HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pires@vxcrna.cern.ch (ALVES)
Subject: Re: Origin of the word 'caste' (was Re: Fair and lovely: Remember that face cream ?)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: color skin
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 00:51:00 GMT

(Obs:  Thanks for cross-posting this to soc.culture.portuguese.
       It is a pleasure to learn more about my language)


In article <1992Aug21.174317.9784@zip.eecs.umich.edu>, bhattach@dip.eecs.umich.edu (sayan bhattacharyya) writes...
>In article <4791@balrog.ctron.com> raja@ctron.com writes:
>>[...]
>>	High-caste Indians
>>	whisper that the low-born have irregular, coarse and fleshy faces. 
>>	And the very word caste comes from the Portuguese for ''pure stock''. 
>>	It is linked, etymologically, to the Latin for ''chaste''.
>>
> [...]
>My Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1959 edition) says that the word
>'caste' is derived from the Portuguese 'casta' meaning 'race' or 'unmixed
>race', which in turn is derived from Latin 'castus' meaning 'pure'.
> 


The portuguese word 'casta' means 'caste', 'race', 'lineage', 'breed',
but there is also 'casta' as the feminine of 'casto' (from Latin 'castus'), 
which means 'chaste', 'pure', 'clean', 'virginal', 'unstained', 'unmingled'.
I always considered this a case of homograph words, but now that you
mention it, it is possible that one meaning derived from the other.
Interesting... 


> [...]
>On a related note, there are quite a few Portuguese-derived words in Indian
>languages, at least in Bengali. For instance,
> 
>                        Bengali      Portuguese
> 
>      window            janala        janela
>      tea               cha           cha
>[...]      


As someone already mentioned, the most likely origin for Bengali and
Portuguese (and Swahili!) 'cha' is the Chinese 'ch'a' (with an apostrophe 
in the middle, according to my Webster), from the Ancient Chinese 'd'a'.  
The tea was introduced in Europe from Asia by the Portuguese.

My dictionary also suggests:

   Chinese        Amoy         Dutch        English       English
     d'a     -->   te    -->    Thee   -->    Tee    -->    Tea

but I noticed that in in most Western languages (English, French, 
Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish -- the only exception I know 
is Portuguese with 'cha'), tea is pronounced (and usually spelled, 
see 'tee' above) as the letter 'T'.  When wondering about this, I was 
told that the Portuguese ships used to carry the tea in big boxes with 
the letter 'T' on it.  This may mean nothing, but I would like to hear 
other opinions.  What are the words for tea in other Asian languages?


---Rui, Portuguese

--------------
PS - At least Vasco da Gama brought one word ('janela') to India, 
     not only destruction   8-)
From: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU (Arindam Ghosh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Help Arindam Ghosh, Please !! (A very serious appeal).
Date: 19 Aug 92 16:28:54 GMT
Reply-To: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Houston

> about your life. Going back to India is not a problem. This is a totally
> defeatist attitude. One cannot survive with any religious faith, by being a
> defeated. Moreover, Father Goreaux of St.Xavier's College Calcutta, who had
> international fame of being a mathematician, DID have a University Degree !
I don't want to be a third rate scientist. I want to be a first rate theologian
and also help some children in the way. So I am doing my right karma. Father
Goureaux was an absolutely first rate scientist: so he was doing his right
karma.

>
> Think about every pros and cons. You are making a VERY BIG  mistake. The 
> Almighty will not forgive you for neglecting your right karma ? If you don't
> have the mental courage and stability to pursue what is imminent,

  I am pursuing what I am best at since I was a child

> how do you
> claim that in future you shall not be led astray by some other charm ??? You

Oh well; then I will follow that charm: the aim in life is to be happy at
all times isn't it.


> must show that you are capable of upholding the Bahai faith. Don't quit Grad.
> school. This is not a `brotherly' advice. Though being older to you, I DON'T
> want to give elderly advice. I have seen very close friends of mine, who being
> lured by the romantic Naxalite theories, suffered. Why choose suffering when

> you have not harmed anyone ??? Isn't that stupid - casting a shame on you
> parents and family ??? 

 Now : how do you know about what my family thinks. They know what I am best
at. My mother vehemently opposed me joining Engineering. NOw you can say that
this is a result of not listnening to motherly advice.


