Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Candy

What is the Hindi word for "candy"? Dictionary listed 'misrii' but that's not an exact translation.

Mithaiyan, मिठाइयां, is used for sweetmeats, or may be more appropriate here would be "mistaanna" मिष्टान्न - (confectionery, sweet stuff, candy).

siyaahii (ink)

The Urdu word is "siyaahii" and it comes from the Persian "siyaah" for black. What do the Hindi speakers use? Do they have a seperate Indic word?

Shabdkosh gives the below result:
http://www.shabdkosh.com/s?e=ink&f=0&t=0&l=hi

ink, n.

  • मशी
  • रोशनाई
  • स्याही (f)

From my experience I can tell that स्याही is most often used and the second most common is रोशनाई which is also used by many.

स्याही Example:

आज़ादी का इतिहास कहीं
काली स्याही लिख पाती है?
इसको पाने को वीरों
खून की नदी बहाई जाती है

...

फिर उसी रक्त की स्याही में
वे अपना कलम डुबोते थे
आज़ादी के परवाने पर
हस्ताक्षर करते जाते थे

[
poem link]

रोशनाई Examples:

सुन लो नभ क्या कहता है
धरती में पडा सन्नाटा है,
असंख्य तारों की बातें
कोई नहीं सुन पाता है

व्यथा है इनकी भी- सुध लो
आती रोशनाई को धर लो
हो सकता है धरती की कोई
व्यथा है कहती है-सुन लो

[
Ref]

At times both words रोशनाई and स्याही are written by the same author, alternately. As can be seen below:

नीली रोशनाई आँख में चुभन देती थी सो कभी न भाई. वर्तमान लिखता तो काली स्याही की कलम से और अतीत की चुभन को .. [
Link]

मशी is a Sanskrit word and from there it has come to Hindi. It is not much in daily-use, but can be found in Sanskrit texts.

मशी (mashii) = (f) ink
http://sanskritdocuments.org/dict/dictall_unic.html

मशी [mashi] {f} (also: स्याही, रोशनाई) [Link]

pumpkin

What is the Hindi word for pumpkin? Dictionaries seem to use the word pumpkin in a general sense for any squash/gourd because I've even seen the word ghiiyaa defined as a pumpkin in some dictionaries. By pumpkin, I mean the large, round orange-colored vegetable/fruit that is used to make pies and other sweets in the U.S. and in India/Pakistan is used to make a certain type of halwa and perhaps a sabzii too. Is the correct term kadduu, siitaaphal, peThaa, or something else?

If you are sure about its orange color, and that it is large and round, then it is "kohda"
कोंहड़ा (it is written Cucurbit gourd at some places).
 
Kaddu कद्दू is the Hindi word for "pumpkin". It is also called Lauki लौकी. But Kaddu/Lauki is most of the time "green" in color" and it comes in cylindrical shape most of the times though at times it is round also. But big round orange colored vegetable is "kohda"
कोंहड़ा and not "kaddu" कद्दू.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

kya mangne ka hai?

In the Arabian Peninsula we have a large number of non-native Hindi/Urdu speakers who regularly use a Khaleeji pidginized Hindustani to communicate in a multi-lingual, multi-national setting. One feature of this is asking someone what they want by using "mangna" instead of "chahna" or "chahiye." They also say mangna instead of "hona chahiye" for "should (be)".

Tum choTa size mangta hai? = Kya aap ko chota size chahiye?

or hona chahiye:

Pyaaj bareek bareek kaaTna mangta hai. = Pyaaz bahut bareek kaaTna chahiye.

Where is this mangna usage coming from? I recall hearing something similar in a Bollywood film, paired with the hero saying "apun ka" (which, by the way, is not used in the Khaleeji pidgin) as an affectation of Bombay street language. Has the mangne ka hai transplanted itself here from the Bombay street language? Or has this developed organically here in the Khaleej? 

I am not sure from where it has come from, but it is true that one can hear it in Mumbai a lot. I have heard it from Marathis, Gujaratis, or Christians, and a friend says he mostly hears it from Pathans in Hindi movies. If I get to know more on the origin of this practice, I shall let you know.

