Madras Bashai: Difference between revisions
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|Admiring women from a distance, usually without the woman's knowledge. |
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|Sight [[English language|English]] Adikarrathu [[Tamil language|Tamil]] |
|Sight [[English language|English]] Adikarrathu [[Tamil language|Tamil]] |
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|''Songi' |
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|Lazy |
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|''Sound udaradhu' |
|''Sound udaradhu' |
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Revision as of 15:17, 4 March 2007
Madras Tamil or Madras bashai (Tamil: மெட்ராஸ் பாஷை), is a type of mixed language spoken in the city of Chennai, India (previously known as Madras). It is a loose polyglot blend of Tamil and English, with loanwords from Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi-Urdu. The word bashai derives from the Sanskrit bhasha (language). The term therefore is Tamil for "Madras language".
Madras bashai has its strong influences from English, Urdu and Telugu, with weaker influences from Hindi and Kannada. After this dialect became somewhat common in Madras, it became a source of satire for early Kollywood movies from the 1950s, in the form of puns and double entendres. Subsequent generations in Chennai identified with it and absorbed English constructs into the dialect, making it what it is today.
Classification
Madras bashai can be thought of as either of the following:
- A mixed language, using extreme amounts of code-switching between Tamil and English.
- Madrasi Tamil heavily infused with English influences and loanwords from other Indian languages.
Some consider "Tanglish" to be distinct from "Madras bashai", in that "Tanglish" is considered to be English with Tamil influences and loanwords, while "Madras bashai" is considered the opposite. Madras bashai is however not a type of Engrish, since it is not the result of trying to speak English correctly and then failing.
- See also: English language
Grammar
Madras bashai favours Tamil syntactic structures, with heavy use of English words.
The following examples illustrates the heavy use of English words, even for basic concepts:
| English | Tamil | Madras bashai |
|---|---|---|
| Go fast! | Vēkamā pō! | Speed-ā pō! (also "Feedaa po!") |
| Go straight! | Nera po! (Adverb Verb) | Straightaa po! (Adverb Verb) (also "Steittaa po!") |
Code-switching also plays a very important role in Madras bashai. For instance, a person aggrieved with the English in this article may plaintively wail:
- Inta mātiri full-ā English speak-paṇṇa people like me eppaṭi understand paṇṇartu? ([1])
- How are people like me to understand this sort of full English speech?
Or a person may sadly shake one's head at the poor grasp of real Tamil among college students in the city, and say:
- Future generation ellām full-ā English-tān pēcuvānka.
- Future generations will all only speak completely in English.
It is important to note that if this were expressed fully in Tamil:
- Vaṛa talaimuṛai ellām mulukka ānkilamtān pēcuvānka,
even in a colloquial form (as evidenced by the verb, pēcuvānka, as opposed to pēcuvārkaḷ), the word choice itself would make the sentence sound lofty and formal; words such as talaimuṛai are associated with literature, not everyday speech.[citation needed]
Verb conjugation
Tamil verbs are conjugated differently from Madurai Tamil. An underlying motive is to shorten the conjugated form of the verb by one or more syllables by deleting intermediate vowels, and to replace "slow" consonants by consonants that can be pronounced more quickly. Since Tamil is an agglutinative language, a word can still be discerned and understood even after a surprising number of vowels have been removed. The specific context of the word also helps to disambiguate it in practice. The examples shown here are therefore not as drastic as they might appear.
| Standard Tamil | Madras bashai | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| irukkirãy (இருக்கிறாய்) | kirẽ (கிறே) | "You are". |
| irukkirathu (இருக்கிறது) | kĩdhu (கீது) | "it is there". |
| iluttukkondu (இழுத்துக்கொண்டு) | Istukinu (இஸ்துகினு) | "Dragged with" (participle of Izhukkaradhu (இழுக்கறது - to drag) |
| kũttikkondu(கூட்டிக்கொண்டு) | ittukinu (இட்டுகினு) | "Bring along" |
| appuram (அப்புறம்) | appãlikã,appãllẽ (அப்பாலிகா, அப்பாலே) | "Then" |
| kilittuviduvẽn (கிழித்துவிடுவேன்) | kĩciduvẽn (கீசிடுவேன்) | "I will tear". |
| inkẽ ukkãrunkal (இங்கே உட்காருங்கள்) | inka kuntu nainã (இங்க குந்து நைனா) | "Please Sit Here". |
| kindal panrẽ (கிண்டல் பண்றே) | kalãykkarẽ (கலாய்க்கறே) | "You are kidding me". |
Readers can understand immediately that this was done to save time, so that in the same period of time a Madras Tamilar can convey 1.5 times that of a Madurai Tamilar and 5000 times that of a Coimbatore Tamilar (depending on the length of the drawl, like 'yaeeeeeeenunga?') One anomaly to this shortening rule is, some words get suffixed with the syllable 'ka'. So, summa = summaka, dhoora = dhooraka.
i want= Enak Venum
Alternative pronunciation
Some Tamil words are pronounced differently from Madurai Tamil (considered the standard dialect). This practice is very similar to other dialects of Tamil. The pronunciation differences are usually accounted for by morphed and/or deleted vowels.
