Interpreter of Maladies

1. chutney (noun):

An Indian condiment made of preserved fruit or vegetables and spices, vinegar, and sugar, served alongside many Indian dishes

“When friends dropped by, Shoba would throw together meals that appeared to have taken half a day to prepare, from things she had frozen and bottled, not cheap things in tins but peppers she had marinated herself with rosemary, and chutneys that she cooked on Sundays, stirring boiling pots of tomatoes and prunes.” (“A Temporary Matter,” Page 7)

2. bazaar (noun):

an open-air market common throughout South Asia and the Middle East

“He tried to locate a candle among the scissors, the eggbeaters and whisks, the mortar and pestle she’d bought in a bazaar in Calcutta, and used to pound garlic cloves and cardamom in pods, back when she used to cook.” (“A Temporary Matter,” Page 8)

3. rogan josh (noun):

A Kashmiri dish of curried meat, typically lamb or goat, in a spicy tomato-based sauce, that cooks at a low heat for a long time

“‘You made rogan josh,’ Shoba observed, looking through the glass lid at the bright paprika stew.” (“A Temporary Matter,” Page 10)

4. rice ceremony (noun):

A ritual feeding of rice to an infant that is customary in South Asian cultures, marking the transition to solid foods

“‘I once had to attend an entire rice ceremony in the dark. The baby just cried and cried.’” (“A Temporary Matter,” Page 11)

5. ghazal (noun):

A type of poetry originating in Arabic and common throughout Middle-Eastern and South Asian cultures that is traditionally made up of couplets and features a theme of lost love

“‘I couldn’t remember if the verse we had to identify was an example of a ghazal or not. I looked at his answer and copied it down.’” (“A Temporary Matter,” Page 17)

6. Partition (proper noun):

The division of British India into India and Pakistan that took place at midnight on August 15, 1947

“‘More importantly, Mr. Pirzada is no longer considered Indian […] Not since Partition. Our country was divided. 1947.” (“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” Page 25)

7. East Pakistan (proper noun):

a region of Pakistan from 1947 to 1971 that seceded with the help of India, becoming Bangladesh

“‘Mr. Pirzada is Bengali, but he is a Muslim,’ my father informed me. ‘Therefore he lives in East Pakistan, not India.’” (“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” Page 26-27)

8. Sun Temple (proper noun):

a thirteenth-century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Surya in the rural Indian village of Konarak

‘“I thought that the Sun Temple is only eighteen miles north of Puri,’ Mr. Das said, tapping on the tour book…” (“Interpreter of Maladies, Page 47)

9. Hanuman (proper noun):

A Hindu god and central character of the Ramayana who is often depicted as a monkey

“‘We call [the monkeys] the hanuman,’ Mr. Kapasi said. ‘They are quite common in the area.’” (“Interpreter of Maladies, Page 47)

10. Gujarati (noun):

a language spoken by the minority Gujarati people who make up roughly five percent of modern India’s population

“‘He has a number of Gujarati patients. My father was Gujarati, but many people do not speak Gujarati in this area, including the doctor. And so the doctor asked me to work in his office, interpreting what the patients say.” (“Interpreter of Maladies,” Page 50)

11. Astachala-Surya (proper noun):

a depiction of the Hindu sun god Surya as a tired figure, indicating the setting of the sun

“‘Who’s that?’ Mrs. Das asked. He was startled to see that she was standing beside him.

