IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Sino-Iranica : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
CUMMIN
34. Under the foreign termi-lo, *i-la, the Chinese have not described the fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), as erroneously asserted by WATTERS' and STUART,2 but cummin (Cuminum cyminum) and caraway (Carum carui). This is fundamentally proved by the prototype, Middle Persian zrira or zira, Sanskrit jira, of which . i-lo (*E-la) forms the regular transcription.' In India, jira refers to both cummin and caraway.4 Although Cuminum is more or less cultivated in most provinces of India, except Bengal and Assam, there is, according to WATT, fairly conclusive evidence that it is nowhere indigenous; but in several districts it would appear to be so far naturalized as to have been regarded as "wild," even by competent observers. No doubt, it was transmitted to India from Iran. Cummin was known to the ancient Persians, being mentioned in the inscription of Cyrus at Persepolis,' and at an early period penetrated from Iran to Egypt on the one hand, and to India on the other.'
Avicenna distinguishes four varieties of cummin (Arabic kammûn),' — that of Kirmän, which is black; that of Persia, which is yellow and more active than the others; that of Syria, and the Nabathaean.8 Each variety is both spontaneous and cultivated. Abu Mansur regards that of Kirmnän as the best, and styles it zire-i kirniân.9 This name, a6cording to SCHLIMMER,10 would refer to caraway, also called zire-i siah," while cummin is styled in Persian zire-i seb►ze or sefid. Caraway (Carum
1 Essays on the Chinese Language, p. 440. He even adds "coriander," which is hu suri (p. 297).
2 Chinese Materia Medica, p. 176. Fennel is hwi hian 114 , while a synonyme
of cummin is siao hwi hian (" small fennel ").
3 In the same form, the word occurs in Tibetan, zi-ra (T'oung Pao, 1916, p. 475). ' G. WATT, Commercial Products of India, p. 442.
6 JORET, Plantes dans l'antiquité, Vol. II, p. 66. E Ibid., p. 258.
7 Hebrew kammbn, Assyrian kamanu, resulting in Greek KÛAuvov, Latin cuminum, cyminum, or ciminum; Armenian caman; Persian kamûn.
8 LECLERC, Traité des simples, Vol. III, p. 196. D ACHUNDOW, Abu Mansur, pp. 112, 258.
10 Terminologie, p. 112.
11 In India, the Persian word siah refers to the black caraway (Carum bulbocastanum), which confirms Schlimmer's opinion. Also Avicenna's black cummin of Kirman apparently represents this species. This plant is a native of Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Lahal, mainly occurring as a weed in cultivated land.
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