Questions with binary answers
Questions with yes/no answers are framed by saying the statement whose truth is to be verified (using the participle if necessary) and then saying "aa" at the end with a rising inflexion like a question. The meaning of the "aa" is roughly analogous to "Is it?". If the statement already ends in an "aa" or other interfering vowel sound, then the questioning "aa" can be made "vaa" in the interest of euphonics. Some speakers tend to carry the "-aa" even into full English conversations from force of habit. e.g.: "U finished it aa?" and also sometimes shortened to "Finished-aa?"
| Standard Tamil | Madras bashai | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Enna Rajasekaran? (என்ன ராஜசேகரன்?) | Inaa Rajasekaraa? (இன்னா ராஜசேகரா?) | "What Rajasekaran?" |
| Gudisai (குடிசை) | Gudse, Gudchae (குட்சே) | "Hut" |
| Veedu (வீடு) | Voodu, Oodu (வூடு) | "House" |
| Pazham (பழம்) | Payam (பயம்) | "Fruit" |
| Sappidu (சாப்பிடு) | Thunnu (துன்னு) | "Eat" |
| Ematrukiraya (ஏமாற்றிகிறாயா) | Dabaikeeriya (டபாய்க்கீறியா) | "Cheating", "Dodging", "Evading" |
| Nagarigamaga (நாகரிகமாக) | deegenta, regenta (டீஜென்டா) | "Decent", "Decency" |
| naiyandi' (நையாண்டி) | Kalaikuriya (கலாய்க்குரியா) | "Joke" |
| English | Madras bashai (சென்னை பாஷை) |
|---|---|
| Are you ready? | Ready-aa? (ready-ஆ?) |
| Am I late? | Late-aa? (late-ஆ?) |
| Is it OK? | OK-vaa? (ok-வா?) |
However, phrases like "Lata-aa?" and "Ready-aa?" are usually used by the younger generation, and phrases of "Madras Bashai" in the above column is never used in polite form, and it is usually used as "street Tamil" or between people in lower classes.
Verbalization and nominalization
Many Tamil verbs are informally 'translated' to English by taking the verb root and suffixing "ify" or "ification". Verbifying and nounification are used in a jocular sense, only with people one knows well, and only if they speak Tamil. Using these forms in formal situations or with strangers is considered very juvenile, analogous to using emoticons in a high school essay. Some observers classify this practice as Tanglish rather than Madras bashai.
Vocabulary
Madras bashai combines words, suffixes and grammar rules of several languages to make new words. The most common sources are English, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Telugu, Urdu, and Kannada.
When it comes to borrowing words from other languages 'Madrassukku nigar Madrasse'. English words can be used in any context without feeling alien. 'wrongu', 'rightu', 'yechuse me', 'adjist','abase', 'abscond', 'beetiful', 'super', 'fruitu', 'pil im', 'figureu' and so on. Hindi has its contributions like 'bejaar' (பேஜார்), 'naastha' (நாஸ்தா), etc. Telugu: 'naina' (நைனா), 'baava' (பாவா), 'eppudu' (எப்புடு), etc.
Examples
The following examples give an idea of how different languages are combined to give a new word or phrase in Madras bashai. In addition, several words and phrases from conventional Tamil are used with different meanings. Chennai being a port city, has been exposed to a lot of languages since British colonial times. So, we can see a lot more other language words in Madras Tamil than the other dialects of Tamil.
| Word/phrase | Meaning in context | Origin, usage |
|---|---|---|
| Aapu adchichu (ஆப்பு அடிச்சு) | To result in failure. | Tamil aapu (ஆப்பு) is a thin triangular wedge (usually made of metal) used in carpentry to split wood or hold half-split wood. adchichu(அடிச்சு) means to hit. So this phrase literally means "hit/split by a wedge" implying a failure |
| AaaKoa (அக்கூவ்) | Over enthusiastic. | Tamil aarva kolaaru (ஆர்வக் கோளாறு - over enthusiasm). |
| Adan kokka makka (அடாங் கொக்க மக்கா) | "your sister's son or daughter". | English ' |
| Aaf-Paayil (ஆஃப் பாயில்) | Half-boiled egg. Vendhum vegathathu. | English Half boiled |
| Aaleka (அலெகா) | Gracefully | Tamil Aazhaga (அழகா) (beautifully) |
| Aalinaal Alaguraaja (ஆலின்ஆல் அழகுராஜா) | Jack of all arts. | English All in all |
| Aathaadi (ஆத்தாடி) | Oh my Lady!!. | Tamil Aatha referring to mother;'di'is a suffix that is always added when referring to female while 'da' is used for males. |
| Aattaya poadrathu (ஆட்டய போடறது) | ...To steal. Usage "Avan Aattaya potutan" meaning "He Stole". Similar to Abase panradhu (அபேஸ் பண்றது) | Tamil don't know the origin??. |
| Abase panradhu | To steal. | English abase and Tamil panradhu (to do). Also used as English loot and Tamil udradhu (உட்றது), sudradhu (சுடுறது) and amukardhu (அமுக்குறது). |
| Akkisht (அக்கிஸ்ட்) | rogue, Accused, criminal | English Accused |
| A-haan (ஆஹாங்) | yes | Urdu Haan. (Possibly related) |
| Ajakku (அஜக்கு) | Eunuch. | |
| Allakai' (அல்லக்கை) | Similar To "Dhanda Soru" (தெண்ட சோறு) | Use Less Fellow Tamil valathu kai |
| Allo (அலோ) | Hey, there... | English hello. Used to draw attention. Original Tamil does not have the sound'Ha' |
| Annthanda po' (அந்தாண்ட போ) | Go There (go that side) | Tamil Athan andai po. (அதன் அண்டை போ) |
| Annaathe (அண்ணாத்தே) | Elder brother. | Tamil Annan (அண்ணன்) |
| Apeetu (அபீடு) | To exit quickly/Vanish from the spot. | Language English [abate-die away] |
| Appalae' (அப்பாலே) | Afterwards, later | Tamil appuram (அப்புறம்) |
| Asalta (அசால்டா) | To do something very easily. | Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from Hindi 'Aasaan' easy or from English(assault). |
| Ashtan | To hit someone, or to steal something, or consume something | From Tamil 'Aadi'. Example: "Parsa ashatu ottan!", or as in "Sarakku ashtu parthunindhaba" |
| Attu | Synonym of "Dochhu", Waste | As is "Attu Figaru", "Attu Padam" Tamil asattai. |
| Attapodardu | Vulgar word for having sex with a girl or having intimate relation. | |
| Ayye | Saying "So?" in a derogatory way. | From English 'Hey!", as in "Ayye, eppo innandre?" Tamil Iyo, Iyako |
