chinthe

English

chinthes

Etymology

Borrowing from Burmese ခြင်္သေ့ (hkrangse., “lion”), pronounced /t͡ɕʰɪ̀ɴðḛ/.

Noun

chinthe (plural chinthes)

1. A leograph that is often seen at the entrances of Southeast Asian pagodas and temples
   • 1998, Feroz Kapadia, South East Asia: Burma, Cambodia, Anmol publications, page 85:

     The artists are forced endlessly to carve figures of elephants and leographs of chinthes.

   • 1999, Irene Moilanen, Mirrored in Wood: Burmese Art and Architecture, White Lotus Press, page 18:

     Two of the doors have hintha birds and the one door has a leaping leograph of chinthe.

Anagrams

• Hitchen