هودج

Uncertain origin, natively associated with ه د ج (h-d-j) with the senses of taking short steps, to waver when one walks, to walk like an elder person, to walk like one carrying a burden; a reference to a camel's strain.

Possibly under influence of phono-semantic matching of Middle Persian [script needed] (kwpk' /⁠kōfag⁠/, “saddle, the prominent parts at the front and rear of a saddle”), from Middle Persian [script needed] (kwp /⁠kōf⁠/, “mountain, hill; hump”); cognate to Modern and Classical Persian کوهه (kōha, “hump; saddle; hillock”) and Persian کوه (kôh, “mountain”).

Compare also Jewish Babylonian Aramaic אוּכָּפָא (ʾukkāp̄ā, “packsaddle”), Classical Syriac ܐܽܘܟܳܦܴܐ (ʾukkāp̄ā, “packsaddle”), Jewish Palestinian Aramaic אכפי (/⁠*ʾukkāp̄ē⁠/, “yoke, type of load bearing device”) which form passed into Arabic أُكَّاف (ʔukkāf, “packsaddle”) and is itself from Akkadian 𒌑𒂵𒁍 (u₂-ka₃-pu /⁠ukāpu⁠/, “saddle-cloth, pack”), to illustrate matching and influence of saddle terms in the region.

• IPA^(key): /haw.dad͡ʒ/

هَوْدَج • (hawdaj) m (plural هَوَادِج (hawādij))

1. camel litter, howdah (a closed compartment put on the back of camel, usually used for carrying brides and important women)
2. sedan chair, litter

• → English: howdah
• → Bengali: হাওদা (haōda)