Bombay Hindi
Bombay Hindi, also often known as Bambaiya Hindi (बम्बैया हिन्दी) is the variety of Hindi spoken in Mumbai.[1] Colloquially, some the younger generation of native speakers uses the term Bhindi (Hindi: भिंदी) to refer to the local dialect as a vernacular portmanteau for “Bombay Hindi”. The dialect incorporates words and pronunciations mainly from Marathi, Hindi & a little from the other languages of India, e.g. Gujarati,. Linguistically, the predominant substratum influence on Mumbai is Marathi, reflecting Mumbai's location in a wider Marathi-speaking area.[2]
General
While many such local dialects have evolved in cosmopolitan cities around the world, Bombay Hindi is widely known throughout India as a result of its frequent use in Bollywood movies. Initially, this dialect was used to represent crooks and uncouth characters as, to quote film critic Shoma A. Chatterji, "Indian films have the unique quality of different characters speaking different varieties of Hindi according to their social status, their caste, communal identity, education, profession, financial status, etc. [...] The villain's goons, speak in a special vulgarised, Bambaiya Hindi concocted specifically to typify such screen characters in Hindi cinema.".[3] Lately, however, Bambaiya Hindi has become popular and prominent, particular with the success of the Munnabhai movies, in which the lead characters - being members of the Mumbai criminal underworld - speak entirely in this dialect.[4]
Despite this increase in popularity, this dialect has its critics, and is sometimes seen as being disrespectful and vulgar.[5]
Among the more prominent neologisms which originated in Bambaiya Hindi but have spread throughout India are the words bindaas (from Marathi (Bin + Dhast = Without Fear, meaning 'relaxed'; this word was incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2005[6]) and Gandhigiri (invented in the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai, a portmanteau of Gandhi and -giri, which is similar to the English 'ism'(as in Gandhi-ism), though slightly more informal).
Bollywood has also incorporated many Marathi words in Hindi like Thaska, Wakda, Porgi, Navri, Navrai. Many Hindi songs have few Marathi words added.
Words and expressions of Mumbai Hindi
| Mumbai Hindi | Transliteration | English | Standard Hindustani | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| अपुन | apun | I (myself) | मैं (maĩ) | ||
| तेरेको | tereko | you (oblique case) | तुझे (tujhe) | ||
| मेरेको | mereko | me (oblique case) | मुझे (mujhe) | ||
| धो डालना | dho ḍalnā | to beat up | पीट देना (pīt denā) | Often used in the context of a physical fight/competition between two people or teams. Lit. to wash up, as in the loser of the fight. | |
| येडे/येडा/येडी | yeḍe/ā/ī | idiot | पागल (pāgal) | Based on Marathi word Yedya meaning Idiot | |
| इधरिच | idharic | right here | यहीं पर (yahī̃ par) or इधर ही (idhar hī) | ||
| उधरीच | udharich | right there | उधर ही (udhar hī) or वहीं पर (vahī̃ par) | ||
| कोपचा | kopchā | corner | कोना (konā) | From Marathi work Kopra meaning corner | |
| कायको, कायकू | kāyko, kāykū | why | क्यों (kyõ) | ||
| लोचा or लोचा लबाचा | locā or locā labācā | problem | समस्या (samasyā) | From the Marathi word "locha" meaning "problem" | |
| मचमच, बड़बड़ | macmac, baḍbaḍ | Someone who annoys you by talking their problems, crib-crib, rambling | खिटपिट (khiṭpiṭ) | ||
| झकास, फट्टे, धासू, कड़क, ढिंचक, रापचिक, | jhakās, faṭṭe, dhāsū, kaṛak, ḍhincak, rāpcik, fattang. sallang, rawas | Excellent | बढ़िया (baṛiyā) | ||
| मांडवली | māndavlī | compromise or understanding | समझौता (samjhautā) | Used primarily to agree on territory demarcation | |
| टोपी, झोलर | ṭopī, jholar | Fraud | धोखा (dhokhā) | Slang usage, टोपी literally means cap | |
| नल्ला | nallā | Transgender | प्रतिलिपि (pratilipi), छक्का (chakkā) | ||