| Baadu | Breast/pimp. | English 'Baadu' a corruption of Body. Possible English origin 'Baud' meaning pimp. Possible origin Telugu - 'Baadukov' pimp Hindi - 'Badwaa' pimp |
| Baamaayilu | Palm oil. | English Palm + English oil. |
| Balbuvututan | Death / Died. | |
| Bucketu | refers to the female who engages in 'kadalai' | refers to the bucket used by vendors to sell the ground nuts in beaches to couples. |
| Bagilu | Hip and region around it. | Hindi bagal (underarm). |
| Bajaari | A loud, unruly woman, like a fish-seller. | Urdu bazaar (market). |
| Bandha | Stylish | |
| Batli | Derogatory term for a woman. | English From "bottle". A reference to a woman's hourglass shape. Used as "Batli maadi our figure" |
| Bejaar | Nuisance or Boring | Kannada language From "Bejaar" (Alarmed, concerned) |
| Bigilu | Whistle. | English Language From "Bugle" - taken most probably from the music of the army. |
| Baeku | Imbecile. | Urdu bevkoof (stupid). |
| Baemani | That which makes one ashamed, that which has no shame. | Urdu bae + imani (without + shame). |
| Bigjang | Someone who wears Westernized clothes and/or accessories, even sunglasses. Derogatory. | Probably from the Hollywood western Django popular in the 1970s in Madras. |
| Biscothu | bigwig, usually sarcastically meant. See also: paruppu | English biscuit periya biscothunu nenaippu.. |
| Bittu | A small strip of pornographic/sexually suggestive scene that is run during the screening of a legitimate movie. Also refers to a strip of paper especially used for copying in exams. | English bit |
| Bhel, Piila | Telling Lies. | Unknown |
| Blaydu | Boring, worthless or useless | English "blade".Example usage: "Dey, blaydu padam da" meaning "The film was a drag" or "A boring film" |
| Buddi | Someone who wears thick glasses. Derogatory. | From soda buddi (soft drink bottle). Analogous to Coke bottom glasses. |
| Chinna Veedu | Concubine | |
| Daar | Torn | English 'Tear'. Example usage: "Mavane, Daaraiyiduve" |
| Darr | Afraid, tensed | Hindi 'Fear'. Example usage: "Darr aayittan" |
| Dabba | Junk. | Hindi dabba (box). Used in colloquial speech such as Dabba padam ("junk movie"). |
| Dabbu | Money. | Telugu dabbu (money). See Also: Dabbu |
| Dada | Kingpin, ganglord, don. | Hindi dada (literally "paternal grandfather", used as a term of respect among underworld crime families). **More apt would be Bengali "dada" (meaning "big brother" who lays the rules or dictates terms. |
| Dum | Stamina, strength, | Urdu dum breath. Also used for referring to smoking. |
| Dumeel | Untrue, false. | Unknown. Could refer to the sound made by an explosion that leaves nothing behind, as does a false statement. See also: Reel |
| Dhanda Soru | Similar to "Allakai" | useless Fellow |
| Dharma adi | Merciless beating, usually by a group. | Tamil dharma adi meaning just (as in justice) or destined beating. dharmam = charity/to donate. Dharma adi means free beating. |
| Dhamathundu | Tiny. | Tamil thundu means a 'part'. Dhama - Origins unknown |
| Dhoda | Synonym of 'Ayye',saying 'So?' in a belittling manner | Likely from Tamil idho da (here da), could be used effectively in humiliating manner in the midst of a conversation to ascertain authority over the counterpart in debate/conversation. |
| Dhool | A superlative, as in "well done!" or "kick ass!". | Likely from Hindi dhool (dust), referring to the dust cloud after a good ass-kicking. 'Dhool' is also used as 'Dhool kalappitai' where kalappitai refers to the action of starting or kicking up (dust). |
| Dil | Chutzpah, guts, as in "Do you have the guts to step outside and fight like a man?!". | Urdu dil (heart), metaphorically indicates "courage". |
| Ditchu | Drainage derived from English Ditch and spoken as Kawa | |
| Dochhu | Unattractive Woman | as in "Dochhu Figaru". Antonym of "Figaru" |
| Dubaakour | Consummate liar | (Popularized by comedians Chinni Jayanth and Veeniraadai Moorthy) |
| Dumil udradhu | Acting Too Smart | |
| Dhuddu | Money. | Kannada duddu (money). |
| DingDong | Egg mixed with gravy. | Famous and delicious food item name in Triplicane. Sourced from South part of Tamil Nadu. |
| Dommai | Glutton. Carefree. | Origin uncertain (Gourmet?). Used mostly by college students. |
| Eguru | Run fast, Run away, Scold, Jump (Depends on the context) | Telugu Eguru, as in "Macha, mama varaan, eguru" or "Sarkkadichi voottukku pona, engappa emmele egiritaruda" or "Egiri bus-le erittanda aven" |
| Es agurudhu | To escape | English From first syllable of the English word 'escape' |
| Feelingu/Pheeling | sadness. Also means love (usually used in a 'mushy-mushy' sense) | English "Feelings", as in Emotions. |
| Figaru | Attractive woman. | English "figure", as in "Oru semma figaru varathu" meaning "An attractive woman is approaching." Note: Used in neuter gender. |
| Free-a-Vidu | Literally "let it free". Figuratively, "let bygones be bygones". Pronounced as Pree-a-vudu. | English "free". |
| Gabbu | Stink, foul odour. Often used figuratively to describe situations, personalities etc. | Telugu gabbu (stink, foul odor). |
| Gaali | Finished, as in "He's finished!". | Urdu khali meaning "empty" or "finished". Originally from Arabic. |
| Gaana paattu | A subgenre of Tamil film music. | Hindi gaana (song) + Tamil paattu (song). Used for songs with fast rhythmic beats. |
| Gaandu | to irritate a person | Usage "gaanda kelappathe". Gaand refers to butttocks in Hindi. See Also: Kaduppu |
| Galata | 1. Fracas, brouhaha 2. Chaos 3. Celebration. | Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from Turkey (Galata was a suburb of Istanbul known for its nightlife) or from English gala. |
| Galiju | Dirty, Can be used in any context. Widely used to refer to bit(matter) | Kannada, meaning dirty. |
