Wednesday, November 17, 2010

More Proverbs...(3)

 Here are some more Thanjavur Marathi Proverbs....
 
"Kela aanth Suin Tonchlaska"
"केलांथ सुईन टोंच्लासका" 
Meaning: Like piercing a Needle into a Banana 
Various meanings come forth for this proverb. However all of them reference the exact meaning of this proverb...a needle will pierce into a banana very easily without any obstruction so influencing someone quietly without the person realizing it could be one meaning of this proverb.This has both positive and negative connotations.



"Chorta Phadlathe Gharaanth Thel Dhand"
"चोरटा पडलाथे  घरांथ थेल ढंड "
Meaning: Oil wasted on a house that has been looted.
Why waste oil in the  lamp to see what has been lost!
why waste more money after what has been lost


" Ek Haathana Thaali Vaazath Nahi"
"एक हाथाना  थाली वाज़थ नहीं"
Meaning: You cannot clap with one hand.
It takes two to fight or to compromise. A fight or a compromise cannot be met with just one person's effort. It takes two to fight or to compromise.


" Hontaanth Ek Potaanth Ek"
"होंट आंथ एक, पोटांथ एक "
Meaning: What is on the lips is not in the stomach
Saying something but thinking and feeling something else that is opposite. With reference to people who say nice things to others but harbor a lot of ill will towards them.


"Paanch bota Ek Saarka Asnaar Nahi"
"पांच बोटं एक सार्क असणार नही"
Meaning: Five fingers will never be similar.
Just like our five fingers are never similar there will be diversity and dissimilarity among several of a kind.

" Ek Damdi Kaas Nahi"
"एक दमडी कास नही "
Meaning: Does not have a copper cent on him.
Very poor. So poor that he does not possess even a cent .However, this proverb simple as it sounds is used
in a derogatory fashion. While scorning someone given to flamboyance and show off, it is common to say , "Ek damdi kaas nahi, jamb daakhivto" एक  दमडी  कास  नही , जंब  दाखीवतो. He does not have a copper, but shows off.

20 comments:

  1. Heard this one..
    Chorttala vinchu chavlaka
    Meaning:- Thief complaining that scorpion has stung him which implies that he has lost some of his stolen goods and brooding over it

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  2. Replies
    1. I think there are typing errors. I feel the थ's should be replaced by त's (e.g. घरांथ --> घरांत, थेल --> तेल)

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  3. Here's another good one...
    gelala hohena thunkal hohena!
    translates as: cant swallow, cant spit; means something we cannot keep/hold or want to throw/let out.

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  4. heard this...?
    chitta pankaroo
    means to the effect of little being or little bug.

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  5. Yes heard that! Here's another one...
    Narapathlu Narayana...nara meaning nerves and pathlu thin probably meant nerve thin..or so thin that nerves were showing. Why the Narayana...have no clue!?

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  6. Proverb:
    Lenkrala athicha bela means a child has the power of an elephant implies , i think, if you do a thing without fear or favour or with a open mind, you can do wonders.

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  7. my aji's favourites were :
    vedach mahar --( veda or madman and mahar- mother's house opposit of sasurwadi)

    moog gilelaska basna (someone who doesnt open his mouth because he has swallowed moong dal)

    narapath narayan I thought meant a skinny being
    sonacha tukda- a piece of gold, to describe someone who is very good
    damdila mahaag - to describe worthlessness, usually for a person -- even a damdi (s few paise I suppose) is too much to pay for him

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  8. hatthi gela poons addakla:
    the elephant has gone though but the tail is stuck. Used in situations where most of the work is done, but some small last minute things prevent the project from finishing.

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  9. mangesh Sir DeshpandeOctober 15, 2011 at 4:44 AM

    chorta-------,in this proverb,tel thand means,the oil was COLD.if the oil lamp were on-burning,as in the olden days,the oil wd have been hot,because the lamp was burning.it was not so-it means ,there was no lamp-light-hence ,there was a theft-as the thief wd not enter the house that has lights on.ek damadi kaas----means -does not have even a penny.but,here kaas is not a copper or any other coin.Damadi was the smallest coin-which is DAAM in olde marathi.KAAS means,KAMBAR in modern marathi.a WAIST-loin-hence loin cloth means a DHOTEE.people in olden days used to keep some coins in a loin cloth folded at the waist/even ladies used to keep the coins,keys in saree folded at loin.we have many proverbs usib=ng KAAS.like KAASELAA kalsaa ani gavaalaa valsaa.the water pot,a KALASHA-on the loin,but the lady is searching for it in the entire village.

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  10. mangesh Sir DeshpandeOctober 15, 2011 at 4:56 AM

    kelan sui------ means ,absolutely not causing any damage,whatsoever.gelala hohena-------,means ,cannot swallow or/and cannot spit.this means ,one cannot reveal,and cannot forget,also-- a secret.chitta pakhroo,is used,when there is absolutely,no one around.e.g.mee firaylaa gelo,ani maidana var,chitt pankhroo dekhil nhavate.[i went for a walk,but there was not a soul,in the ground.

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    Replies
    1. gilayla hoina---- can it mean manat thevta suddha yeina aani saangta suddha yeina..?

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    2. It's a different dialect.

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  11. mangesh Sir DeshpandeOctober 15, 2011 at 5:03 AM

    narapath narayan means a crore pathi.a guy with a lot of money.in marathi ,we also say NAVAKOT NARAYAN.nava means 9,and lot means a crore/koti[10 million.]nara is not nerve ,nara means a male and naari means a female.narapath could also be a shortform of NAGAR PATI [ a rich man of a city.]

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  12. P.Mohan, mohanmsp@gmail.comFebruary 7, 2012 at 6:07 AM

    "Pota chiru(n) meet barlaska. My mother used to say this to point to "unsuccessful efforts that produced ridiculously unsatisfactory results'.

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  13. mangesh sirdeshpandeJuly 19, 2012 at 5:41 AM

    Chortyalaa vinchoo chavlaasaa means when a thief is stealing in some one`s place ,and suddenly ,he finds that some one has woken up,he`ll certainly HIDE somewhere...and if ,there,he is bitten/stung by a scorpian,he cannot cry/scream/hit that scorpean,fearing that the owner`ll catch him and thrash him .This proverb is used when ,one cannot do anything,helpless,cannot reveal/tell/shout for help,nothing.vedache mahar is actually MAAHER..means mother`s place.a maher is any lady`s paradise as agaist her saasar..hubby`s place...hence,the saying.it means ,this place has become a paradise for fools/madmen .Moog gillun basanne means ,when some is guilty or when something goes against someone or if one is caught with some misdeed,that person maintains a total silence; he does not utter a word...pota chirun meethh bharlaskaa means ..when someone wants to preserve a dead body of a bird/wild animal ..they used to cut open its tummy,remove all intestines/organsand ,and dry it and then stuff it with meethh =salt ,to preserve the body,like ancient Egyptians did with their mummies ...here this proverb means ,this person is almost like a salt stuffed body...feelingless/emotionless/...

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    Replies
    1. ohhk..! so it is vedyanche maaher..? or is Vedache maher perfect..?

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