Chalaque is the code name that Scotland Yard have given to Obama for his forthcoming visit to the UK. In an article in today's Sunday Times (I've only got the newspaper version - it's page 3) a couple of Punjabi representatives say that Chalaque is the Punjabi word for crafty or cunning, especially someone who is too clever for their own good -- like Smart Alec in English, I suppose.
Scotland Yard say that code names for VIP visitors are randomly chosen by a computer. There are no plans to change the code name, according to the newspaper.
"CHALÁK - Persian word chálák Active, alert, clever, ingenious, dexterous, expert,nimble,fleet, swift; artful, designing,tricky:- chalák log, Sharpers, swindlers."
(The Vanguard Punjabi English Dictionary)
But is it the same word?
I heard that Obama means "a little bent" in Luo.
Posted by: Jemmy Hope | May 23, 2011 at 08:27 PM
Another explanation I've just found on the internet is that Chalaque was the Spanish explorers' name for the Cherokee people of North America.
Posted by: Jemmy Hope | May 23, 2011 at 08:36 PM
Thanks, Jemmy. The article I read had a couple of comments on the meaning of 'chalaque' from Punjabi commentators, such as Indarjit Singh, so everyone seems to think it's from that language. Unless Scotland Yard have suddenly taken an interest in Native Americans!
I wrote a post on Luo once. Here it is again in case you missed it:
http://virtuallinguist.typepad.com/the_virtual_linguist/2008/11/luo-or-dholuo-the-language-of-barack-obamas-kenyan-relatives.html#tp
Posted by: Virtual Linguist | May 24, 2011 at 12:42 PM
The Luo connection would be interesting. I suspect that the Yard, are not relying totally on a computer-generated list of names.
In the US for example, Reagan was "Rawhide"; no coincidence.
Posted by: john | May 24, 2011 at 01:34 PM
I guess that Chalaque means skillful, clever and intelligent, especially someone who is too smart for his own good in English.
Posted by: יין ישראלי | September 25, 2011 at 09:07 PM
What is all that about having code names for visits. It's typically American, however we, the English have taken this on too as we are now calling one of our commities the COBRA commity
Posted by: sophie | November 21, 2011 at 12:36 PM
Code names for this that and the other, why don't the government just get on with sorting out the economy.
Posted by: charlotte | November 28, 2011 at 01:16 PM
I think in normal life we should have code names, it would be like being 007 ha ha.
Posted by: ella | November 28, 2011 at 01:29 PM