Also, please don't call it "street language". Some very well educated people also speak like this :)

Monday, October 29, 2012

Bambaiyaa

Now that city's name is no longer "Bamba'ii", would "Bambaiyaa" become obsolete and replaced by "Mumbaiyaa"?

Yes, Mumbaiyaa or Mumbaikar are the words already in use. Later on is more in practice.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Oblique of haalaat and other *-aat nouns

Oblique form of haalaat should be haalaatoN. However in Hindi, I think many writers don't treat haalaat as a plural verb and write things like "haalaat ke" etc. Is this true?

I think in Hindi "haalaat" हालात is considered plural only. For example I could cite these news reports:

हालात नहीं सुधरे (haalaat nahi sudhre)
भारत-चीन सीमा पर युद्ध जैसे कोई हालात नहीं: शिंदे (Bharat-Cheen seema par yuddh jaise koi haalaat nahi: Shinde)

You are right in saying that oblique form of "haalaat" हालात should be "haalaatoN" हालातों. Here are some examples of such usage:

नाजुक हालातों से गुजरते विलासराव देशमुख ... (Naazuk haalaaton se gujarte Vilasrap Deshmukh)

विषम हालातों से जूझकर जीते ओलिंपिक मेडल (Visham haalaaton se jujhkar jeete Olympic medal)

हालातों, हादसों से उबरी, लिखी कहानी (Haalaaton, haadson se ubri, likhi kahaani)

Or, it also appears here:

तब इन हालातों में उन्होनें अपने पिता हरिवंश राय बच्चन से कहा, 'ऐसा लगता है कि यहां में चल नहीं पाउंगा, यहां अजीब तरह के लोग रहते हैं।'

An alternative word to mean the same would be "Sthiti" (स्थिति). Oblique of this would be Sthitiyon स्थितियों.

Friday, October 26, 2012

"I hope you're fine" in Hindi

How can I say in Hindi for a male: "I hope you're fine."

आशा है आप ठीक हैं. (Asha hai aap theek hain)
आशा है कि आप ठीक हैं. (Asha hai ki aap theek hain)

If you want to say, "I hope you are good." or "I hope you are doing good":

आशा है आप अच्छे हैं. (Asha hai aap achchhe hain)

manaanaa मनाना

I read someone saying about usage of "maatam" in Hindi more as "maatam manaanaa" than "maatam karnaa". I was somewhat surprised by this. For some reason I have always associated "manaanaa" with happy occasions than sad ones, e.g khushi manaanaa, Christmas manaanaa, saal-girah manaanaa etc. Is manaanaa also used for sad occasions?

Yes, "maatam manaanaa" मातम मनाना is used in Hindi and is correct usage. So we can say that "manaanaa" मनाना is used for both happy and sad occasions...

So all of the following are used:

मातम मनाना (maatam manaanaa)
शोक मनाना (shok manaanaa)
जन्मदिन मनाना (janmdin manaanaa)
होली मनाना (Holi manaanaa)

Thursday, October 25, 2012

saaRii, or saaRhii (साड़ी)


The beautiful traditional dress for ladies: is it "saaRii" or "saaRhii"?

It is "saaRii" (साड़ी)

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Good Night and Good Day in Hindi

I would like to say in Hindi: "Good night sweet dreams" and "Good day"

"Good night sweet dreams": शुभ रात्रि! (Shubh Raatri)

"Good day" आपका दिन शुभ हो! (Aapka din shubh ho)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Gotya

I'm translating the movie Singham. A man's nickname is Gotya and he doesn't like to be called like that. What does Gotya mean?

My Marathi friends confirm that it is a nickname used in Marathi (Singham movie was set in Maharashtra and has lots of Marathi words).

He says, "gotya is just another nick name, derived from goti means marble balls we play ... glass ones... "

Small kids play with small glass/marble balls, in many ways like trying to shoot a target with it or hit other small glass balls with it. Such glass balls are called "goti" in Hindi. This nick name "Gotya" has come from this game and is a nick name of kids.

Since the kid had become grownup in the movie and become an officer, he was not comfortable being called by his nick name which made a connection towards this small kids game of "goti".

My friend at the same time said that if the guy's good name was Gautam, it was easier to twist it into the nick name "Gotya" and I agreed with him.