| Gandhi kannakku | Fraudulent accounting. | Before 1947, when India was fighting against British occupation, companies and individuals often included "Contribution to Freedom movement" as an item in accounting statements. Most often accounting statements would not tally because management funneled money out. "Contribution to Gandhi's freedom movement" provided an excellent means to account for the "missing" money. Hence the term "Gandhi Kanakku". |
| Gapsaa | Disinformation, lies. | Connotes deliberate disinformation, as opposed to genuine misinformation. Usually refers to fundamental falsehoods, as opposed to lame excuses. Compare "reel", "peela". Most probably related to gabbu (stink), somparable to stinking lies. |
| Gelichan | He won. | Telugu gelupu (victory). |
| Gethu | Super, Better than normal. | Origin unknown |
| Gokka-Makka | (Figuratively eq of) My goodness!, Holy cow!, etc | Tamil Unga akka (your sister's) + makka (magan - son) |
| Gilfans | A person with a shady background | (This word is of recent origin) Gilfans, Silfans etc have their etymological roots in comedian Chinni Jayanth's repository of words. |
| Gilma | Strange stuff | One more from Chinni Jayanth |
| Gilli | Talented Person. | Also called Ghilli, from a street game played with wooden sticks. |
| Godavula Gudhi | Jump into the fray | Root - "Goda" from the Hindi word for a wrestling pit, "Gudhi" from Tamil meaning Jump |
| Goiya | A form of address similar to "Machi". But it can be interpreted as dumb or useless person also. | Possibly from Tamil for 'guava'. |
| Golti | Telugu speaker. Can be derogatory. | By reversing the consonants in "te-lu-gu" to give "gulti" or "golti" |
| Goodhal | Trickery, fraud | Tamil goodhal (error, mistake). Usually derogatory, as in "He resorted to trickery to win that business deal". |
| GumbalOda gOvinda | Usually refers to situations like peer-pressure, or societal norms, where individual beliefs/actions are overridden by mass reaction. Also refers to insignificant individual contributions overlooked in a group. | Tamil gumbal (crowd), Sanskrit gOvinda (name of Vishnu). Derived from the large crowds of pilgrims at Tirupati. Play on words gOvinda and the English go or gone. |
| Gujjaals | Petting, making out. | Tamil konjal (petting, excess affection). |
| Gujili | Young girl, usually attractive and easily available | Origin unknown |
| Goinda | Unexpected failure. | |
| Inglipeesu | The language 'English', usually in ridicule. | Also called Ingleesu or Engleesu. |
| Ippidikaa | This way. | Origin Tamil from the word "Ippadi" |
| Iskool | literal meaning of School | Probably a mix of French Ecole and English school, may have come about due to the difficult pronunciation of the mixed initial consonants |
| Isthukunu po | literal meaning taking away | Telling some one to take it away or carrying it away |
| Itta/Ittinnuva/Isthunuva | Fetch (someone) | Tamil Ezhuthu-kondu-vaa (Pull him over here). Also pronounced as "Ista" |
| Jagaa vaangaradhu | To escape from the scene. | Hindi jagah (space, room) and Tamil vaangaradhu (to buy, to get). Literally means "to get room [to escape]". |
| Jalaai | To have a bowel movement | Hindi Widely believed that a Hindi ignorant Tamil guy read the word written in Hindi, near the compartment toilet and misunderstood that "Jalaai" in Hindi meant "to shit". Apparently, the person had read "Inflammable objects not allowed" written as "Jalaaishi padaarth mana hai" |
| Jalpu | To catch cold. | Tamil jaladosham (N, common cold) |
| Jalsa | Illicit sexual gratification. | probably from Salsa, with its suggestive fast moves and close contact. |
| Jatkaa | Hindi-speaker, North Indian person. Derogatory. | Hindi jhatkaa (cart, also sudden shock). Play of words Jat and Jhatkaa. |
| Joadreppai | Cobbler. | Possibly from Hindi joota (shoe) and English repair or from Tamil jodi (pair[of slippers]) and English repair. |
| Jollu Vidurathu | To ogle at a girl. | Literally means to drool. To look at a girl with open mouth that one does not realise the saliva dripping. |
| Joot | To escape/hide/run/give the slip. | Derived from the signal given in kid's games of Catch, or Hide and Seek - "Waitees" for pause, and "Jooties" for resume. |
| Jujubee/jujupee | Small, unimportant, easy or minuscule. | Examples:1)"Ithu ellam jujupee velai"="This is such an easy (or unimportant) job. 2)"Ivan oru jujubee da"="He's just small fry (he can't do anything)
Origin unknown. |
| Kabodhi | Blind. used in a derogative sense | |
| Kaamati | Dumb fellow. | unknown |
| Kanji | Used in good meaning for 'gruel' and also used in referring ' Sperm' | |
| KD | 1. Petty crook. 2. An unusually intelligent criminal.3;Cunning person | English. Old Chennai police abbreviation for either "known delinquent", "known depredator" or "known defaulter" or "Known Denotified person". |
| Kacheri | Drinking party. | Tamil kutcheri which is a traditional Tamil music concert. Derived as the party 'play' the mouth of the bottles with both hands like a naadaswaram (South Indian instrument like a saxophone) |
| Kadalai | Verbal flirting. | Tamil kadalai, verkadalai (nut, groundnut). Possibly from groundnut vendors who provided snack food to couples on the beach, or in trains. Connotes flirting without serious intentions. See Also: Batting |
| Kalakaradhu | To impress with one's performance. | Tamil, (to mix, to stir). |
| Kalaaikkaradhu | To make fun of someone, or to belittle someone | Also used as 'Kalasi', Example: "College pasanga kalasiduvanunge!" |
| Kamnatti | A clown or a jerk. | An interesting off-shoot of classical Tamil, kamnatti derives from "Kaipendaati piyan" which stands for a young widow's son, who is expected to grow up without parental guidance and hence a "kamnatti". |
| Kasmaalam | Synonymous with "idiot"(the idiot being a litote). | Possibly from Sanskrit kash malam (black hair) or kash mailam (black dirt). Comparing someone with hair is considered rude in Tamil culture. Maalam is also a slang word for shit. |
