Tastes...

While we all have descended to just 'two' words to describe tastes... "Yuck' if it is bad and 'Yum' if it is good, we did have words to describe 'tastes' once upon a time before the 'yuck' and 'yum' took over universally!

Here I bring to you the common 'Tastes' as described in Thanjavur Marathi.....

AMBAT......SOUR


KADU ....... BITTER


THIKHAT........ SPICY


KHAARAT........ TOO SALTY


THURAT ........ ASTRINGENT


GULCHEET ....... SWEET


SAPPAK....... BLAND

KHAVATHA...... IS THE ITCHY SENSE IN THROAT After eating foods that cause allergic sensation

TMD words for sickness!

 Funny , is it not that we even developed words to describe our illness in Thanjavur Marathi. However, most pain was described as Body part + pain but some words were used for other ailments. Here are a few....

Aang Bharni.... Not Well

Phadasa..... Cold

Khonkla..... Cough

Ghasa Dukna..... Throat Pain

Aang sool... Body Ache

Jaera.... Fever

Modla ..... Broken

Used as in Haath modla, Payen Modla.... Broken Hand and Broken Leg etc.

Sool.... Pain

Sool is again used as Haath sool, Paaht Sool... Hand pain, Back Pain
 
 Duktha ... Is pain

 Laagla.... Got hurt. ( I think this word was used for want of any better word)
 
Chira.... Cut

Chrun Gele aahe... Got a Cut

Ghaav...... Wound

Ghaav Jhala Aahe.....  Has got Wounded
 
 Ragath.... Blood

 Khapli.....Crust on Wounds

Poon.....Pus

Phod..... Boil

Nank Khurd.... An ingrown nail

Kapaal Sool..... Headache
 
Pot Sool.... Stomach ache


Thondaanth Phod... Mouth Ulcers

Gadda... Tumours/ Fibroids

PUJA TERMINOLOGY

TMD celebrate pujas with a lot of fanfare and are particular about it being celebrated in a particular way. Oftentimes we have heard our elders say..." asach karaam"  It has to be done this way being stressed. My guess is that the TMDs being a displaced group had to insist on certain things to make sure it was not lost in the future!

Well, here are certain words we use in puja...

Ghanta ... Bell

Ghanta vaajive.... ring the bell

Jhaankat.... A gong like sounded during the puja

Shanka.... Conch /Shell

Shank Phunke.... Blow the Conch

Dilvaan ... Lamp stands

Diva.... Lamp/ light

Saen... Festival

Sanach Sampaak.... Festival Food

Vaathi... the cotton rolled for lighting lamps

Phul vaathi... the cotton rolled like a flower for lamps

Pyaala Phali Panchatra... the set of bowl, tumbler and spoon used for Sandhyavandana

Vaati... bowl

Thoopach Diva... Ghee lamps

Dedication

I DEDICATE THIS BLOG TO MY DEAR FATHER, V. KRISHNA RAO, WHO LEFT THIS WORLD ON MAY 19TH, 2013.

HE WAS A THANJAVUR MARATHI AND HE INSPIRED AND ENCOURAGED ME TO WRITE THIS BLOG.

HE WAS AS PASSIONATE AS ME IN PRESERVING OUR LANGUAGE AND HELPED ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

HE WAS MY MENTOR AND GUIDE AND WHILE DEEPLY FEELING HIS LOSS, I DEDICATE THIS BLOG TO HIM AS HIS OWN CREATION FOR BUT FOR HIM, I HAD NO DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF OUR IDIOMS AND PROVERBS.

AND WORDS, WORDS WORDS.

EVERY DAY, WHEN I CALLED, HE HAD A NEW WORD FOR ME. FORGOTTEN WORDS, BROUGHT FROM THE RECESSES OF HIS MEMORY.

MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE AND MAY HE FROM UP THERE CONTINUE TO SHOWER HIS BLESSINGS ON US!

LOVE YOU, BAPA. MISS YOU A LOT!

FROM YOUR DEAR DAUGHTER,

PRATIBHA.

Emotions and characterization in TMD

Of course TMDs have a host of words to describe emotions... Here are a few of them...

Raag राग ...Anger

Santosh संतोष ...Happy/Happiness

Vessan वेसन  .. Sad

Laad लाड ... Love

Sandegh संदेघ  Suspicion

Anumaan अनुमान .Suspicion

Sandegh Praani संदेघ प्राणी Suspicious creature

(Funnily, in TMD this description of a suspicious person  as "suspicious creature" is clearly very judgmental displaying a certain scorn by saying "praani" !)

Behe बेहे ...Fear / Afraid

Bhikondi भिकोंडी ..Timid scared person

Garv गर्व ..Pride

Garvisht गर्विष्ट ...Proud person

Jhalkapan  झ्ल्कापण ..Jealousy

Jhamb झंब  Show off

Jhambishta झम्बिष्ट Show off person

Sowmya सौम्या  Soft/Gentle

Moratt मोरट्  Rough/Unpolished

Aavesh आवेश  nearest meaning I can think of is Angry Passion

Dushtapan  दुष्टपण  Wickedness, Mischievous

Gambhir  गंभीर  Dignified

Gambhirtha गंभीरता  Dignity

About 'Oons' and vegetables and fruits!

I decided to write this when some of my near and dear ones were lost when asked, " Shankaranthila oons aanliska?"( Did you bring " oons" for Shanranthi) 
My sister who put forth this question to her neices and nephews got quite a few choice replies.
One asked, " Is that a camel?"
Another said, "It sounds like a camel and fart" how about a camel's fart"
Another two claimed it was "fart" !
So whatever the meaning why would one bring this mysterious 'oons' home  for Shankaranthi?

While names for fruits and vegetables are common enough for many languages with only minor differences, we do have some vegetables and fruits that have unique names in TM. Here I propose to enlist only those that have these names unique to TM and not your Amba, Kela, Batata.

 Oons ऊस SugarCane

Kohla कोहळा  Ashgourd

Khavit  खवीट Wood Apple

Kaarli कार्ली Bittergourd

Mirsinga मिर्सिङ्ग  Chilli

Senga सेन्गा Cluster beans

Naral  नारळ Coconut

Phanas फणस Jackfruit

Limbu लिम्बु Lime

Chinch चिन्च  Tamarind

Aala आलं Ginger

Avale आवळा  Amla

Jhaambla ज्हाम्ब्ला Purple Jamun

Vaangi वाङ्गी  Brinjal

Bhompla भोम्प्ला  Pumpkin

Dodkya दोडके Ridge Gourd

Ratalu रताळे Sweet Potato

ChowChow चौ-चौ  Coyote (also called Bangalore kattrika)

Bhoichane भोइचने  Peanuts , literally Ground-nuts

Kande कांदे  Onion

Suran सुरण  Yam

Paala पाला  Greens 

Baaldind  बाळधिंड Plantain Stem

Bhora भोर Berries

Guava    Jaam-Pandu