By: Soonya
One of the main complaints of Telangana people is that their culture has been ridiculed and they have been for years living with humiliation – both overt and covert.
A major part of one’s cultural identity is language.
Any imperialist or oppressor willy nilly finds a way of making the target of oppression to feel humiliated, to feel inferior – and by continuously being at it make the oppressed feel that he or she is at fault, and make them fall for the myths that the oppressor wants you to believe.
The Andhra or the Seema-Andhra (SA) folks were and are no different.
You are made to believe that you are a second-class citizen in your place. They are successful when you start disowning what is your own – your language, your accent, your way of dressing, your way of addressing every thing is fair game for ridicule. The final step of their success is when you start imitating them, their language, their way of dressing or addressing among others.
One canard that they successfully perpetrated is that Telengana Telugu does not have Telugu words and is full of Urdu words. I grew up listening to this refrain often from people who migrated from Andhra.
There is no bigger lie than this.
If ever, the so called ‘standard’ Andhra Telugu is full of Urdu words. They mask it by their accent or by adding an ‘oo’ sound at the end of it.
Let me share a few examples here.
All English words they add an ‘oo’ or some times an ‘ee’ and make it into Telugu – bukku, pennu, tebilu, chairu, vaachi (watch) etc. For example, I keep hearing such conversations – Mastaaroo, aa failu put up chesaara? Meeru put up cheste nenu daanni approve chestanu, chaala laetu ayyindi ippatike, dead lainu crossu cheste bagundadu.
While they ridicule Telangana Telugu as ‘tourakyandhramu’ (తౌరక్యాంధ్రము), they conveniently forget that they use more Urdu words than Telangana folk. And more English words than one can acknowledge.
Here are some examples from their film songs, their film titles, and their usage of Urdu words.
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(Click here for a list of Telugu words that were imported from other languages)
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Kaburlentoi? (khabar kya hai)
Eviti, vaadu ala julapalu penchukuntunnadu? (zulphein)
Badai kottakoi! (badhai)
Kirayi enta? (kiraya)
Baadugaku teesukondi (bhaada)
Parvaledandi (parva mat karo)
Cheppulu (chappal)
Udainchaadu
Dabainchadu
Kesulu banaincharu
Khaali ledandi (khali)
Khooni and Khoonikor – patala khoonikor
Khaataru cheyyadu (khatar)
Kalamkari (painting with a kalam or a pen)
Kalam, and sira (sahi)
Laloochi paduta (lalooch)
Khaidi number 69
Bandikhana – endukaina unchinavu bandhikhanalo?
Baaki paduta, baaki teerchuta (bakai)
Vaakabu chesaru (vaakab karna)
Haddu and Sarihaddu (had and sarhad)
Hakkulu (hak cheen na) – visaka ukku andhrula hakku?
Jarimana vidhincharu (jurmana)
Julum chesaru (zulm karna)
Jabardasti ga (zabardast)
Naya paisa ivvanu
Vasoolu chesaru (vasoolkarna)
Mamoolu ga (mamool)
Emiti, vastadu anukuntunnava (ustad)
Puramaincharu (firmana)
Dastakattu (dastaqat)
Chesina daakhala ledu (daakhala)
Bereezu veyuta
Sara sari (sara sar)
Jamanattu ichi (jamaanat)
Nazarana chellinchukunnaru (nazarana)
Rokkamu ledu (rakham)
Aakharu saari cheputunna (aakhar)
Modati dapha (dapha)
Muktasariga maatladandi (muktasir)
Mulaakhattu (mulaqat)
Milakhattu (milaqat)
Maaphi chesaru (maaph karna)
Saaphi ga (saaph)
Saada seeda manishi (saada aur seedha)
Husharuga (hushar, hoshiar)
Khushiga (khushi)
Chalaki (chaalak)
Chaaku lanti kurradu (chaaku or knife)
Atanu matalabulu chestoontadu (matlab)
Kurchi (kursi)
Butta daakhalu chesaru (daakhal)
Tattara bittara (titr bitr)
Jagarookata (jagarook)
Assalaina Andhra kurradu (asal)
Nakili (nakl, nakli)
Namarda entoi? (namarda – not manly)
Badili cheyuta (badalna, badili karna)
Plate phirainchadu (phirana)
Telugulo tarzuma cheyandi (tarzuma)
Atani taraphuna (uske taraph)
Vakalta puchukoni (vakaalat)
Vakeelu (vakeel)
Shikaarukellaru (shikaar)
Sipayi (sipahi)
Vaakabu chesaru (vaakab karna)
Aira gaira vedhava (aira gaira)
Bandu prakatincharu (bandh)
Chakkarlu kottu (chakar kaatna)
Atanu tarpheedu pondadu (tarpheed)
Siggu sharamu ledu (sharm)
Sokulu endukoi (shouk, shoukeen)
Saamaanu (saamaan)
Uttarvulu jaari chesaru (zaari karna)
Khararu chesaru (kharar)
Vagaira vagaira (vagaira)
Gairuhaazaru (gairhaazar) and haazaru
Jee hujooru annaru (jee huzoor)
Bhaariga tarali vacharu (bhaari)
Bhaari bandobastu chesaru (band-o-bust)
Savaalu chesaru (saval karna)
Javabichchaaru (jawab)
Nighaa pettaru (nigha)
Chaka chakaa nadichi (chakaachak)
Chemukkulu (chemakna)
Tamasha (tamasha)
Matalabu (matalab)
Najookuga (nazook)
Shaavukaru (saukar)
Kistu kattuta
Maidaanamu (maidan), fatehmaidan etc.
