pishachiとは 意味・読み方・使い方

別の表記

• pishache, pishashi

語源

From Sanskrit.

名詞

pishachi (複数形 pishachis)

1. (South Asia, now rare) A female demon.
   • 1807, Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, A Journey from Madras, III.14:

     They believe, that such men as die accidental deaths become Pysáchi, or evil spirits, and are exceedingly troublesome, by making extraordinary noises in families, and occasioning fits, and other diseases, especially in women.

   • 1837, Julia Maitland, Letters from Madras (1843):

     She used to go out and howl so that the servants were afraid to come near her, saying she made ‘one pishashi (devil) noise’.

   • 2008, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies, Penguin 2015, p. 56:

     Deeti had discovered that she had run short of water; to leave the dishes unwashed overnight was to invite an invasion of ghosts, of ghouls and hungry pishaches.