In the name of full disclosure, I am not an expert on Hindi, India, or literature. The explanations you find here are the compilation of what I can find on a given term or a phrase. If you see a mistake or if you would like to contribute, please let me know by posting a comment. Thank you.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Tonga and Tonga-wallah

The tonga clip-clopped along the road, and the tonga-wallah sang... (p. 25)


Tonga, or tanga, is a horse-drawn carriage commonly used for transportation in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Tonga-wallah is a person who "drives" the tonga. More generally, the suffix -wallah or -wala refers to a person who is involved in a specific activity.

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