corrupted or altered (used in
reference to words or expressions). To hobson-jobson is to take a
word or
phrase in one
language and modify it to be
similar in
sound or structure to the
general pattern of another
language. A hobson-jobson is a
word or
phrase formed in this manner. For
example, the Spanish
word cucaracha has become cockroach in
English and the
English term riding coat has become redingote in
French. "Hobson-Jobson" is itself an
example of this and comes from "O Hasan, O Husain!" a customary cry of mourning for Hasan and Husain, the grandsons of the Muslim prophet
Mohammed. (A Muslim is a follower of the
religion Islam. Islam means "submission to the will of
God." Muslims worship
Allah-the
Arabic name for
God-the same
God of the Jews and Christians. The
fundamental belief of Islam is there is only one
God and
Mohammed is his prophet. [
Mohammed is the
founder of Islam, born in Mecca
circa 570--632,
capital city of Saudi Arabia, and is believed by Muslims to be the last prophet of
God]). Muslims follow the teachings of a
sacred book called the
Koran, and believe that the teachings in the
Koran are
God's words as revealed to
Mohammed by
God. Hasan and Husain were both killed in battle fighting for the Muslim
religion. In the
late 1800s, British troops who were stationed in
India heard these words being cried out by
Indian natives and they altered it over to "Hobson-Jobson" in
English. An "
authority on
painting" has been hobson-jobsoned over into somebody who can criticize a
picture.