" 'No; Dost Akbar must have his share. We can tell the tale to you while we wait them. Do you stand at the gate, Mahomet Singh, and give notice of their coming. The thing stands thus, sahib, and I tell it to you because I know that an oath is binding upon a Feringhee, and that we may trust you. Had you been a lying Hindoo, though you had sworn by all the gods in their false temples, your blood would have been upon the knife and your body in the water. But the Sikh knows the Englishman, and the Englishman knows the Sikh. Hearken, then, to what I have to say."

I think I remember reading this word somewhere meaning "foreigner". I'll try to check, but expect difficulty finding it.

It was easier than I expected. From Tiscali, Hutchinson
Dictionary of Difficult Words
feringhee, feringhi
n. European, especially Portuguese, born in India.

Hmm. When I was on holiday in Penang, in 1985 or 1986 it would have been, I was told that Ferrenghi (as in Batu Ferringhi) came from a Thai word for foreigner (esp. European).

Some nice pics. from someone's holiday at Batu Ferringhi. I should point out that Batu Ferringhi would mean Foreigner's Rock rather than Foreigner's Beach. But perhaps that's not so good for the tourist trade.

http://www.interlog.com/~wwhite/malaysia.html#Penang's Batu Ferringhi (Foreigner's Beach)

I wonder if the Star Trek Ferengi take their name from this word.
Bingley

Per the OED it's an oriental adoption of Frank, as in the Germanic tribe.