| Kattai | Referring to a hot female. | Tamil,Kattai (literally log of wood) - the sturdier higher quality wood can easily be distinguished by their distinctive curvy grain pattern. |
| Kattai | Referring to some one who does not respond. Inert. | Tamil,Kattai refers to wood. Comparable to sleeping/lying like a log. |
| Kaidhe | Donkey. | Derogatory word and derived from Kazhudai(donkey) in chaste Tamil |
| Kandukunu Varen | I Will Meet Him And Come. | Tamil Avarai sandhikiren |
| Kenai | Fool. | Malayalam kenai (mad). |
| Keivi | An old Woman. | Refers to an old woman. Derived from "Kizhavi" in chaste Tamil. Mostly used in a derogatory sense. |
| Kepmari | Derogatory term to say thief | |
| Kozha adi sandai | Major catfight. | Tamil kozha adi sandai (water pump fight). Connotes fighting over who gets how much water and in what order. |
| Kiithaa | Is it there? used for objects, things etc eg: dabbu kiithaa? - is there any money? | |
| Kiiraana/Kiiraala | Is he/she there? used for people. eg: kabali kiiraana? - is kabali there? | |
| Kishnayil | Kerosene oil. | (or) 'Krishayil' a colloquial probably due to saying "KeRoSeNe oil" quickly. |
| Kondhivudu | To mix up the things in improper fashion or not aligned. | Common usage in games like carroms, to spread the coins, use coinsa kondhivudu |
| Kottikaradhu | To eat shamelessly, especially if the food is free (OC food). | Tamil kotta To pour/dump. Literally means to dump for oneself. |
| Kundhu | "Sit down!" | The reuse of an ancient Tamil word. In contemporary formal Tamil, utkaaral. Related to Kannada kuLithukoLLi (please sit down), ,Telugu koochandi |
| Kuthu | RevelryTamil | Tamil kuthu paattu (literally a song with punch!), as in dappaankuthu. |
| Kutti | Synonymous with "figaru". | Possibly from Malayalam kutti (young girl). |
| Laard Labakdass | A person who thinks very highly of himself (without any solid basis for that assumption). | English "lord" |
| Lavadagabal | Derogatory term. | From the Hindi, Lavde Ka Baal, meaning pubic hair |
| Leevu | Holiday. | From English "leave", as in "leave of absence". Also used in formal business English as 'leave' (shortened form of leave of absence) |
| Lollu | Bantering. Fussing. | Tamil for the sound made by a dog (analogous to "bow wow" in English). |
| Lookku vudaradhu | To check someone out, especially if it's an attractive person. | English "look" and Tamil vudaradhu (to let off, to flash). Implies a much shorter duration and less intensity than jollu vittufication or sight adichification. |
| Loosu | Crazy. | English "loose" as in screw-loose or nut-job. Also see "arai-loosu". |
| Loosule Vudu | Let it go. | English "lose" as in Lose it or leave it be/ignore it". |
| Lumpaa | Lump sum. | English "Lump sum". Popularized by comedians Goundamani and Senthil. |
| Maal / Maalu | Any kind of commission paid to middle men, also used to mean bribes/money. Usually followed vettu (maalu vettu - give commission/bribe). | |
| Maamool | Bribe paid to police man | (Urdu-Hindi)Maamool = money. |
| Machi | Synonymous with "dude", used in a positive sense. | Tamil machinan, colloquial machan (wife's brother). Implies familiarity, cannot be used with strangers. See also maams. |
| Majaa | Fun | (Hindi-Urdu) Mazaa = 'fun'. |
| Mama or Mamey | refers to either a policeman, pimp or a brahmin boy/man, depending on the context. | Tamil mama = uncle. Not to be confused with maams. |
| Mama Veedu | Brothel, bar | Tamil for uncle's house. Usually the uncle's house was the main centre for a group of people to have a good time. |
| Mami | refers to either a brahmin girl/woman, or a middle-aged woman in general, depending on the context. | Tamil for aunt. |
| Mamiyaar veedu | refers to jail, police lock-up | Tamil maamiyaar = mother-in-law; veedu = house;. |
| Mangaattha | refers to a 3-card game played on street by con-men to lure a passer-by to steal their money. Related phrases are 'Ulle-Veliye' (In-Out) refers to the sleight of hand that the card dealer uses to move the cards around | Refers to the Queen of spades. (literal Tamil origin Mangal + Aatha = dark complexioned woman) |
| Maanja | refers to an additive added to make the kites string (also called Noolu) stronger, the additive is apparently a concotion of tar, glass pieces, dogs shit and battery covers. This additive when applied on the string makes the string strong for kite (called Banas) fights commonly referred to as Deal. | The glass powdered based chemical used in kite strings used in deal fights in kite flying usage mamey deala innika banava ashcitunga. |
| Manjaa Soru | refers to a bravery of Men. Related phrases are 'Nenjula Manjaa soru irukaaa maaamu?? meaning i will beat the crap out of you so that i will bring your bile out of you. (which is yellow in colour hence Manja Soru - meaning Yellow rice - Bile) | |
| Maramandai | Wooden head. | Tamil origin Maram + Mandai = Tree head. |
| Mattai | To become flat due to excessive intake of alcoholic tuff. Also used for Cricket bat. | Example: paiyan over a sarakku adichitu mattai aayitanba!!. |
| Matteru | Refers to an important happening/incident, eulogically referring to sex or Matter film or Blue Film. | English Matter, as in "Enna matteru?" (What's the matter?), or "Enna machi, mattera?" |
| Mayiru / Mayiraandi | Literally refers to hair, but used to abuse a person 'as worthless as a hair-strand'. | Mayir - Ancient Tamil for 'hair', "Poda Mayiru" or "Poda Mayiraandi" (Poda-Off you go, Mayir-hair, Aandi-loser) |
| Meteru | Bribe (used as a question mostly/surprise) | Tamil -- |
| Meyaaluma | Really? (used as an exclamation of disbelief/surprise) | Tamil Mey = Truth. |
| Mokkai | Superlative usage of "blaydu" | This is a derivative of the word "Mokkaiyappar" who was a king, famous for his "blaydu" jokes. |
