East Ind. [a. Hindī topī hat; prob. the word mentioned in the Vocab. of Linguagem de Calicut in the Roteiro de Vasco da Gama, 1497, ‘barrete: tupy,’ related to Hindī ‘top helmet or hat’ (Yule). (But some think the latter is an adaptation of Pg. topo top.)] Originally applied by Indian natives to the European hat; now specialized in Anglo-Indian, as a name for the sola topī, sola hat or helmet: see SOLA sb.
1835. Court Mag., VI. 207/2. The white sombrero solah topee, was supplanted by a raking cocked hat.
1845–. Sola topi [see SOLA sb. (b)].
1849. E. B. Eastwick, Dry Leaves, 2. And there is need of many a fold of twisted muslin round the white topi to keep off his [the sun’s] importunacy.
1872. ‘Aliph Cheem’ (Yeldham), Lays of Ind (ed. 3), 85.
| The boat came back in a little space, | |
| With Grant and the topee blue; | |
| And Rudge stood staring down on the face | |
| That simpered a ‘How d’ye do?’ |
1889. Blackw. Mag., Aug., 245. You wear a pith topee.
1904. Daily Record & Mail, 1 Jan., 4. The white topee, green-lined, is a favourite hat.
Comb. 1880. A. M. Ruthquist, in Life, xi. (1893), 201. A rather lengthy lesson in topee-making was given.
Hence ǁ Topī-, topee-wallah, also -wala [a. Hindī ṭopīwālā, one who wears a hat, f. topī + WALLAH fellow], the Indian name for a European, because he wears a hat.
The term is used ‘by the natives with a shade of disparagement,’ while ‘all persons claiming European blood’ take pride ‘in wearing a hat’ (Yule s.v. topaz). R. Drummond says that in his time (before 1808), Topeewala and Puggrywala were used in Guzerat and the Mahratta country for ‘European’ and ‘Native.’ So ‘the author of the Persian Life of Hydur Naik calls Europeans Kalāh-posh hat-wearers’ (Ibid., s.v.).
1826. Hockley, Pandurang Hari, vi. I. 88. It was now evident we should have to encounter the Topee Wallas.
1834. A. Prinsep, Baboo, I. viii. 126. The Topee-walas are within matchlock shot of this grove!
1864. Trevelyan, Compet. Wallah (1866), 44. The idea got about that they were to be forcibly turned into topee-wallahs, hat-fellows, a synonym for the hated name of Frank or Christian.
