E. Ind. [ad. Malayālam taṇḍal, Telugu taṇḍelu, also Hindūstānī taṇḍēl, chief or head man of a body of men.]
1. A native petty officer of lascars, on board ship, or in the ordnance department; also the foreman of a gang of laborers on public works (Yule); a boatswain; a foreman.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 107. The Captain is called Nucquedah, the Boatswain Tindal.
1778. R. Orme, Hist. Milit. Trans., II. IX. 339. One Tindal, or corporal of the Lascars.
1800. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1844), I. 93. A detachment of gun lascars, consisting of 1 tindal and 20 lascars.
1803. R. Percival, in Naval Chron., X. 26. Each of he boats carries … a tindal, or chief boat-man, who acts as pilot.
1848. trans. Hoffmeister’s Trav. Ceylon, etc., x. 343. The ‘Tindal,’ or superintendent of the coolies, was dismissed.
1849. E. B. Eastwick, Dry Leaves, 23. Our Tindal jumped out on the bank, on which was not four feet water.
2. A personal attendant: see quots.
1859. Lang, Wand. India, 36. Almost every one who visits the Hills keeps a servant called a tindal. His duty is to look after the men who carry your janpan, to go errands, to keep up the fire. Ibid., 40. My tindal aroused me at eleven, and informed me that a young man wished to see me.