| Munimmaa | Refers to a woman belonging to the lower economic strata - usually a slum dweller in urban Chennai. | Antonym of Mary. Possibly (Sanskrit)Muni + Amma = ascetic lady. |
| Military hotel | Restaurant that serves non-vegetarian food. | The armed forces are thought to have fewer vegetarians than the general population. |
| Naina | A secondary version of "dude", used to imply criticism. | Telugu nana (father). Some Tamilians with Telegu ancestry use this term in their homes to address the father. |
| Nashta | "Breakfast". | Urdu nashta (light snacks). Also referred as 'Tiffin'. However tiffin could also mean evening snacks or any light meal. |
| Neataa | "Straight". As in 'Appadiya neeataa weld pannu.' | From the Tamil word "Neetum" meaning long. Probably because of the association of length with straigthness especially in machine shops. |
| Nijaar | "Knickers or shorts". As in 'Nijaar kaituradhu.' meaning 'fucked' | From the English word "Knickers". |
| (V)Otha | ...Fuck. Usage example: Votha Naariduvey means 'Fuck you, you will stink' | Tamil |
| OB adikaradhu | To waste time. | OB is pronounced as the individual letters O and B. Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from "Off Beat", old British military term meaning "off duty". Also possibly from "Out of Business" or from "O'l Bhajanai" (local slang for "doing nothing"). |
| OC | Free, at no cost. | From OCS, Indian Railways abbreviation meaning "On Company Service". Parcels marked OCS travel free. |
| Outte | Same as "Gaali". | English "out", used in the context of cricket or other sports. |
| Ombodu | Vulgar term for 'Shemale' or 'Eunuch' or 'Castrate' also referred by word 'aali'(this word somewhat less vulgaric) | |
| Paal mararadhu | To switch camps, to betray a confidence. | Tamil, paal (milk) and mararadhu (to change). Implies a cow unexpectedly changing to a bull as one is milking it, with unwanted consequences. |
| Paradesi | Exact meaning unknown, implies the recipient is a scoundrel. | Hindi, pardesi (foreigner). Example usage, Paradesi naaye. |
| Parandhu parandhu adikkaradhu | To fight by jumping and flying in the air | Refers to stunt wired moves made by heroes in local movies in street-fight scenes which feature impossible kicks and moves defying physics. (Lately the term 'Matrix stunt kudukkardhu' (offer Matrix-style stunts) has come to mean something similar) |
| Parshtu | first | Root "First" - English |
| Paruppu | Someone who thinks he's a big-shot. | Tamil Paruppu (Dhal). See also 'Pista'. As protein-rich foods, they were costly, and were eaten fried as snack food in only the more well-to-do families. |
| Peela | Petty lie/ boast. | Example: "Enna peela vudre?" |
| Peter, Mary | Persons of Tamil origin who speak English in preference to the Tamil language, especially if his intention is to impress others. | Also Peter party. Also used to label those who consider Tamil infra dig, or those who speak it with a fake Western accent. |
| Philim | Show off | From English "Film" |
| Porambokku | Unoccupied, usually unusable or fallow land. Derogatively and dismissively, a person without identity, a nobody. | Mispronunciation of 'Pembroke', as in Lord Pembroke, who stated that land belonging to no one would belong to the government. |
| Porul | Thing of importance. Sometimes alluded to a minor weapon (eg:pen knife) | Origin: Tamil. Porul, which in a pure sense, refers to the content or inner meaning of a phrase or word. |
| Pottalam | Ganja | Origin: Tamil. A 'packet' made using, usually, news paper. Cheap Marijuana is usually sold in a news paper wrapped packet and is called 'pottalam' or 'potlam' ('potlam' is more of a Peter language). |
| Pista | Local tycoon. | Synonymous to Minor/Zamin(Zamindar) and Durai(White-man) |
| Raseedhu | Receipt of sale | English Receipt |
| Ravondu | in small quantity | From "Ravai" - Ground Semolina which is small in size. |
| Reel | Pitifully lame excuses. | English reel of film from the era of 16 mm projectors. Sometimes an improperly mounted film reel would fall off the projector and run away, causing a garbled or distorted picture to be projected on screen while the operator chased the reel across the room and mounted it back. "Reel" therefore refers to an obviously implausible story. See also: "gapsaa", "peela", "philim" |
| Rousu udardhu | Showing off, probably including challenging others. To arouse attention. | English "to rouse". |
| Rowdy | Ruffian. | Indian term transliterated to English. |
| Rowdy-sheet | The rap sheet of a rowdy known to the police. | |
| Sarakku | Refers to Liquor, in a lesser sense, other illicit goods like drugs, and smuggled items. | Sarakku: 'goods' in English. |
| Saaman | Refers to either a weapon, most commonly a knife, OR genitals of a man | Hindi Saamaan: thing. |
| Saami padam | Also known as Matter padam, refers to a risque movie | To escape detection, the first few minutes of these movies usually depict devotional scenes. |
| Saathu | Literally slam. | Commonly used by everyone to refer to hitting someone, or making a point as in 'appadi pottu saathu'. Also mostly used in 'Pottu Saathu' |
| Sathalakadi | Literraly Whore. | Commonly used by men in a casual chat to refer a girl/women who does prostitution undercover. Similar to Soole. |
| Saavugraaki | Verbal abuse against bad drivers. | Possibly from Tamil saavu (death) and graaki (spurious buyer or peddler) giving "customer of Death". |
| Sallu, Salunnu | Fast, smooth, quick. | Possibly from the blurring sound of something moving fast. Equivalent of English whirr/buzz. |
| Semma | Very (adj.) | Tamil Semmai or Chemmai |
| Sappa Matter | Very Easy Thing, Not interesting thing | Example Sappa Matter mama |
| Sightu Adikkaruthu | Admiring women from a distance, usually without the woman's knowledge. | Sight English Adikarrathu Tamil |