Gujarati: अाओ रास खेलने के लिये

Can you help me understand how declensions would work in the following sentence in Gujarati? I'm not sure what happens to the verb in this sentence.

अाओ रास खेलने के लिये


खेलना = રમવાનુ?

लिये = માટે

So, would this sentence be: અાવો (તમે) રાસ રમવાનુ માટે?

खेलने "khelne" (in Hindi) = "ramvane" in Gujarati.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Pyramids of Egypt

What is the Hindi word for "Pyramid"?

The word in Hindu for Pyramid is "Pyramid". It comes as it is in Hindi. Or one can use शुंडाकार स्तंभ or शुंडाकार भवन.

Contagion in Hindi

Contagion is the word used in English to denote the spreading of germs by direct or indirect contact. The simple way of conveying it which comes to my mind is ''biimaarii phailnaa'' but it doesn't seem satisfactory because it is not specific enough. Can you translate the sample sentence ''The risk of contagion is higher in schools and public places'' into Hindi please?

"Sankraman" (संक्रमण) is the Hindi word for it. Here is the translation:

''The risk of contagion is higher in schools and public places'' => संक्रमण की आशंका स्कूलों और सार्वजनिक स्थानों में अधिक है.

Or, "The danger of contagion is higher in schools and public places' => 'संक्रमण का ख़तरा स्कूलों और सार्वजनिक स्थानों में अधिक है.

ऋ not pronounced as रि?

I read this at a place: "As for the ऋ, many Hindi speakers do pronounce it correctly, and even if not always correctly, they pronounce it differently from रि."

Is the above statement correct? Can you please explain to me how the Hindi speaker's pronunciation differs from ri or ru or some corruption of the two because I didn't agree with the above statement.


I agree with the statement "As for the ऋ, many Hindi speakers do pronounce it correctly, and even if not always correctly, they pronounce it differently from रि." In fact most Hindi speakers make a difference between the two.

I don't know how to make you hear, but tongue movement is different in the two ri's. In ऋ, it goes much behind while in रि it remains near the front (of the mouth).

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sansanii सनसनी

I was looking for a word that could be translated as "sensationally" and the word I've come across is sansanii. Can the word "sansanii" be used with a negative conotation?

"Sansani" सनसनी is most of the times used in this negative connotations; so you can go ahead and use it.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

driver / chaalak रिक्शाचालक


In a BBC Hindi article I found this word: रिक्शाचालक rikshaachaalak. Is this word used in colloquial Hindi speech?

Rikshachaalak (रिक्शाचालक) means driver of Rickshaw and is a very commonly used word in Hindi. It is not of new or recent usage but a pretty old one. You can speak it and will be understood by Hindi speaking population. 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Parii परी Vs Jinn जिन्न


In Urdu, we use Parii परी and Jinn जिन्न to mean the same thing. Is it same in Hindi also?

In Hindi Parii परी and Jinn जिन्न are not the same. Parii परी is considered essentially female while Jinn जिन्न can be both, may be, but mostly used for males. As such in Hinduism, souls don't have any gender but when souls are stuck without taking rebirth, hence called Atma आत्मा, Jinn जिन्न or Pret, or things like that, a gender is used to describe such souls. Yet in truest form a soul doesn't have any particular gender in Hinduism.

"rabri" or "raabri" in Hindi


Is it "rabri" or "raabri" in Hindi? Is it spoken also as "raabri" in all parts of India?

It is spoken both as Rabri रबड़ी and Raabri राबड़ी even in Hindi. 

I have heard it everywhere; some people speak रबड़ी and some speak राबड़ी and both are correct.

आप लोग हाज़िर हुए Vs आप लोग हाज़िर थे


आप लोग हाज़िर हुए Vs आप लोग हाज़िर थे : Any difference and which is better usage?


आप लोग हाज़िर थे (aap log hazir the) indicates towards a statuesque meaning, "you people were available". 



आप लोग हाज़िर हुए  (aap log hazir hue) indicates immediate state/status, or an event of appearing, meaning "you people became available"

Fursat me Vs Fursat se (फुर्सत में Vs फुर्सत से)

Can you explain difference in usage of फुर्सत में Vs फुर्सत से, if any?


