Linguistic Adventures 1

 Moving to the South, first to Chennai and then on to Trivandrum opened up new vistas in linguistic diversity. Not only were the local languages so different to my kitty of Hindi, Marathi, Gujrati, the lingua franca, English was very fluid! Words and phrases, I thought I understood really well, were used so differently that I was both fascinated and intrigued.

 

This is one of my favourite stories -

<

New to TVM, trying to integrate I'd ask neighbors if they needed help
answer: No need
Me: (to myself) how rude
Only to realize that it is a translation from polite aavashyam iliya
Desham is similar - region/place

— Shefali Kulkarni (@Shefali__K) May 24, 2019

 

 

The first I heard of ‘No Need’ was when my neighbours moved out. They had an infant and the lady  was trying to direct the packers holding the baby in her arms. I politely asked if I could help and she said, ‘No need’ and smiled; it was a bit baffling. Then I heard it a few more times before I noticed that they said aavashyam iliya in Malayalam to other Malyalam speakers when the context demanded No, thanks! Avashyam iliya literally translates to ‘no need’.

 

This was just the beginning. Then I heard people going to the then new, jazzy store in town to buy presentations for someone’s birthday or a house warming ceremony. I then heard how some preferred to have their own houses instead of apartments as they were keen on having plantations. My mind immediately conjured up beautiful rubber plantations with farm houses. But I discovered they all stayed nearby in bungalows surrounded by lovely gardens full of trees, plants and shrubs.

 

I couldn’t come in yesterday as my grandfather was framed, he said.

Oh my God!, I exclaimed, what happened?

Old age, he said.

That’s no reason for framing someone. Is he alright?, I asked.

By now, my colleague who had almost turned a deep red said - Shefali, his grandfather has passed on. They will have framed his photograph and displayed it at home. I was utterly lost for words!

 There are so many fascinating discrepancies like this, driving home the point that language is live and it changes constantly. And indeed differs from region to region.

 Penned – 14 March 2020


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