| Songi' | Lazy | Tamil |
| Sound udaradhu' | Synonymous with Koral udaradhu = literally make too much 'Sound'/voice (Kural) | Tamil udaradhu (release). |
| Soothu | Refers to Arse. | |
| Soole | Prostitute. | Kannada soole=prostitute. |
| Sothai | Bad. | Usage: "Adhu sothai figuru maamu!" Literally: decayed/damaged. |
| Super Star | Originally refers to Tamil Actor Rajnikanth(a)Shivaji Rao.site:rajinifans | Known for his distinctive style and screen presence. Similar emulatory names like "Shining Star", "Little Super Star" have been taken up by other actors in South India |
| Sulphata | Cheap, strong and harmful liquor that may contain poisonous substances including copper Sulphate, methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid. Similar potions include 'chappi' and 'kalakkal.' | Pronounced "sulphate aa" from Copper Sulphate, commonly present in such potions. From banned liquor that the rural poor hastily prepare by boiling (instead of fermenting) basic ingredients like rice gruel, along with a wide variety of organic substances, sometimes, even including tyres and petroleum. |
| Suthi Vuttiya | A phrase commonly used by call centre employees who avoid taking calls by refreshing their positions in the list of people taking calls. | |
| Takkaru | Super | Telugu 'Takkari' - As in "Takkaru Figure ba" |
| Tevidiya Paiya | Vulgar and demean word used most often by slum dwellers and locals for bawling out even for a simple reason. The Tamil equivalent of 'Son of a Bitch'. | |
| Thamaashu | Funny, comical event | Urdu 'Thamaashaa' |
| Thala | Literally 'head' in Tamil. Used colloquially to address gang leaders. Now used in the same sense as 'dude'. | From the movie 'Dheena', starring actor Ajith whose character is called as 'Thala' by his friends. This word is now used by many others in Tamil Nadu. |
| Tube light | Person absent minded or not that shrewd. Refers to one who is not picking up things easily, or someone, who takes a bit of time to understand (like a tube light that flickers for a few seconds before lighting up). | English Tube light . |
| Udhaaru | To lie. Exaggerate. | Also see: reel, gapsaa |
| Venna | useless person | synonymous with odavakarai. derived from the Tamil word "vennai" which means butter |
| Vetti | To do nothing. To expend no energy and towards no end or means. | Bayangara Vetti might mean a chronically lazy person. |
| Voodu kattrathu | act of creating a prelude to a fight. to build a house (literal) | Tamil 'veedu'(house) 'kattrathu'(to build). This procedure involves complex body movements and ends with a complete or partial prostration at the feet of the guru seeking his blessings before the duel. |
| Yakkaa | Elder Sister, commonly used in reference to a female who is older than the speaker, not necessarily his/her sister | Tamil 'Akkaa' |
| Sokka | Commonly used with other words to say good. eg, like looks good - Sokka keethu | Tamil 'Nanraga' |
| Yechakale | A person with no shame | From the Tamil word for spit |
| Dokapuli | huttu fugure meaning ugly girl | Origin Unknown |
| Vallaaroli | One who has sex with bats (Vovval) | Mama's contribution |
| Eglapichu/Ducklipickly | Synonymous to Dokapuli | |
| Pannada | One who takes the bad leaving behind the good | Original Tamil: Pannadai - a layer which filters bad elements from toddy in palm tree |
| Setup pannittan | To say that person was able to induce love from his girlfriend | |
| Thanni Kaataradhu | To cheat someone or escape from a person right under their nose | Example : Police kitta thanni Kaateetu escape aaitan ba |
| Zhu suu | Derived from English 'Juice' |
Examples of Madras Bashai in cricket
Like in the rest of India, the game of cricket is akin to religion in Madras too, and has its own vocabulary, many adapted from English in extremely unique, sometimes funny ways:
| Word/phrase | Meaning in context | Origin, usage |
|---|---|---|
| Bolden | Bowled, as in when a batsman is out Bowled. | English language Bowled - A colloquialization of "Bowled Him!", which is a common way of expressing delight, on the part of the bowler himself, fielders, or commentators, at getting a batsman out. |
| Gaajee | Take a turn at batting. | English language from Gauge. Meaning corrupted to mean 'turn' or 'chance'. |
| Gappae | Failing to hold on to, or dropping, an "easy" catch. | Tamil - The word could be used to describe an incident of a person dropping a sitter of a catch, or, if he deserves such a reputation, could refer to the person himself. |
| LaaBaal | Uttered before the last ball of an over is to be bowled. | English Last Ball - A direct shortening and colloquializing of an English term. Maybe be said out loud by the bowler (if he wants to get his over done with quickly) or the umpire (drawing attention to the impending end of an over) |
| Laa-Too | Uttered when two balls remain in an over. | English Last Two - A direct shortening and colloquializing of an English term. Not to be confused with 'Ladd-hoo' (below). |
| Ladd-hoo | A ball that sits up waiting to be hit by the batsman. | Tamil Laddu - The Laddu is a round, soft sweet dish popular in Tamil Nadu. To characterize a bowler's delivery as a 'Ladd-hoo' is to imply that it is going to be enjoyed in a similar manner, leading to a free hit. |
| Pazhama Podu | A ball tossed up waiting to be hit | not sure |
| Utteetail | When a batsman cannot continue batting due to an injury and has to retire. | English Hurt, Retired - How this came to be corrupted to Utteetail is a matter of curiosity. |
| Yellbee | L.B.W., or Leg Before Wicket, a way of getting a batsman out in cricket. | English L.B.W. - An abbreviation of the acronym, spoken with the intonations ("Yell" for the letter L) that characterize Tamil. |
Usage
A large part of Madras bashai is dedicated to exhibiting road rage and starting street fights.