"fursat me" फुर्सत में and "fursat se" फुर्सत से are used almost interchangeably, though at times fursat me is better and at times fursat se is better. 



"Fursat me" फुर्सत में indicates towards a "static" nature in which the person is at leisure, apparently for a long time.



"Fursat se" फुर्सत से indicates immediate attention towards the "present" time/status where the person is at leisure at present, may or may not have been like this for a long time. 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Adjective same for males and females

Can you give example of same adjectives used "same" for males as well as females. 


सुन्दर राजा, सुन्दर रानी
मंदबुद्धि लड़का, मंदबुद्धि लड़की 
साफ कपडा, साफ कंघी

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Spirit of the law

What is the equivalent term for "Spirit of the law" in Hindi?

कानून की भावना

No Entry. Please use the other door.

How do you translate this in Hindi: "No Entry. Please use the other door."

In Hindi, we can write it as:

प्रवेश वर्जित. कृपया दूसरे दरवाजे का उपयोग करें.

Jhanjhanahat झनझनाहट

What does Jhanjhanahat (झनझनाहट) mean in Hindi?

Jhanjhanahat झनझनाहट is the word to describe something which is a sensation or sounds "jhan jhan". For example, when someone slaps one on the ears, one can say that "मेरा कान झनझना गया |"

Or see application else here: कहीं आपके हाथों में झनझनाहट तो नहीं

Or here: पैरों में झनझनाहट या एनीमिया जैसे लक्षण

Monday, October 15, 2012

मिट्टी पलीद कर देना

I came across this idiom मिटटी पलीद कर देना in a story.. What is the meaning of this idiom and also the literal meaning for every word?

It is "मिट्टी पलीद कर देना", meaning "to spoil something".

मिट्टी => Soil
पलीद => Spoil
कर देना=> To do (something)

Diaspora in Hindi


What would be good word for "diaspora" in Hindi?

"Pravaasi" प्रवासी can mean the same. Depending on the usage, you can use "Samaaj" समाज also for the same.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Ashram

I want to undestand what people in India understand by the term "ashram". In a novel I am reading, there is a talk about an ashram in Mumbai; it is however not a place for espiritual retreat or something like that, but a care center for girls that have been trafficked and rescued. On the other side, it is not related with Hinduism since the managers of this ashram are Christian Nuns. 

My question is if this author (an american one) has used the word as a literary licence or it is indeed used as such for this charitable organizations.

In general Christian organizations choose to use "center" for such a place and not "aashram" because aashram has connotations with Hindu organizations (not religious necessarily; it can be social also). But people differ in opinion and if someone has used this term for a christian organisation or a social one supported by them, then I don't think many will raise any objections...

If you wonder if "Ashram" should mean "a place of refuge" and hence could be used by all, "a place of refuge" is best represented in the word "ashray" rather than in "ashram".

From ancient times, sages and rishis used to establish ashrams to impart education to their disciples. I don't know if there was any other term for their establishment.

"Ashray" best means a house, but it is closer to being a "refuge". The term "aashrit" would come close to it, meaning one who is seeking or got a refuge.

The terms like vriddhashram perhaps came up because old people spend their remaining years of life remembering God or practicing piousness.

For terms like Sudhar Grih (for jail) or for many other related terms, "grih" or "ashray" are used and not "ashram"..

Even the right term is "grihastha ashram", for married life, and brahmcharya ashram for unmarried student life. Because the four phases of life are seen as in connected with ideal life as prescribed in the Hindu scriptures. So I think the word ashram has a connection (and hence connotation) of association with Hinduism...

Here are the dictionary meanings of "ashram":
--

ash·ram    [ahsh-ruhm]
noun
1. a secluded building, often the residence of a guru, used for religious retreat or instruction in Hinduism.
2. the persons instructed there.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ashram

--

Definition of ASHRAM

1 : a secluded dwelling of a Hindu sage; also : the group of disciples instructed there
2 : a religious retreat

Origin of ASHRAM

Sanskrit āśrama, from śrama religious exercise
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashram

--

ashram [ˈæʃrəm ˈɑːʃ-]
n

1. (Non-Christian Religions / Hinduism) a religious retreat or community where a Hindu holy man lives

2. a house that provides accommodation for destitute people
[from Sanskrit āśrama, from ā- near + śrama religious exertion]
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ashram

--

ASHRAM<===> प्रार्थना स्थल (pr. \\prarthana sthal \\ )[Noun]

Example:The saint had an ashram on teh hill top.
http://dict.hinkhoj.com/words/meanin...-in-hindi.html

--

The dictionaries make it very clear that ashram is connected to Hinduism. There is no penalty to use it in literal terms for "a house", but in its original and apt meaning, it is only connected to Hinduism.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Sleepwalking (somnambulism)

Is there any Hindi term for "sleepwalking" or "somnambulism"?

