of the Malabar Cardamom. — 235 
Moudriwadine. These are taken from idioms of the Amarsinha ; 
but there is reason for supposing that all of them, except the 
first, are merely epithets, either allusive to its qualities and vir- 
tues, or suggested by that wild and extravagant fancy which 
characterizes the genius of Indian fabulists and poets. As Ela 
signifies leaf in both Janguages, I have no doubt but the assem- 
blage of leaves, forming the most obvious and striking ap- 
pearance of the plant, suggested to the first rude observers the 
natural and appropriate term. In the other parts of India, they 
give it names, all more. or less similar to the indigenous. The 
Hindu is Hil-Il, or llachi; the Kanarese, Ela-Ki. These termi- - 
nations are no doubt deduced from the Kai above mentioned, as 
the first syllable is from that of Ela. 
^ Of the name Kordanouo given to it by the Greeks, and Car- 
damomum by the Romans, neither I, nor those whom I consulted, 
can find any traces in the dialects of Hindostan. 1 am therefore 
inclined to conclude that the spice itself was not introduced. 
among them, till at a late period of their history, and by some 
very circuitous or irregular channels, which left them to. their 
own ingenuity to adapt a significant epithet: for this they had. 
recourse to analogy. In their own language the Greeks had 
the word Kagdapnor to signify cresses, a production. that ap- 
proached to the nature of a spice, as near as to form the founda- 
tion of a comparison. When they added to this a word of su- 
perlative emphasis—apayor, (literally signifying perfect or fault- 
Jess) they may have conceived that they attained a tolerably 
clear idea of their new-imported luxury.—Kakele, both in Arabic 
and Persian, is, without doubt, connected with the indigenous 
Ela, or perhaps a compound of it.. 
In the medical practice of Europe, the use of Garcia is 
too a #0 enable us to form a sufficient. estimate of their 
T stimulant 