| शाणा | śāṇā | Smart fellow or wiseass | होशियार (hośiyār), सयाना (sayānā) | From the Marathi word शहाणा (śahāṇā) wise | |
| साला, साली | sālā, sālī | As Dude, wives brother/ sister | कमीना (kamīnā), कमीनी (kamīnī) | Mild swear word | |
| शाणापंती, शानपट्टी | śāṇāpantī, shānpaṭṭī | Acting smart | होशियारी (hośiyārī), सयानापन (sayānāpan) | Based on Marathi word Shahanpan meaning Acting smart | |
| चिड़िया | ciṛiyā | pager | पेजर (pejar) | literally means Sparrow | |
| कौवा | kauvā | mobile phone | मोबाइल (mobāil) or दूरभाष (dūrbhāṣ) | literally means crow | |
| घोड़ा | ghoṛā | Gun | बंदूक (bandūk) | literally means horse | |
| सटक ले, कट ले | saṭak le, kaṭ le | get out, beat it | खिसक ले (khisak le) or निकल ले (nikal le) | ||
| घंटा | ghaṇṭā | nothing | कुछ नहीं | literally means bell | |
| टपोरी | ṭaporī | Dude, guy, hoodlum | आवारा, लफ़ंगा | See dedicated page Tapori (word) | |
| मामू | māmū | Sir (Police) / Gullible Person (a fool) | साहब (sahāb), सरजी (sarjī) / भोला (bholā) | Local slang, literally means Maternal Uncle | |
| सुल्टाना | sulṭānā | To resolve an issue | सुलझाना (suljhānā) | ||
| फट्टू | phaṭṭū | coward | डरपोक (ḍarpok), कायर (kāyar) | ||
| मामा / पांडु | māmā, pāṇḍu | Cop | पुलिसवाला (pulisavālā) | Local slang, literally means maternal uncle | |
| लफड़ा | laphṛā | Fight, problem, Love-Affair | लड़ाई (laṛāī), प्रेम-संबन्ध (prēm-sambandh) | ||
| छावी, माल, आइटम | chāvī, māl | Girlfriend | सहेली (sahelī) | ||
| चिकना, चिकनी | ciknā, ciknī | Fair complexioned person, well dressed person, gay person, homosexual | गोरा (gorā), गोरी (gorī) | Local slang, literally means smooth or slick/oily | |
| ठासना or tharra | ṭhāsnā | Alcohol | शराब (śarāb) or मदिरा (madirā) | ||
| हड़कना | haṛaknā | To eat | खाना (khānā) | ||
| बाबल्या | bābalyā | bus driver/conductor or ticket collector | Marathi for baby(kid) | ||
| सुट्टा | suṭṭā | cigarette | सिगरेट (sigreṭ) | This slang term has achieved near-universal usage in India and Pakistan
[7] [8] | |
| वाट लगना | vāṭ lagnā | to have a major problem | मुसीबत में आना (musībat mẽ ānā) | From Marathi work वाट लागणे (vāṭ lāgṇē) | |
| वट ले, फूट, वंटास की गोली ले | vaṭ lē, phūṭ, vaṇṭās kī gōlī lē | Get out, Run from The problem, save your soul | भागना (bhāgnā), भगाना (bhagānā) | ||
| डब्बा | ḍabbā | Police vehicle | पुलिस गाड़ी (pulis gāṛī) | literally means box | |
| सामान | sāmān | weapon | हथियार (hathiyār) | literally means luggage or the stuff | |
| कच्चा लिम्बू | kaccā limbū | rookie/ Noob | नौसिखिया (nausikhiyā) | usually used during gully cricket for a noob or to downright embarrass someone | |
| लफड़ा नहीं करने का | laphṛā nahī̃ karnē kā | Do not fight | लड़ना मत (laṛnā mat) or लड़ाई नहीं करना (laṛāī nahī̃ karnā) | लड़ना (laṛnā) functions a verb, लफड़ा (laphṛā) as a noun | |
| पतली गली से सटक ले | patlī galī se saṭak le | go away from here quietly | कोई रास्ता देख के भाग ले (koi rāsta dekh ke bhāg le) | It is used when you want to warn a person by telling him to go away from the scene | |
| हवा आने दे | havā āne de | Go away, let me breathe some air | It is used when you want to warn a person by telling him to go away from the scene | ||
| अबे साले | abe sāle | hello friend, listen | Casual way of calling when other friend is not ready for something. | ||
| थकेला | thakelā | a weak person | कमज़ोर (kamzor) | used for a person who is not energetic or seems dull most of the time | |
| हरी पत्ती | harī pattī | money | पैसा (paisā) | हरी पत्ती means green note, directly referring to the 500 rupee note, which is green in colour | |
| चूरन | cūran | Lie | झूठ (jhūṭh) | चूरन (cūran) is a slang used to describe a lie spoken by a person | |
| टालिया | ṭāliyā | Bald | गंजा (gan̄jā) | टालिया (ṭāliyā) is a slang used to describe a bald person especially at the crown part of the head, although can be used for any conspicuous bald person | |
| पेटी | peṭī | One Lakh Rupees | एक लाख रुपये (ek lākh rupaye) | One hundred thousand rupees | |