You can use the simple term "nind me chalna". नींद में चलना. I can invent a term nidra-vihaar "निद्रा-विहार", which literally means the same, but I am not sure if there was a word for this phenomenon or disease in Hindi.

Friday, October 12, 2012

jooTa

I believe jooTa means "used," but I feel the way I hear it being used connotes some kind of meaning of ritual purity as well. Can someone kindly explain this? eg.Yeh doodh mat piyo, jooTa hai.

In Hindi:

jhootha झूठा - one who tells lies, or a liar
jootha जूठा - a food or an item which has been partially eaten or touched by mouth by someone else.

Both words are very different. At times people misspell "jootha" with "jhootha" (or any word with "J" as starting with "Jh") and it is wrong to do so.

You will not find this concept of "jootha" in many other cultures and this is unique to the culture of Hindus. Hindus avoid eating someone else's "jootha" making it a point of hygiene. (this concept may also be applicable to even those who are not exactly Hindus in India; because of culture impacts society and is not exactly binding on a religion alone). But in general this concept came from Hindu culture and Hinduism.

In fact there is no exact translation available for this word in many languages, because in their culture it was not considered wrong to eat from someone else's partially-taken food and hence they never had such a word.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

tujhse baat nahi hoti nga re.. tu online hai jab mai nahi hu

I read this sentence in my friend's subnick (tujhse baat nahi hoti nga re.. tu online hai jab mai nahi hu.. mai hu tab tu nahi hai...)and he is from India but he lives in arabia. I know he is Sad, so I'd like you help me to understand what it means please.

He is saying that "I don't get to talk to you... When you are online, I happen not to be online; and when I am online, you are not online...

In general it appears that the person wants to talk to / chat with you and has been missing you... He wishes that you both come online on the same time. May I suggest to give him a time at which you would be online, so that he can also be and you people can talk....

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

dialoguebaazi

I'm reading an article published in the Indian Express that deals with foreign students going to Mumbai's acting schools to become film producers. They use the term "dialoguebaazi" but the meaning of that word does not appear clearly to me.

It is not a proper word in the sense that it has come up with creativity in spoken language. You can add "baazi" at the end of a lot of things, to mean to say "of or related to XYZ"

E.g. Patangbaazi => art of flying kites (in the sky)

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Welcome Home

Can you help me with the (phonetic) way of saying "Welcome home" or "Welcome back" from a vacation? In Hindi?

In spoken Hindi, it could be:

"Swagatam!!!" (means welcome!!! with an exclamation)

or "Swagat hai!" (You are welcome!)

The Sanskrit term Swagat is used as it is in Hindi... It means welcome...

You can also say, "Suswagatam!", emphasizing the well wishes, but it will be a formal welcome not very personal.

I would prefer "Swagatam!!!" which is a very warm welcome to anyone, said with an exclamation and a smile on face...
It will be pronounced as "Swaagatam". "aa" with a longer stretch than normal "a".

स्वागतम
स्वागत है!

Monday, October 8, 2012

chuuhaa

Does chuuhaa mean mouse or rat? I have always thought of it as mouse, but maybe it can mean both? I also know it can mean a snitch or tattletale (mukhbir), like "rat" in English. Are there separate common words for mouse and rat...? I have also heard muushak.

In Hindi, Chooha चूहा is meant for both mouse and rat.

Mushak मूषक is the Sanskrit word for rat/mouse. It is used in Hindi too.