Daadagiri
Aari bhadava! (bhadve)
Okato tareekhuna (tareekh)
Taarekhulu, dastavezulu ivi kaavoi charitrakartham!
Basti me saval kustikostava (basti, kusti, saval)
Vaadiki thikhana ledu (thikhana)
Bichana ettesadu
Divala teesadu (divala)
Bada baabulu (bada)
Chota nayakulu (chota)
Deeni khareedu enta? (khareed)
Enta kharchu ayyindi (kharach)
Raitee iccharu (raahat)
Jarimana vidhincharu (zurmana)
Khakhi julum (zulm)
Kahanilu cheppakoi
Kitaabu ichcharu
Palti kotti (palti marna)
Kulasaa na? (khulasa)h
Kaagitamu (kaagaz), Telangana folks would say oka kamma iyyi (kamma is from taati kamma, a leaf of Palmyra tree, since palm leaves were the medium on which a stylus was used for writing)
Mojuvaani (moo-zubani, a voice vote)
Churakalu antincharu (surkhein)
Khareedu katte sharabu ledoi – Sri Sri
Kadam tokkuto padam paadutu – sri sri
Taarekhulu dastaavezulu, ivi kaavoi charitra kartham!
Kaarulo shikaaru kelle paala…
Sipayi Chinnayya –
Khushi khushi (khushi) ga navvutoo, chalaaki (chaalak) maatalu ruvvutu.. nisha (nisha) kanula dana (check how many urdu words)
Pasanduga .. chedama
Dostika nazarana, chiri navvura nanna..
Bhale (bhala) manchi roju (roz), pasandaina (pasand) roju
One can go on and on. The number of English words that are added with an ‘oo’ or ‘ee’ sounds are innumerable.
And they have the gall to say that Telangana Telugu is full of Urdu words! Pot calling the kettle black!
Now you know the meaning of – Ulta chor kotwal ko daante – and chori pe chori, uspe seena jori!
I did not even attempt the number of English words appropriated in Telugu. Even this list is incomplete – there are more words that are used. I just picked these up from the top of my memory!
I do not subscribe that a language should be circumspect or become incestuous and not invite new words into it. I only abhor when there is arrogance of one side to look down upon others as inferior.
The French protect their own language – when new words like e-mail emerged the French Language Academy sat down and created a new word in French called couriel (courier and electronic together). Have any attempts been made to find words from all the regional variations of Telugu and include them in the so called ‘standard’ language? None to my knowledge so far. Would be happy to know otherwise.
Every language has its place, and every accent is legitimate. There is no need to take an ethno-centric view and ridicule the ‘other’ that you are not familiar with. One needs to have a respectful curiosity and an appreciative enquiry.
There is a beauty to alladigo (vizag), and bega paarra (srikakulam) and em mava kindalu padutundava (Chittoor) for a respectful and curious person.
A boor would laugh at anything that he is unfamiliar with, often to mask his discomfiture and ignorance and arrogance.
Should you imitate the Krishna/Guntur Brahminical (KGB) accent and language?
Should the AIR use KGB language? Why not a bulletin with Warangal accent? Or an Adilabad accent? Who decided what is standard? By what standards? How are so called standards decided? Was their any inclusive discussion? Any deliberation?
Is tagavuladu (Vizag) inferior to godava padu (Guntur) to kotladu (Telangana)?
Each one has its beauty. But the boors that the current ruling class is, and the arrogant culturally-insensitive imperialists they are, they do not care.
Should Telangana folk be ashamed of their language? Is there truth in the myth that Telangana Telugu is full of Urdu words? Judge for yourself. Irrespective of where you come from.
PS: I would like to acknowledge the inspiration provided by senior journalists like Pasham Yadagiri who is a walking encyclopedia on Telugu and Telangana Telugu among others.