70 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. {N.S., XUX, 1923. | 
‘But I am told that the nose-ring is not known in Persian 
literature or language. I ask—what is the bulak ( qaraR ) the 
single ring, pearl-strung, pendant worn through the hole in 
the wall between the two nostrils, but a Moslem 
The dictionary compiled by Khan Bahadur Nawab 
Bahadur of Hyderabad (Deccan), Asaf-ul-lugat, gives and 
explains the word bulak fully and the upshot of his discussion 
is— 
The meaning of buldk, first as a camel’s nose-string and 
then a woman’s nose-ring, presents a close parallel in the 
evolution of word-meaning to wat (nattha) (Desya) coming to 
give two senses in Gujarati: @T@q (na@thya) a nose-string and 
a4 (natha) a nose-ring. This by the way, but as a significant 
actor. 
It seems that the nose-ring was thus originally an im- 
portation into India from the Moslem countries. How the 
bulak gradually evolved into the ay (natha) nose-ring worn 
through the exterior side of the nostril, is a question which I 
have been unable to answer. It will be interesting if more 
ligbt was thrown by others on this whole question. 
(TESST a 7a ee ee 
