Forms: 7 hoiah, hodgee, -gia, hugie, hoggie, 7–8 hogi, 8 hoage, hogia, cojah, 9 hoja(h, hodja, khodgea, khodja, -djo, khoja. [Turk. and Pers. khōjah, prop. khwājah.] A professor or teacher in a Mohammedan school or college; a schoolmaster; a scribe, clerk.
1625. Purchas, Pilgrims, IX. xv. § 8. II. 1598. From fiue yeers of age vntill ten … they haue their Hoiah (that is, their Schoole-master) appointed them by the King to teach them.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 525. The third, are Hogi, Writers of Bookes; for they have no Printing.
1704. J. Pitts, Acc. Mahometans, 21. Rides in the Van of the Army, with two Hoages, or Clerks.
1786. Art. Charge W. Hastings, in Burke, Writ. (1852), VII. 27. I sent for Retafit Ali Khân, the Cojah.
1834. Ayesha, I. xi. 265. They collected all that the city possessed of wisdom and learning,—Khodjas, Mollahs, Hakims, Imams.
1887. L’pool Daily Post, 14 Feb., 5/4. This last savant brings a Khoja, who has just arrived from Bombay.
