#indian languages

[survivetoread]

Do you agree with the popular conclusion in western linguistics that vowel length is not phonemic in modern Marathi (even if it’s indicated in writing)? I went to Maharashtra for the first time during my last visit to India and I did notice that vowel length was a lot more ambiguous than I expected in all cases, but especially in the distinction between अ and आ. But the mutual intelligibility between Maharashtrian Marathi and my dialect, Thanjavur Marathi, is not great, so wtf do I know

This sounds like one of those things that we don't really pay attention to as native speakers, but would be very important for someone learning the language!

However, I do think that there is plenty of ambiguity between short and long vowels, especially इ/ई and उ/ऊ. The example that comes to mind for me is that the -वू suffix in Marathi, where say धावू नकोस is pronounced closer to धाउ नकोस.

I can't say I've noticed an ambiguity between अ and आ though. I think some examples might help there.

I'm no linguist, but this was a really cool ask! Thank you!

[bell-of-indecision]

Live reaction of me when I understand how something works in the Hindi language

[that-was-a-bit-stupid-of-you]

Just saw someone saying hindi is the national language of india- IT'S NOT WE DONT HAVE ANY WE HAVE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES AND ONE OF THOSE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES IS HINDI

[fishyyyyy99]

You know that episode in The Big Bang Theory in which Bernadette and Raj do a parody of an Indian dance number? The lyrics do sound ridiculous . . . in English. That's the thing. I don't know why, but Indian song lyrics that sound absolutely bizarre when translated to English, sound perfectly normal, nay beautiful, in the original Indian versions of the songs. I guess Indian languages just carry the hyperboles and metaphors with a certain elegance.

P. S. When I say Indian languages, I don't necessarily mean that they are spoken only by Indians or by people of Indian origin.

[bongboyblog]

Bengali word of the day: জীবন(jībon)

English: life

Etymology: From Sanskrit জীৱন (jīvana), জীৱ্‌ (jīv) +‎ -অন (-ana) - vivifying, giving life, enlivening

Example: সে এক নতুন জীবন খুঁজে পেয়েছে।

se æk notun jibon khu~je pe'eche.

Translate: She has found a new life.

[vedicsanatanrahasya]

संस्कृत ही मूल जननी भाषा है

वैदिक संस्कृत 2000 ईसा पूर्व से 600 ईसा पूर्व तक बोली जाने वाली आर्य भाषा थी। इस भाषा से हिंद- ईरानी भाषा का जन्म हुआ/(मध्य एशिया की भाषा) । इसी ईरानी भाषा से अवस्तई फारसी का जन्म हुआ। 18वी और 19वी शताब्दी मे पश्चिम विद्वानो की नज़र इस संस्कृत फारसी भाषा और लिपि पर पड़ी। उन्होंने अनुभव किया की उच्चारण और व्याकरंण दृष्टि से संस्कृत सर्वश्रेष्ठ है तो बहुत से शब्द अंग्रेजी के इन्होंने अंगीकार कर लिए। आइये हम आज संक्षेप मे जानते है की मध्य एशिया और यूरोप के अनेक शब्द संस्कृत से उठाये गए है, किंतु बोलचाल और उच्चारण की हेरफेर लिपि भिन्नता की वजह से हमे ये अलग प्रतीत होते है। आरंभ करते है, सृष्टि के निर्माण समय से, और माना जाता है हम सब मनु की संतान है। मनु से मानव, मानव से man बना। इसी तरह से हमारे जन्म का कारण पिता और माता है। पिता को संस्कृत मे पितृ कहते है यही पिता शब्द मध्य एशिया तक पंहुच के peder बना जो यूरोप तक जाकर father बना। कुछ यूँही माता के मूल शब्द मातृ से meder फिर mother बना। यँहा एक रोचक जानकारी साझा करना चाहूंगा की आजकल एक जगह से दूसरी जगह जाने के लिए हम google map की मदद से navigate करते है। यह navigate प्राचीन संस्कृत शब्द नवगति से व्युत्पन है। जिसका अर्थ है दिकचालन यानी एक जगह से दूसरी जगह जाने की योजना और प्रबंधन। कुछ अन्य शब्द :- खाट - cot चूड़ी - bangle (चूड़ी को बांग्ला मे बंगली कहते है) डकैत -dacoit चंपू - shampoo ( चंपी मसाज) नारंग - orange चिठ्ठी - chit जगन्नाथ - juggernaut ( एक बड़ा ढोयें जाने वाला ढांचा जैसे रथ)

मित्रो वैसे तो हजारो ऐसे शब्द जिन्हें लिखने बैठे तो लेख बहुत बड़ा हो जायेगा। हमारा उद्देश्य तो वैदिक धर्म और संस्कृत के बारे मे जागरुक करना और बताना है की प्राचीन भारतीय सनातन कितना समृद्ध और वैज्ञानिक रहा है । इसी वृक्ष से अन्य शाखाए पनपी है। 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[sulfurousmirrorscapes]

you seem well versed in marathi language, can you recommend me modern day books in marathi that i can enjoy? i don't mind the genre but I'm a teenager so most of the marathi literature is hard to pick up for me (although i respect it immensely) i believe literature, music and active pop culture is the best way to promote a langauge rather than giving speeches at political venues. I'd like to read more of your own work as well because i saw a post and it was amazing! it's fine if you can't recommend anything too!

p.s. i love your language blog

I don't know enough about Marathi literature to recommend you anything!

