--- John Kelly <palistudent@...> wrote:

> The geisha Ambapaalii was (hoti) beautiful, lovely,
> endowed with the highest beauty-of-complexion.
> ga.nika / Ambapaalii / hoti / abhiruupaa /
> dassaniiyaa
> / samannaagataa / paramaayaa / va.n.na-pokkharataaya
> Ambapaalii ca ga.nikaa abhiruupaa hoti dassaniiyaa
> paramaaya va.n.napokkharataaya samannaagataa,

I don't think if it is you or your source who is using
the word "geisha", but I think it is wrong in this
connection for two reasons:

1. geishas are a typically Japanese phenomenon, and

2. if I am correctly informed, geishas (in the
original sense of the word) are not prostitutes; they
entertain male guests, but they don't have sex with
them.

"Courtesans", on the other hand, does have similar
skills as a geisha, but with sex added, and besides
the concept is not limited to one country only; and I
think that is the common translation of "ga.nikaa".

Gunnar


gunnargallmo@...