Very small size rats or mouse are often called "chuhiyaa" चुहिया in Hindi, to differentiate it from bigger size rats. "Chuhiyaa" चुहिया I think is actually a feminine word for "chuhaa" चूहा , but one can use it to mean a small size mouse. But in general the word is same "chuhaa" चूहा for both rat/mouse. Mushak / मूषक is Sanskrit word which is also used as it is in Hindi.

मूषक
चूहा
चुहिया

Sunday, October 7, 2012

rawaiyaa

This question is strictly referring to common Hindi, not in Urdu where this word's meaning may be closer to its original Persian meaning. Would rawaiyaa be better translated as a custom or a stance/attitude?

In Hindi, रवैय्या is taken as an attitude or a behavior. It is almost never used to mean "custom" in Hindi, for which there are other words like paramparaa परंपरा .

When spoken for a collective set of people to indicate their custom there are other words like paramparaa परंपरा. But when spoken for an individual or a even a set of people to indicate their behavior or attitude, "ravaiyaa" रवैय्या is used, along with some words like "vyavhaar" व्यवहार which means the same and both words are used for the same in Hindi.

रवैय्या / व्यवहार - bahaviour / attitude
परंपरा - custom


It is our custom to offer food to the visitors. यह हमारी परंपरा है कि हम अतिथियों को भोजन पर आमंत्रित करते हैं.

If they don't change their attitude, we would have to do something about them. अगर उन्होंने अपना रवैया / व्यवहार नहीं बदला तो हमें कुछ करना होगा.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

ki, kii, kai

Can anyone give me an idea of how people in various regions of India pronounce the conjunction कि (ki)? Do many people still pronounce this as कै in UP and Delhi?

When speaking Hindi, most of Indians speak "ki" only. But "kai" कै may be used in Haryanavi language, so one may hear such word (in their accent), being spoken around Delhi (as Delhi is neighboring the state of Haryana and many Haryanvis are settled in Delhi also).

I've noticed that in Mumbai a lot of people pronounce the word identically to kii when meaning "that" but more like ke when meaning "or" for example "tujhe garmii hai ke sardii?" (Are you feeling hot or cold?)

My Marathi colleague says that even in Marathi language, the words for "or" are "ki" कि and "kiwan" किवां. So people should be saying "..X.. aahe ki ..Y.."? "X आहे कि Y?" (aahe is Marathi for "is"/ hai").

There are so many regional dialects in India, that we can't say from where a particular pattern comes...

Friday, October 5, 2012

Merger of and

I learnt the pronunciations chaawar (uncooked rice) and hardii (turmeric) instead of chaaval and haldii. How common is this merger of <l> and <r> in India? I have heard that Bhojpuri-speakers do this as well. Is it done in Awadhi? My family originally came from a village in the district of Allahabad, but this may have been something that was picked up from others after coming to Jamaica... 
 
You are right that chaawar and hardi are spoken by many in India. You are right about Bhojpuri for sure. I am not sure about Awadhi though.

It appears that even in Sindhi language it is spoken as chawar. See these pages on Sindhi cuisine mention the word "chawar" for "chaawal":

Sabu dal chawar ( yellow daal with rice) [Link]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindhi_cuisine

Sabu dal chawar & Bugha Chawar
http://www.indianetzone.com/53/sindhi_cuisine.htm

Also, there is a hotel Kailash Parbat in Singapore which has on its menu:

SEYAL CHAWAR (Rice flavoured with caramelized onion, tomatoes & fresh coriander) [
Ref]
 
I checked Platts', and he lists hardii as a variant of haldii, as well as giving this etymology for haldii: [Prk. हलद्दी, or हलद्दा; S. हरिद्रा]. The original Sanskrit word had an <r>, which shifted to an <l> in Prakrit. Perhaps some Prakrit dialects retained the <r>, and that may explain the hardii (though it doesn't explain chaawar). IIRC, Gujarati, Sindhi, and Bhojpuri are descended from different Prakrits dialects than Khariboli is. I believe Bhojpuri is descended from the same Prakrit as Bengali.

I looked up the words in Bengali to see if they are similar.

হরিদ্রা
(p. 1047) [ haridrā ] n turmeric. ̃বর্ণ n. & a. yellow. ˜ভ a. yellowish.
হলদি
(p. 1047) [ haladi ] n (dial.) turmeric.

