Chitpavani Konkani

Chitpavani is a dialect of the Konkani language (and it is not a dialect of Marathi) as spoken by the Chitpavan community. Chitpavans, as they are known today, evolved as a community in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, India. This region lies on the western coast of the country. From their original land of Ratnagiri, they have spread to many parts of the world. Chitpavans speak a peculiar dialect called Chitpavani,[1] which was spoken in the district until the 1950s, but as time went on, people adopted Marathi as their language. As of now, this language is almost extinct from the Konkan region, with the exception of a very few old people in some remote villages in the district who can still speak this dialect. Chitpavans who migrated to Goa and the Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka about 300 years ago have still maintained Chitpavani language in their homes.

Chitpavani is classified as a dialect of the Konkani- Goan language and is a transitional dialect between Konkani (spoken in North Konkan) and Konkani Goan.[2]

Nowadays efforts are being made to revive this language through various forums such as internet groups on Orkut, Yahoo and also through various Chitpavan Mandals in Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

Some Words from Chitpavani language

Chitpavani Roman Transliteration English Meaning
चेड ched girl
बोड्यो boDyo boy
कें ke(n) where
कितां kitaa(n) what
सां saa(n) am (I)
में me(n) I
विन्चां vilchaa(n) just before sunset
नय nay river
थेयलां theyalaa(n) put (past tense)
घेव्नी ghevnee (after) taking
येचां- yechaa(n coming
हाड haaD bring
ओखद okhad medicine
चखोट chakhoT good
पेख pekh stop
आत्वार aatvaar kitchen
नाकां naakaa(n) don't want
यठां yaaThaa(n) here
कई kaee when
बोलसें bolase(n) speaks
आडस aadas very good

See also

External links

Notes

  1. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency- Ratnagiri and Sawantwadi Districts, 1880
  2. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=gom
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