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APPENDIX.                           133
Tavernier-'s sketch was from memory, and was, therefore, more regular in outline than the original.
The name Great Mogul was, of course, not of native origin, but was probably first conferred by Tavernier. By the natives it was originally, in all probability, known as the Kollur diamond. In reference to this, I was quite accidentally informed by a native jeweller of Calcutta that it has been suggested, if not actually stated, by some native writers, that the title Koh-i-nur really owes its origin to a change in the originally meaningless name Kollur ; such changes in which, while the sound is more or less retained, a meaning ;is acquired, are not by any means rare in Oriental languages, while they sometimes occur in those of Europe.
Thus English surnames in the mouths of natives become changed into words of similar sound, which have a mean­ing in Hindustani, or whatever the language spoken maybe. A striking example is afforded by the name given by the natives to the geological department. The word geological being unintelligible and difficult of pronunciation, has been rejected, and is replaced by one of somewhat similar sound. This is jauhari, and geologists are commonly known as Jauhari Sahibs, or jewellers, it being supposed that their investigations all have for their object the dis­covery of precious stones. Other and similar examples might be quoted in illustration.
From the above I think it will be admitted that there are good reasons for concluding that the Great Mogul, or Kollur diamond of Tavernier, is identical with the Koh-i-nur.
Those who have hitherto held this view have stated that it came from either Gani or Purtial. As for Gam,, it is not a name, being simply a corruption of Kan-i, a prefix signifying "mine of;" while Purtial is a mine situated twenty-four miles east of Kollur, where a mine is also known to have existed, being represented on a map of the Nizam's dominions by Col. Colin Mackenzie, dated 1798.