Bengali has both an <r>-version and an <l>-version, though the <r>-version seems to be the more standard one.
 
You are right that the root word for haldi or hardi is Haridra हरिद्रा from Sanskrit. All these languages are sister-languages coming out ultimately from Sanskrit and hence while their words carry a certain distinctions, those can be traced back to the original word.

हरिद्रा

हरिद्रा , की परिभाषा हरिद्रा , का अर्थ हरिद्रा - हरिद्रासंज्ञा स्त्री० [सं०] १. हलदी । २. एक नदी का नाम । ३. वन । जंगल ।—अनेकार्थ (शब्द०)। ४. मंगल ।—अनेकार्थ (शब्द०)। ५. सीसा धातु ।—अनेकार्थ (शब्द०)। ६. निशा । उ०—कहत हरिद्रा बनथली, निशा हरिद्रा होइ । बहुरि हरिद्रा मंगली, हरद हरिद्रा सोइ ।—अनेकार्थ०, पृ० १६१ । [
Ref]

There are some related words coming out of the word Haridra:

हरिद्राभ वि० [सं०] पीतवर्ण का । पीला ।

It is so since Haldi/Hardi/Haridra is yellow in color.

हरिद्रागणपतिसंज्ञा पुं० [सं०] गणपति या गणेश जी की एक मूर्ति जिनपर मंत्र पढ़कर हलदी चढ़ाई जाती है ।

There is another interesting fact: While हरिद्रा or Haldi/Hardi is yellow, हरि, which is Lord Vishnu's name, has also got the color associated with Him as yellow. Lord Vishnu is represented wearing yellow clothes. As this page says, "The color yellow is associated with earthly existence and the yellow clothes of the Lord signify that He incarnates Himself on this earth to uphold righteousness and destroy evil and unrighteousness." [
Ref] And Hari is a name of Vishnu himself! Hari, as in Haridra! Or Hardi which came from it! It is so interesting to see how things are related to each other...

Another interesting quote. This one is from the immensely respected Guru Granth Sahib taken from here [
Link]

ਕਬੀਰ ਹਰਦੀ ਪੀਰਤਨੁ ਹਰੈ ਚੂਨ ਚਿਹਨੁ ਰਹਾਇ
कबीर हरदी पीरतनु हरै चून चिहनु न रहाइ ॥
Kabīr harḏī pīrṯan harai cẖūn cẖihan na rahā▫e.
Kabeer, turmeric has lost its yellow color, and no trace of lime's whiteness remains.

Here also, turmeric is called "hardi"...

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Buttermilk, teekha, patakha, atishbazi and 3rd time


What is the Hindi word for buttermilk? Is it chaas, chaaNs, chaach, chaaNch, or something similar?

Maththa मठ्ठा is also a word for the same. As well, there is "chhaachh" छाछ which is also spoken as "chaas"  चास by many. So while none are wrong, most used is "chhachh" छाछ, in my opinion. 



From which language does 'theeka' as spicy come from? I couldn't find it in Shabdkosh, Platts, or an online Marathi dictionary.

If it is about hot and spicy - it is better written/spoken as "teekha" तीखा.  It is a Hindi word. 



Are the words paTak(h)a and aatish baazi synonymous? 

"Patakha" पटाखा  (t as spoken in tomato) is a noun which is same as "aatishbazi" आतिशबाजी . "Pataka" पताका (t as spoken in 'totaa") means a flag or dhwaj. 

How does one translate the phrase: 3 times previously? As in: He has done this 3 times previously? Is it 3 baar pahale?

First time: pahli baar पहली बार 
Second time: dusri baar दूसरी बार 
Third time: teesri baar तीसरी बार

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Jawahar Lal Nehru


In the word or name "Jahawarlal" or "Jawahar lal" as in "Jawaharlal Nehru", does the word "Lal" mean "son" or it means "ruby" which is red in color? Laal literally also means the color red.

The meaning may be getting confused because of similar words "laal", but in India "laal" is a common word for "son" and there are lots of literature full of such use, without any reference to "ruby" etc. 

In the name "Jawaharlal Nehru", the last name is believed to have come from the word "nahar" नहर which is Hindi word for canal, but another similar word "naahar" नाहर means "lion" / शेर. 