>Are you facing academic problems ? If so, quit this 
> goddamn SCI and etc. This (SCI/ SCP/ SCB) is not the end of the world.
>

nah, not academic problems
> Think about it Arindam, give yourself a second chance.
>

Thanks for your concern, no pun intended.
Arindam
> - deb chatterjee
>(a good samaritan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: rdas@vuse.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: TEST
Reply-To: rdas@vuse.vanderbilt.edu
Organization: Auburn University, AL
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 07:15:47 GMT



Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: godura@zeus.cis.udel.edu (Ruchir Godura)
Subject: Re: Rs per US $
Organization: University of Delaware, Newark
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:39:09 GMT

In article <1992Aug12.161226.20269@menudo.uh.edu> nagappa@Elroy.UH.EDU writes:
>In article <1992Aug12.021313.4694@vaxeline.ftp.com>, nirmal@vaxeline.ftp.com (Nirmal K. Samuel) writes:
>>
>>hi folks,
>>	I recently heard this from incoming students from india.
>>Currently the Rupee stands at 30.something per dollar. Can anyone
>>confirm this ? thanks
>>-nirmal
>
>Per the latest figure (Houston Chronicle, Sunday, August 9):
>
>	$1 US == Rs. 24.74
>
>This represnts a gain of about 5.25 (nearly 20%) of the Ruppee over the
>Dollar in the last two months.
>
>Chetan Nagappa
    
    Presently there are three rates for th dollar prevalent in the
    Indian market :

    1) RBI rate : This is the rate at which RBI will convert dollars for
       import of restricted items. Varies between 25 - 26.5 Rs/$

       2) Market rate : This is the rate at which you can buy dollars in
       the open market from authorised dealers. There is no limit.
       Varies between 29.5 to 31.5 Rs/$.

       3) Black market rate : This is 3-4 Rs/$ higher than the market
       rate, payments are made in cash -- no questions asked -- ideal
       for laundering money.

       When you take $$ to India, they ( GOI ) convert it into Rs in the
       following manner : 60 % at the market rate.
			  40 % at the RBI rate. 
			  This last bit of information, however, needs
			  to be confirmed.



      
Good Luck !
Ruchir.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal)
Subject: Re: STOP THAT BUGGER.  RIGHT NOW...
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 21:41:56 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.190721.18741@menudo.uh.edu> mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU writes:
>What about laying waste to the money put by millions of starving people
>in India to bring you to this "paradise".

That's not anybodys fault. Its the system that is at fault. If someone 
gives me a free lunch, I'll take it. If that person is starving his 
own children to provide me that free lunch, it is his fault and not 
mine. He should have warned me that after I have that lunch it is my 
duty to feed his children. In other words, India should have had some 
policy like that of china where people have to serve within the nation
for a couple of years if they want to avail free education. The other 
alternative should be that India should not have provided the free 
education in the first place. 

Besides, we aren't all that traitors you make us out to be. Most of 
India's foreign exchange comes from NRE/FCNR accounts that Indians 
here open up in Indian banks (though not out of altruistic motives).
Indirectly, we are serving India much more than we might have if we 
were in India. 

I agree with Mr. Seetamaraju. You ARE a pakoda of some sort with fillings 
of romantic philosophies and skewed sense of priorities. You believe
yourself to be some sort of saviour of the world, don't you?  Buddy,
I got news for you. I have seen such people like you in India and they
all end up being frustrated when they find they philosophies aren't 
making a dent on the society. And by then it is too late to get back 
to grad school. My sincere advise would be that you should at least 
secure yourself an insurance (a degree) in case you find that theological 
philosophy is all rot. Once you get a degree, you can do whatever you
wish without any risks. BTW - Is it impossible to do what you consider
humanatarian tasks simultaneously with a job ? 

Another BTW - Don't marry unless you want to make someone's life miserable
or she's also a pakoda like you. ;-)

regards,
--   
   ______ ______ ______ ______ __  |\/\/\/|
    ____/  __  /  __  /  __  /  /  |  \  /|   LIFE'S COMPLEX - IT HAS 
   / __   /   /  /   /  /   /  /   | (o)(o)   REAL & IMAGINARY PARTS  
  /   /  /   /   ___/  __  /  /    C      _) 
_____/ _____/ __/   __/ __/ ______/ | \___|  
E-mail - gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu       |   /   All Std. Disclaimers apply.
From: chepan@gsusgi1.gsu.edu (Parthasarathy Nambi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Portrayal Of India
Date: 12 Aug 92 13:32:10 GMT
Organization: Georgia State University

sudhama@engin.umich.edu (Sudhama Gopalan) writes:

>Mohan Vallampati writes:
>If one looks at the international editions of India Today,
>one cannot but notice the tendency of the magazine to portray
>India as a western culture that is imbibing more western values
>day by day.  I do not want to comment on whether this is good
>or bad.  What irks me is the tone of approval that these articles
>carry when they talk about the abandonment of older values by
>the "emerging" Indian men and women.  How they go to pubs, how
>teenagers are getting influenced, MTV etc, how the work pressure
>is causing nervous breakdowns and how more and more Indian people
>are taking psichiatric help ( and how it is no longer a taboo ).
>Nowhere is there anything about the changing of the work ethic,
>the underlying reasons for corruption and general lack of
>respect that an Indian has for himself, as well as for
>other Indians.
> (rest deleted)
>_______________________________________________

	Sure IT is a magazine that appeals to the elite and educated
	in India.  But what is wrong with that? If you count or look at
	any magazine stand in Indian shops there are more, much more,
	magazines with an "indian-style" approach. IT is in the minority
	group in its approach.  At the same time IT has done articles that
	you won't see in many indian publications (a detailed article on the
	horror called bride burning, organ trade, etc)a. I don't think IT
	preaches "abandonment of old [whose ?] values".  As a matter of
	fact I have seen articles where they have emphasized the great
	deep-rooted traditions in India.  I strongly disagree with your
	assertion that "Nowhere is there anything...." - almost every issue
	has articles about corruption at all levels of government.


>  I am also of the opinion that IT is going the whole hog in aping Time and
>Newsweek. The "people" page and emphasis on lifestyle et al. Here is 
>something interesting I found in India Today some time back --------.

>Sudhama

	I won't use the "aping" but prefer "style and approach". Don't we
	all "ape" western values in some way?  If you care to find out
	some scientific journals in India have western scientists in its
	editorial board, articles are published in "western" (international?)
	style etc. Do these journals have these western scientists so that
	indian scientists "ape" them? No.

	Later,

	P.Nambi
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: 57mamtani@cuavax.dnet.cua.edu
Subject: Announcement - ASEI National Convention
Organization: The Catholic University of America
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 16:18:55 GMT

	*********************************************************
	*							*
	*	AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS FROM INDIA	*
	*			(ASEI)				*
	*							*
	*	      9th National Annual Convention		*
	*	  "Technology and Indian Economic Reform"	*
	*							*
	*		Sunday, September 6, 1992		*
	*		 (starting at 2:00 p.m.)		*
	*			    at				*
	*		Ramada Renaissance Hotel		*
	*	   (near Dulles International Airport) 		*
	*	   (in metropolitan Washington DC area)		*
	*							*
	*							*
	*********************************************************


	ASEI is a nonprofit tax-exempt national organization of
	professionals, businessmen and students of Indian origin
	in Engineering, Architecture and Allied Sciences.

	Agenda:

	* daytime sessions :

	  - speakers on "Technology and Indian Economic Reform".
	     Mrs. Meera Shankar, Minister of Commerce at the Embassy of 
	     India will initiate proceedings with her address on economic 
	     reforms in India;
	     Technical and Student Sessions run concurrently afterwards.

	  - Technical Session include presentations by:
	     Dr. Rashmi Mayur, Director of Urban Development Institute
	     in Bombay;
	     Mr. Sharad Marathe, President of ICAT and Chairman of 
	     Software Technology;
	     Dr. Arun Netravali, Director of Computing Research at Bell 
	     Lab.

	  - Student Session will have workshops and panel discussions on 
	    job opportunities, resume writing and reviewing, and 
	    immigration issues by a number of experienced people in the 
	    field.


	* Evening Banquet
	   Dr. Kumar Patel, Executive Director for Research at Bell Lab 
	   will be the keynote speaker;
	   ASEI Engineer, Enterpreneur and Student of The Year awards 
	   and a $2000 student scholarship will be presented.

	Reservations:

	Single:		Members		$30
			Non-members	$35
	Couple:		Members		$55
			Non-members	$60
	Students:			$25

		-----------------------------------------------

	Further Info can be obtained by contacting:

	Dr. Chandrika Prasad	(301) 464-5042
	Dr. Chandra Pathak	(301) 916-5660
	Arun Mamtani		(e-mail 57MAMTANI@CUAVAX.DNET.CUA.EDU)
From: rps@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (raj.sharma)
Subject: Re: What is LOVE?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 14:22:00 GMT

Icarus writes:

>        Love is transcendance of self.


	 [The answer closest to] THE HEART.
	