I think the closest I know is Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar, who also directed its film adaptation. It's about a brother and a sister who fall in love with the same man, and it was released in 2013.

You're absolutely right about pop culture being the best way to promote a language, and I wish Marathi had a more active diverse pop culture scene. Maybe in time? I'd love to help in any way I can!

Thank you so much for your kind words about Survive to Read! You can read more of my literature over at Sulfurous Dreamscapes and its associated substack Sulfur Dreams!

Thank you so much for sending me this! ❤️

[mannbhaavnii]

Happy Himachal Day!!!

english: we’re not compatible

kullui (pahadi):

𑚁𑚨𑚭𑚤𑚯 𑚙𑚰𑚨𑚭𑚤𑚯 𑚛𑚱𑚤𑚭 𑚞𑚭𑚤𑚭 𑚤𑚯 𑚩𑚰𑚃; 𑚙𑚰𑚨𑚭 𑚥𑚴𑚪𑚯 𑚠𑚭𑚌𑚭 𑚤𑚭 𑚡𑚄𑚫𑚤, 𑚁𑚨𑚭 𑚥𑚴𑚪𑚯 𑚙𑚭𑚥𑚤𑚱 𑚤𑚯 𑚊𑚰𑚩𑚯।

[translation: your way and my way are far apart;

you want the garden’s flower, while i seek the wild white rose. ]

[transliteration: aasari-tusari doora-paara ri hoi; tusa lorhi baga ra bhaunr, aasa lorhi talru ri kuhi.

/ आसारी-तुसारी दुरा-पारा री हुई; तुसा लोड़ी बागा रा भउंर, आसा लोड़ी तालरू री कुही। ]

[survivetoread]

Presenting, an apple.

Some Indian languages: What do the Persians call it? Yeah, I'm gonna go with that.

Other Indian languages: What do the English call it? Yeah, I'm gonna go with that.

Marathi: :)

All other Indian languages: 👀

Marathi: It's clearly a 'travelmoon'. :) It's like a little moon I can carry when I travel.

Gujarati: *furiously takes notes*

[bell-of-indecision]

yeah i love hindi and stuff

[like-this-post-if-you]

Like this post if you speak Hindi

[bebesota-and-bacha]

[normalweirdoboy]

Made the ultimate South Asian playlist hehehe

[bongboyblog]

Manipuri (Meitei) vocabulary 2

করি (kari) - what

মিং (ming) - name

অদোমগী মিং করি কৌবগে (adomgī ming kari kaubage) - What's your name?

ঙসি নোং চুরি (ngasi nong suri) - It is raining today.

সন্নাবুং (sannābung) - playground

য়ুমলোন্নাবা (yumlonnābā) - neighbourhood

নহাক্কী অনাকপদা সন্নাবুং লৈব্রা? (nahākkī anākpadā sannābubg leibrā)- Is there a playground in your neighborhood?

লৈকোলদা চৎলসি (leikolda satlasi)- Let's go to the garden.

মতম মতমগী (matam matamgī) - seasonal

নহাক্কী লমদমদা খুৱইদগী ফবা মতম মতমগী উহৈ-ৱহৈ করিনো। (nahakkī lamdamdā khuwaidagī phabā matam matamgī uhei wahei karino) - Which is the best seasonal fruit in your region?

লৈ অতেকপা (lei atekpā)- fresh flowers

মথংগী লম্বী দা লৈবা দুকান অমাদগী নহাক না লৈ ফঙগনি (mathanggī lambī da leibā dukān amādagī nahāk nā lei phanggani) - You can get fresh flowers from the shop in the next lane.

P.S. seriously, this app is teaching me how to ask for seasonal fruits but I still don't know how to reply to a how are you. 💀

[kelseythelinguist]

As someone who is interested in and is learning Bengali, and as someone who enjoys linguistics, I love digging into dialects. Also I love languages that are diglossias, for some reason. 😅

I’m this article, I detail some of the main dialects (some of which are controversial as speakers may consider their language separate), and some common differences between them and the standard.

I’m not a native speaker though, so if there are any mistakes, do let me know. 😅