- Naina! Vootle solltiya? Saavugraaki! By calling the other person "naina" and asking him whether he has taken leave of his loved ones, the speaker indicates that his interlocutor is driving in a very unsafe manner. The speaker uses "saavugraaki" to emphasise the point, thus asserting his superior driving skills in the situation.
- Yaru theaterla yaru padam ootra...keenjidum screenu....bemani! It is used to indicate that other person is trying to show off at a place he does not belong to.
- Bazarlai ushara illaina nijara kalatidu vaanga Have to be careful in public place or you will lose your underpants.
- Sevulu avul aiyidum Used to indicate that a slap will reduce one's cheeks to powder.
- Illatha kadaiyila tea aathathe Acting smart to impress a figure (implies a woman with good figure). (Literally, "Don't make tea in a store that's not there.")
- Bulb adichaan Goofed up and caught red-handed.
- Nee Saavarthukku En Vandidhan Kadichidha??? Didn't you find any other vehicle other than mine to die. Often told by lorry, bus and car drivers to the person who crosses their path.
- Un moonchile en peechang kaiye vaikka I'll put my left hand on your face. A threat, as a person's left hand is regarded as unclean. (This is due to the historic lack of toilet paper in rural areas.)
- Soothadichu sunnambu thadvuradhu I'll beat your arse and apply calcium. Calcium is known for its inflammatory properties on skin. In this case, calcium on a wound is even worse.
- aiyya monjiya paru kasmalam You bloody rubbish face. A common word used to insult someone (especially used by females against males).
- po da badu A common slur used to insult someone
Some threats commonly used in local.
- Mutti erangidon, kaadu arundron
- egurriya ille udata?
However, not all of Madras Bashai is used predominantly for cursing. The Madras Bashai uses the English language in a very interesting manner.
- Enna Machi, Nalla Keeriya Machi technically means Brother-in-law, but it is very commonly used to address friends. In present day English, this might translate to - "Hey Dude, Whassup?"
- Enna Friend-ae. Romba naala kandukkavae illayae? Note the interesting usage of the word Friend in its literal sense. The sentence translates to - "Hello Mate, Haven't heard from you in a while?"
- Figura paathu frienda cut panradhu Used to refer to a friend who chooses his girlfriend as a higher priority than his friend (platonic friend).
Cultural references
Madras bashai is used in a particular genre of music in Kollywood movies, called the gaana paattu. The relation between gaana paattu and Madras bashai is analogous to that between hip hop music and hip hop slang. The typical gaana paattu is characterised by rougher lyrics and a pulsing rhythm, usually without a discernible melody. Many instances have a strong theme of poverty in their lyrics, and are eminently suited as accompanying music for the traditional dappaankuthu dance, which is usually performed in economically backward urban areas in Chennai. Gaana paattu is also popular among city college students who use it to gain street cred among their peers, irrespective of their economic status.
When it comes to actors using it on Tamil film screens, only few actors have successfully performed - Chandrababu and Kamal Hassan certainly top that list.
It must also be remembered that most Tamilians in Madras do not speak the above specified dialect. Tamil, wherever it is spoken, is a mixture of many dialects. It is not necessary that every Madrasi refers to people as "Naina" or his house as "Oodu". Caution and discretion is to be exercised when using the above-stated as sometimes, native speakers may misinterpret the usage as insults.
Good examples
Many Tamil movies have one or more instances of a Gaana Paattu. Most of them are composed by the music director Deva and his brothers.
- vaa vaathiyaare (வா வாத்யாரே) from bommalaatam (பொம்மலாட்டம்) (1968)
- Laalaaku dol dappi ma (லாலாக்கு டோல் டப்பி மா ) from Sooriyan (சூரியன்) (1993)
- Pettai Rap (பேட்டை ராப்) from Kadhalan (காதலன்) (1994)
- Annanagaru Andalu Ayanavaram Gopalu (அண்ணாநகரு ஆண்டாளு அயினாவரம் கோபாலு) from Kaalam Ellam Kaadhal Vazhga (காலம் எல்லாம் காதல் வாழ்க) (1997)
- Alwarpetta Aaaluda (ஆல்வார்பெட்டை ஆளுடா) from VasoolRaja MBBS ( வசூல் ராஜா MBBS) (2004)
- Kandasaaami Maadasaami (கந்தசாமி மாடசாமி) from Pammal K Sambantham ( பம்மல் K சம்பந்தம்) (2002)
- Velarikka Pinjhu Vellarikka from Kadhal Kottai (1997)
- O Pyaari Paani Poori Bumbai Kaari Neethaan Enthaen from Poovae Unakkaga (1996)
- Kasumele from Kadhala Kadhala (1998)
- Thirupathi Ezhumalai Venkatesa from Ninaivirukuum Varai (1998)
- Kaathadikkuthu Kaathadikkuthu from Ninaivirukuum Varai (1998)
- Kundrathula koil katti from Nesam
- Free a voodu Free a voodu mamau from Aaru (2006)
- vaza meenukkum vezaku meenkkum kalyanam from chitirampesuthadi (2006)
- Machi manaru, yen mansukula bejaru from Yen Uyir Thozhan
- Yappa Yappa Aiyappa from Ezhaiyin Sirippil (2000)
- Vidha Vidhama Soapu Seepu from Kaathale Nimmadhi (1997)
- Naan Saaltu Quarter Nee Saida Pettai Naan Avicha Muttai from Pennin Manathai Thottu (2000)
'Puliyanthope' Pazhani
'Puliyanthope' Pazhani remains a pole-star in Gaana, he's the first person to release a massively successful Gaana - album in the early 90's named GAANA ULAGAM (The World of Gaana), his most famous hits were:-
- Thattha thattha konjam podi kudu
- Maambazham vikkira kannama
- Chinna chinna vayasile
- Vaadi thenmozhi vaadi
- Onna kudikka katthukkanum intha umnaya sonna othukkanum
- Orayaanalum Pappanapalli Orayaven