	
---raj
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: sjain@shearson.com (Sanjeev Jain)
Subject: Roommate Wanted
Keywords: Roommate
Reply-To: sjain@shearson.com
Organization: Lehman Brothers, Inc.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 15:27:40 GMT

Hi,

I am posting this for a friend. She is looking for a FEMALE roommate to share a two bedroom apartment in GREENBELT, MARYLAND. The rent is $323 + half electric. Please call 301-345-0583.

Thanks.
From: kumar@ra.csc.ti.com (Sundeep Kumar)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Rajesh's Ajit's Jokes
Date: 19 Aug 92 19:04:49 GMT
Organization: Texas Instruments

>>
>>Some of you might have heard this jokes, but for those who have not....
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>What are Ajeet's three favourite things??
>>
>>first is MONA
>>second is SONA
>>and third is MONA Ke saath SONA.
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>RAABERTS : Boss,Boss lily ka typing bahut kharab hai!
>>
>>AJEET   : Koi baaat nahin uske haath kat dalo.
>>
>>RAABERTS : per Boss haath katne se kya hoga.
>>
AJEET : Koi baat nahin, uska shart-hand acha ho jayega!!
>>      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	Bewakoof, isse uska shart-hand acha ho jayega!!
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Keep smiling,
>>
>>Rajesh Shingala.
>>

Great Jokes Rajesh! Keep em comming!!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: gupta@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (saurabh.gupta)
Subject: Calcutta's Howrah Bridge Goes Hi-Tech - Automated Toll Plaza 08/12/92
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 15:08:43 GMT
Keywords: News

Date: 12 Aug 92 19:51:32 GMT

CALCUTTA, INDIA, 1992 AUG 12 (NB) -- Traffic through the toll 
gate of the Second Hooghly bridge, connecting south Calcutta to 
Howrah, will be introduced to a new concept in road transport in
India: a toll. The new, computerized bridge opens August 15, 
India's Independence Day. 

Wipro Infotech's local area network comprising 40 terminals will 
enable the bridge authorities to process approximately Rs 1 million 
per day of revenue or over Rs 30 crore ($10 million) annually.
The toll is expected to take care of maintenance expenses 
and pay off the cost of the bridge over the next 22 years.

The toll plaza itself, which will employ up to 200 persons, is 
expected to cost about Rs 40 million (about $1.3 million). S K Datta, 
chief executive office of WBM says, "The Key to the whole system 
will lie in its maintenance. We are air conditioning all the areas 
with electronic hardware."

Construction of the bridge began in 1979 on a budget of Rs 65 crore 
(then about $80 million) but the final figure will be in the region 
of Rs 350 crore (about $120 million). The cable-supported cantilever 
bridge (a la San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge) will bisect 
Calcutta and Howrah and will be utilized by an estimated 15 
million people.

According to one estimate, the bridge will be used by 80,000 
vehicles each week day with peak loads of up to 5500 vehicles an 
hour. To handle this large volume of traffic, the toll plaza will 
have as many as 18 lanes with 36 booths, according to the project 
report prepared by the state-owned Webel Business Machines.

The software being developed by WBM includes an advanced traffic 
signalling system so that there are no queues at the plaza. The 
consultant to the project, Consulting Engineering Services, has 
estimated that the toll collection system will take a maximum of 
25 seconds for clearing each vehicle.

Besides operating the electronic boards indicating the toll to be 
paid, the computers will control the traffic signals distributing 
the vehicles among the 18 lanes. All the lanes will be able to 
handle all kinds of vehicles. The toll booths are expected to 
function round the clock although the number of lanes open at 
any one time will depend on the volume of traffic.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920812)
-- 
Saurabh Gupta					gupta@whamr.att.com
From: muthu@me.uta.edu (S. N. Muthukrishnan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Request for travel agent summary. Urgent please....
Date: 21 Aug 92 01:51:08 GMT
Article-I.D.: utagraph.1992Aug21.005341.12422
Distribution: soc
Organization: Mech. Engg, The Univ. of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas
MessageID: <MUTHU.92Aug20195108@me.uta.edu>
NntpPostingHost: me.uta.edu
X-Bytes: 428

Hello,

Can some kind soul that has the latest travel agent summary email a copy
of it to me?