| खोका | khokā | One Crore Rupees | एक करोड़ रुपये (ek karoṛ rupaye) | Ten million rupees | |
| तिजोरी | tijorī | 50 Crore or equivalent to 500 million INR. | पचास करोड़ रुपये (pachaas karoṛ rupaye) | 500 million rupees | |
| भिडु | bhiḍu | Friend | दोस्त (dost), यार (yār) | ||
| बकरी | bakrī | Smartphone (with a touchscreen) | स्मार्टफोन (smārṭphōn) | literally means goat/sheep | |
| भैंस | bh͠ais | Laptop computer | लैपटॉप (laipṭŏp), सुवाह्य संगणक (suvāhya saṅgaṇak) | literally means buffalo | |
| हाथी | hāthī | Desktop computer | संगणक (saṅgaṇak) | literally means elephant | |
| सुमड़ी में | sumaṛī mẽ | Incognito or secret | चुपके से (cupkē sē) | Local slang, Means to something without making any noise | |
| बोल बच्चन | bol baccan | Talk | बातचीत (bātcīt) | Generally means a disparaging address to talkative person, indicating that the content of his talk is previously known and so is uninteresting (Boring out of predictability, repetitive or tedious) and perhaps empty talk. | |
| झोल | jhol | Scam | घपला (ghaplā), घोटाला (ghoṭālā) | Generally means scam. Sometimes can be used for arranagement (as in "झोल करना") | |
| कीड़ा | kīṛā | Pest | कीड़ा (keeda) | A trouble or nuisance maker | |
| Fund / Pant | To steal, scam | चोरी (corī) | Generally refers to a small robbery | ||
| रे, बंटाई | re, baṇṭāī | Hey! | हे (he) | Attention grabber in conversation with another | |
| कटिंग | kaṭiṅg | Half cup of Tea | आधी ग्लास चाय (ādhī glāsa cāya) | तंबी, एक कटिंग दे: Waiter: I'll take half cup of tea | |
| डब्बा डालना | ḍabbā ḍālanā | to use the bathroom for pooping | टॉयलेट हो के आता हूँ (toilet hoke aata hun) | 'I'm going to the toilet' | |
| मूत मारना, धार मारना | mūt mārnā, dhār mārnā | to go pee | मूत्र विसर्जन करना (mūtra visarjan karnā) | Literally give out urine | |
| घुंघरू सलमान | ghuṅgharū salamāna | Curly haired | घुंगराले बालवाला (ghuṅgarālē bālvālā) | घुंघरू (ghuṅgharū) refers to a curly haired guy.[9] | |
| ऑफ हो जाना, टपक जाना | ŏph ho jānā, ṭapaka jānā | To Die/ Died | मर गया (Mar gaya) | E.g.: Mera dost off ho gaya = My friend died | |
| खर्चा-पानी | kharcā-pānī | Bribe/Pocket Money and To beat | रिश्वत (riśvat) and मारना (mārnā) | E.g.: कोपचे में दूँ क्या खर्चा-पानी = Do you want me to beat you in a corner | |
| रापचिक | rāpcik | Looking Hot | सुन्दर (sundar) | E.g.: Aaj bahut Rapchik lag rahi hai tu | |
| चैप्टर | caipṭar | Cunning / Shrewd | चालाक | E.g. बहुत चैप्टर है वो , उसे कम मत समझो. He is quite cunning. Do not underestimate him. | |
| हटेला | haṭēlā | Highly Stubborn | हठी, अड़ियल (अगर जिद पर आ गया तो कुछ भी कर डालेगा) | उससे पंगा मत लो, हटेला है वो. Don't take issues with him, he is quite stubborn and can lose his balance. | |
| पानचाट | pāncāṭ | useless, unworthy | फालतु, बकवास | मेरा नया फोन एकदम पानचाट है. | |
| हफ्ता | haphtā | protection money, bribe | रिश्वत (riśvat), घूस (ghūs), रंगदारी(raṅgdārī) |
See also
References
- ↑ Dialects of Hindi
- ↑ University of Kerala. Dept. of Linguistics, International journal of Dravidian linguistics, Volume 3, Dept. of Linguistics, Univ. of Kerala., 1974,
... In the case of Bombay Hindi, the predominant sub-stratum structure is that of Marathi, a language which is structurally quite close of Hindi ...
- ↑ See 'The Language Detail' in Shoma A. Chatterji's paper, The Culturespecific Use of Sound in India Cinema, presented in 1999.
- ↑ The Hindu newspaper, May 11, 2007. Chronicles of the City. Read online.
- ↑ DNA, Verbal assault of Bambaiya Hindi, December 12, 2006. Read online.
- ↑ Indian Express, August 10, 2005, 'Bindaas' finds its way to the Oxford Dictionary. Read online.
- ↑ Patel
- ↑ Style
- ↑ Mid Day newspaper, May 5, 2005. Diary. Read online.
External links
- Dialects of Hindi
- Metroblogging Mumbai Dictionary
- Exhaustive List of Bambaiyya Hindi Words
- List of Bambaiyya Idioms, Phrases and Expressions