           ‘He is the Astachala-Surya,’ Mr. Kapasi said. ‘The setting sun’…” (“Interpreter of Maladies,” Page 58)

12. Zamindar (noun):

a powerful landowner who often oversees tenant farmers

“The theory circulated that Boori Ma had once worked as hired help for a prosperous zamindar back east, and was therefore capable of exaggerating her past at such elaborate lengths and heights. (“A Real Durwan,” Page 72)

13. durwan (noun):

a door-keeper who typically lives in the building

“In short, over the years, Boori Ma’s services came to resemble those of a real durwan.” (“A Real Durwan,” Page 72)

14. prickly heat (noun):

another name for heat rash, which occurs when sweat is trapped under the skin by clothing or other factors

“She said, ‘I know prickly heat. This is not prickly heat. I haven’t slept in three, perhaps four days.” (“A Real Durwan,” Page 73)

15. Kali (proper noun):

A four-armed Hindu goddess most often depicted as a destroyer of evil forces

“It was a painting of a naked woman with a red face shaped like a knight’s shield. She had enormous white eyes that tilted toward her temples, and mere dots for pupils. Two circles, with the same dots at their centers, indicated her breasts. In one hand she brandished a dagger. With one foot she crushed a struggling man on the ground. Around her body was a necklace composed of bleeding heads, strung together like a popcorn chain. She stuck her tongue out at Miranda.

           ‘It is the goddess Kali,’ Mrs. Dixit explained brightly, shifting the dowel slightly in order to straighten the image.” (“Sexy,” Page 94)

16. samosa (noun):

A fried pastry filled with savory vegetables and meats that is a common appetizer or snack in Indian cuisine

“He was eating a samosa, dipping it into some dark brown sauce on a paper plate. Below the glass counter at his waist were trays of more plump samosas, and what looked like pale, diamond-shaped pieces of fudge covered in foil, and some bright orange pastries floating in syrup.” (“Sexy,” Page 96-97)

17. kohl (noun):

A black powder used as makeup throughout South Asia

“They were beautiful, the way the women dancing on the beach were beautiful, with kohl-rimmed eyes and long black hair.” (“Sexy,” Page 97)

18. sari (noun):

A traditional garment, typically in bright colors of cotton or silk, that is a single length of fabric wrapped around the body

“She wore a shimmering white sari patterned with orange paisleys, more suitable for an evening affair than for that quiet, faintly drizzling August afternoon.” (“Mrs. Sen’s,” Page 110)

19. palanquin (noun):

A type of wheelless carriage vehicle that may be carried by humans or animals

“‘Just sit, sit please, it will take just two more minutes,’ she said, pointing to the sofa, which was draped at all times with a green and black bedcover printed with rows of elephants bearing palanquins on their backs.” (“Mrs. Sen’s,” Page 112-113)

20. raga (noun):

A melodic framework unique to Indian music that allows for improvisation and is meant to be emotionally resonant

“One day she played a tape of something called a raga; it sounded a little bit like someone plucking very slowly and then very quickly on a violin, and Mrs. Sen said it was supposed to be heard only in the late afternoon, as the sun was setting.” (“Mrs. Sen’s,” Page 125)

21. effigy (noun):

A religious sculpture

“Twinkle walked into the living room, lined from end to end in taped-up packing boxes, waving the vinegar in one hand and a white porcelain effigy of Christ, roughly the same size as the vinegar bottle, in the other.” (“This Blessed House,” Page 133)

22. caste (noun):

A social group or class in a highly-regimented social structure that is common in South Asia

“‘You need a wife to look after and love.’ Now he had one, a pretty one, from a suitable high caste, who would soon have a master’s degree.” (“This Blessed House,” Page 145)

23. menagerie (noun):

A collection of animals, as in a zoo, often used figuratively to refer to any collection of unique items

“Sanjeev had planned to ask if she would consider clearing the menagerie off the mantel, if only for the party, but she left while he was in the shower.” (“This Blessed House,” Page 147)

24. ayurvedic (adjective):

A traditional system of medicine that focuses on keeping the mind, body, and spirit in balance

“Allopaths, homeopaths, ayurvedics—over time, all branches of the medical arts had been consulted.” (“The Treatment of Bibi Haldar,” Page 154)

25. privation (noun):

A way in which someone is being deprived

“Each day she unloaded her countless privations upon us, until it became unendurably apparent that Bibi wanted a man.” (“The Treatmend of Bibi Haldar,” Page 156)