This is urgent because a friend of mine is in a hurry to go home :)

Thanks,

Muthukrishnan


S. N. Muthukrishnan                    |  muthu@mecad.uta.edu (NeXT mail ok)
Department of Mechanical Engineering   |  muthu@me.uta.edu
Univeristy of Texas at Arlington       |  muthu@mech.uta.edu
Arlington, TX  76019                   |
From: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU (Arindam Ghosh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Quitting Gradschool
Date: 19 Aug 92 14:34:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: menudo.1992Aug19.143401.18877
Reply-To: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston

> 
>   Om Mani Padme Hum.
>   The Jewel is in the Lotus.
>
>   If you must go, arindam, please tell me what this means,
>   before you leave.
>
>>Bye and love
>>Arindam
>
Since I must go; here is my answer:
OM is the vibration that is the cause of all creation: the Holy Ghost
of Christanity

Lotus is our brain which is the key to God consciousness

Jewel is the third eye of omniscience which is opened by meditation.
Only when this sense opens man can know the truth.

Bye and love
Arindam
From: juvvadi@csgrad.cs.vt.edu (Ramana R. Juvvadi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Capitation fee - Reservations
Date: 21 Aug 92 18:17:46 GMT
Organization: VPI&SU Computer Science Department, Blacksburg, VA

Can somebody clarify one point? Does the capitation fee ban apply to only
the universities which receive UGC grants or does it apply to any
educational institution? 

Ramana
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: irshad@moby.micro.umn.edu (Irshad A. Mohammad)
Subject: Re: Deb Chatterjee's opinions
Organization: University of Minnesota CIS
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 22:14:16 GMT

Deb Chatterjee
(a good samaritan)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Gee! I always read it as Deb Chatterjee, the gas-maro-itan.

Irshad.  :-)    (take it easy, Deb)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: venkat@unixg.ubc.ca (Ramesh Venkat)
Subject: Good Bye Folks...
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 21:27:15 GMT


Hi Folks,

It's time to say good-bye.  Thanks to everyone who made my brief stay
in sci enjoyable.  In my new job as an Asst Prof I am not likely to
have a lot of spare time.  But I'd definitely like to keep in touch with 
many wonderful people I've "met" on the net.  If time permits I will
post again.  Here's wishing everyone great success in life!  So long...

Ramesh Venkat
e-mail: venkat@unixg.ubc.ca




Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,alt.sex,sci.med,talk.politics.misc,talk.religion.misc,talk.philosophy.misc
From: mark@lowton.rn.com (Mark Powell)
Subject: Does masturbation reduce intelligence? (Was Re: Is it correct that ...)
Organization: Mark-one Communications
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 12:32:32 GMT


In article <1992Aug21.195644.28162@jade.tufts.edu>, slahiri@jade.tufts.edu (Sandip Lahiri) writes:
> I do not know whether this is true or not, but there seems to 
> be a strong belief that masterbation lowers a person's 
> intelligence level. In our student life this belief was so 
> widespread that guys used to suffer a kind of mental depression
> after doing it (just before exams) and as a result their 
> performance in the exams happened to be less than satisfactory.
> IMHO the mental depression was the killing factor and not
> the "thing". That masterbation lowers person's mental faculties
> is very strongly preached by the "religious books" published by
> Chaitanya Math. It also describes the persons doing this as "of
> a lower strata". Is there any scientific explanation of this ?
> IMHO this is BS. I have my personal records to refute this.

All the religious books probably say that. Ask anyone who lived
over about 2000 years ago and they'd have probably told you the
same. However, I believe *some* realms of society have moved on
since then. I for one do not live by rules made by a 2000 year old
book.
   Historian Will Durant identified four necessary elements for
civilisation, as:

economic provision
political organisation
moral traditions
pursuit of knowledge of the arts

However, any one of these should not hold back the others. i.e.
if the moral traditions stagnate and hold back the pursuit of
knowledge, the society will become primitive. Think about it.

> Flames, ideas, logic, and plain bs most welcome.
> 
> -Sandip
-- 
Mark Powell

mark@lowton.rn.com				Home:	+44 942 714317
uunet!gator!jshark!lowton!mark			Nr. Manchester, UK.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: lseltzer@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Linda A. Seltzer)
Subject: Technology History Question
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 20:44:17 GMT

Does anyone know what the state of communications technology
in India was in 1938?  Was it possible to make long distance
phone calls to Europe?  Was it possible to send and receive
telegrams?  I haven't been reading the newsgrouops, so
please send replies to me via e-mail.  I am writing a
theater piece, and there is a scene which takes place in
India at that time.

					Thank you,
					Linda Seltzer
				lseltzer@phoenix.princeton.edu

Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: ravikane@leland.Stanford.EDU (Ravindra Shantaram Kane)
Subject: Re: Maayaa and Freedom
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 01:23:05 GMT


Thanks for posting this article
-ravi