Burdash again

[Mike Cleven]

>From: "Alan H. Hartley" <ahartley at D.UMN.EDU>
>Two entries from the OED:
>
>BERDACHE. Also berdash.
>[ad. F. bardache: see bardash.]
>Among N. American Indians: a transvestite (see esp. quot. 1955).
>1806 A. Henry Jrnl. 21 July in E. Coues New Light Hist. Greater
>Northwest (1897) I. 348 The Mandanes..often prefer a young man to a
>woman. They have many berdashes amongst them, who make it their business
>to satisfy such beastly passions.

Maybe this is why people thought the Mandan were Welsh.... '-)


>1843 H. S. Lloyd tr. Maximilian’s Trav. N. Amer. xxv. 351 Among all the
>North American Indian nations there are men dressed and treated like
>women, called, by the Canadians, Bardaches.
>1906 R. G. Thwaites Early Western Trav. XXIII. 284 The berdash was noted
>by most early travellers among Western Indians.
>1912 Anthrop. Pap. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX. 226 Berdaches naturally
>associate with girls and pretend to have sweethearts among men.
>1949 M. Mead Male & Female vi. 129 Among many American Indian tribes the
>berdache, the man who dressed and lived as a woman, was a recognized
>social institution.
>1955 Angelino & Shedd in Amer. Anthropologist LVIII. 125 In view of the
>data we propose that berdache be characterized as an individual of a
>definite physiological sex (male or female) who assumes the role and
>status of the opposite sex, and who is viewed by the community..as
>having assumed the role and status of the opposite sex.
>
>† BARDASH. Obs. Also 6 bardass 6­7 bardasso, 7 -assa, -achio.
>[a. F. bardache, cogn. with It. bardascia, Sp. bardajo, -axo; perh. ad.
>Arab. bardaj slave.]
>A catamite, ‘cinædus.’
>1548 Thomas Ital. Dict., Zanzeri, bardasses.
>1600 O. E. Repl. Libel i. ii. 43 Publikely maintaining bardassaes and
>concubines.
>1653 Urquhart Rabelais iii. xxv, Bardachio that thou art!
>1721 S. Centlivre Plat. Lady Epil. 190 With your false Calves, Bardash,
>and Fav’rites.
>Hence
>bardashing, vbl. n. Obs.
>1678 Butler Hud. iii. i. 278 Raptures of Platonick Lashing, And chast
>Contemplative Bardashing.

A wondrous citation, Alan; thanks; that last bit gets me, though; "chast
contemplative bardashing" - a veritable oxymoronic triumph.  It's the
Platonick Lashing that gets me; is that non-contact or what?  How very
English.

MC

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