, the introduction of modern education ushered in significant changes in all cross-sections of society, and there soon rose a class of people who were educated and cultured but who were not necessarily teachers. They were honored by people. This sense of honor people had to the educated and cultured people added another sense to ওজা. Now the Manipuris use ওজা as a form of respectfully addressing educated, cultured, socially honored people, especially elderly gentlemen. They use the word in the last sense when they don't know how to address a person elder to us, especially elderly people.1usually as ওজা মাইবামাইবদা নোল্লূক্না কৌবদা শীজিন্নবা ৱাহৈhonorable form of addressing a maiba, a Manipuri medicine man2লাইরীক নত্রগা শিল অমা তাকপি তম্বীবা তৌবা মীa person who practices teaching as a professionteacher3লাইরীক লাইশু হৈবা, পুন্সি মহিং অমসুং ৱাখল্লোনদা খরা থাক ৱাংনা লৈবা, লৈবাক মীয়াম্না ইকাই খুম্নবা, মরুওইনা খরা অহল ওইরবা মীওইিশংদা, মরুওইনা নূপাশিংদা, নোল্লূকনা কৌবদা শীজিন্নবা ৱাহৈused in respectfully addressing educated, cultured and socially honored elderly people, especially gentlemen
Manipuri Dictionary © 2020 Thoithoi O'Cottage