These websites which expertise in telling meaning of Hindi names, explain:


2) Jawaharlal's language of origin is Sanskrit and it is predominantly used in Indian. The name Jawaharlal means 'victory'. http://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Jawaharlal

Now coming to the word "laal" or "लाल": 

1) laal लाल Indian (northern states): Hindu name found in several communities, meaning ‘darling’, from Sanskrit lala ‘cajoling’ (related to Sanskrit lalana ‘caressing’). In several modern Indian languages lal is a term of endearment for a child; it is also an epithet of the god Krishna. http://www.ancestry.com/facts/lal-name-meaning.ashx

This explanation seems very credible because it tells how the word originated. Babies make a "la la" sound without even knowing a language, so the word "lal" would have come from that for small kids. Also note that the Sanskrit word lalana लालन or लालना meaning caressing (for babies) indicates towards the meaning too. 

This is why "lal" is used in compound names like Brajlal ब्रज लाल for Krishna where ब्रज / Braj is the place where Krishna lived during childhood and hence he was called as ब्रजलाल (Braj's son / Braj's kid). 

Brajlal is also a common name in India and one can google search to read many news with persons with this name. For example here is one:अफसरों की पीठ ठोंक गए ब्रजलाल 

Krishna was also called "lalla" मेरे लल्ला by his mother, as it appears in this poem:

पाँच साल का लल्ला मेरा
जा रहा है मधुवन में
गैया नही, बछड़े है साथ
बछड़े ही चरायेगा न बचपन में
...
ऐसे ही अटखेलियाँ करते
लल्ला लौट रहा है घर को
वही श्यामल-सी रंगत,मोहिनी सूरत
और सजी है वंशी उसके अधर को.

I also agree with a person who says: 

The often-found suffix "-laal" in north Indian names has nothing to do with rubies and red, I believe; it is added after the first name of a person just like some others add, for example, "-kumar--kumari", "-pati", "-ba/-bai", and "-singh" (note I'm not talking about the last name "Singh").
I believe that the suffix "-laal" to north Indian names comes from the word "lala", associated with a respectable merchant:
refer to http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.7:1:2616.platts

Monday, October 1, 2012

Hindi: Book, Pustak or Kitab and literary Connotations

Some one told me that "Pustak" has literary connotations while the word "Kitab" doesn't have it. Is it true? I am from Urdu background where also the word "Kitab" is used and I find it discomforting that the word "Kitab" would only be associated with children, etc and is not used exactly like "Pustak"?

I would agree with this statement. Hindi word "Pustak" has literary connotations while "Kitab" doesn't have it like "Pustak". 

We can't wish connotations with words to change or go away, to please us or no matter how uncomfortable it seems personally to us - that is the beauty of living languages. It is true that in Hindi "pushtak" has literary connotations while the word "Kitaab" has an "informal" (at times casual to the extent of childish) connotations. We can understand this through the following example:


We have terms like "पुस्तक समीक्षा" while there is almost no "किताब समीक्षा". If we believed in some people's method of judging popularity of words through Google searches, I have also searched Google just now and found this:

"पुस्तक समीक्षा" gives 111,000 results, while "किताब समीक्षा" gives ONLY 149 results!!!. 

It tells the whole story in a way perhaps some of us would understand best. 

Searching simply "pustak" Vs "kitaab" won't help to judge how it is used in Hindi because of the simple reason that "kitaab" is an "Arabic" word whose usage would cut across many nations of this world. I think since we are evaluating the literary connotations in Hindi, we should rely on the search of "पुस्तक समीक्षा" Vs "किताब समीक्षा". 

The famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan writes in his poem मधुशाला:

"कभी न कण-भर खाली होगा लाख पिएँ, दो लाख पिएँ!
पाठकगण हैं पीनेवाले, पुस्तक मेरी मधुशाला।"

In his another poem पथ की पहचान, he starts his poem with:

"पूर्व चलने के बटोही बाट की पहचान कर ले।

पुस्तकों में है नहीं
छापी गई इसकी कहानी
हाल इसका ज्ञात होता
है न औरों की जबानी"


If we are speaking about "literary connotations" in Hindi, in my opinion "pushtak" has it and "kitaab" doesn't have it.