moomba-devy

Updated: May 24, 2025

The word Bombaya, however, struck the ear of the native boatmen, who pointed in the direction which they themselves were steering, and called out "Mombay! Mombay!" This word, I am told by an oriental scholar, is a corruption of Moomba-devy, or the Goddess of Moomba, from an idol to which a temple is still dedicated on the island.

Basil Hall - The Lieutenant and Commander : Being Autobigraphical Sketches of His Own Career, from Fragments of Voyages and Travels