Vilayet, n.1 India.
(vɪˈlaɪɛt)
Also Vilayat, (in early use) Belait, Willaet, etc., and with lower-case initial.
[ad. Hindi Vilāyat, Urdu Wilāyat, ult. ad. Arab. wilāya(t) dominion; cf. vilayet n.2. See Blighty n.]
Abroad (from the perspective first of Afghanistan and later of India); Europe, esp. Britain.
The form Belait was preferred in the writings of Rudyard Kipling.
| 1815 M. M. Sherwood Hist. Little Henry & his Bearer (ed. 2) 78 ‘What!’ said Boosy, ‘is sahib going to Willaet?’ [Note] Country: but generally applied to Europe. 1886 Yule & Burnell Hobson-Jobson 70/2 Bilayut, Billaït, &c..., Europe... Wilāyat is the usual form in Bombay. 1899 Kipling From Sea to Sea II. 358 Let the town hear of the wonders which I have seen in Belait. 1901 ― Kim iv. 107 Hai, my son, thou hast never learned all that since thou camest from Belait (Europe). 1971 Guardian 7 July 8/1 Many of his countrymen prefer to leave India to seek their fortunes in vilayat..(meaning abroad, and especially England). 1983 J. Masters Man of War i. 3 But, sahib, we do not own land here..we retire and go back to Vilayet. |