Mumbai Hindi (Hindi: मुंबई हिंदी) or simply Mumbaiyya is a Hindi pidgin[1] spoken in and around the city of Mumbai, India.[2] It incorporates words and pronunciations from Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani and English.[3] Linguistically, the predominant substratum influence on Mumbaiyya Hindi is Marathi, reflecting Mumbai's location in a wider Marathi-speaking area.[4]
Technically, Mumbaiyya Hindi is not a dialect or language but a pidgin, a mixture of Hindi, Marathi, English with a strong tendency to simplify the grammar of regular Hindi.
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While many such local dialects have evolved in cosmopolitan cities around the world, Bombay Hindi is widely known throughout India as a result of its frequent use in Bollywood movies. Initially, this dialect was used to represent crooks and uncouth characters as, to quote film critic Shoma A. Chatterji, "Indian films have the unique quality of different characters speaking different varieties of Hindi according to their social status, their caste, communal identity, education, profession, financial status, etc. [...] The villain's goons, speak in a special vulgarised, Mumbaiyya(from Mumbai) Hindi concocted specifically to typify such screen characters in Hindi cinema.".[5] Lately, however, Mumbaiyya Hindi has become popular and prominent, particular with the success of the Munnabhai movies, in which the lead characters - being members of the Mumbai criminal underworld - speak entirely in this dialect.[6]
Despite this increase in popularity, this dialect has its critics, and is sometimes seen as being disrespectful and vulgar.[7]
Among the more prominent neologisms which originated in Mumbaiyya Hindi but have spread throughout India are the words bindaas (from Marathi (Bin + Dhast = Without Fear, meaning 'relaxed'; this word was incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2005[8]) and Gandhigiri (invented in the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai, a portmanteau of Gandhi and -giri, which is similar to the English 'ism'(as in Gandhi-ism), though slightly more informal).
| Mumbaiyya | English | Standard Hindi-Urdu | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apun (अपुन) | I (myself) | Mai | ||
| Apun ka naam (अपुन का नाम) | My name (literally name of I) | Mera naam | ||
| Yede | Idiot | Pagal | ||
| Idharich | Right Here | Idhar hi | ||
| Udharich | right there | Udhar hi | ||
| Kayko | Why | Kyun | ||
| Locha (लोचा)or Locha Labacha (लोचा लबाचा) | Problem | Mushkil, Museebat | ||
| Sallang or Jhakaas (झकास) | Excellent | Barhiya, Ala | ||
| Mandavli (मंदोवली) | Compromise | Setting, Samjhauta (समझौता) | Used primarily to agree on territory demarcation | |
| Topi (टोपी) | Fraud | Dhokha | Slang usage, Topi literally means cap | |
| Nalla (नल्ला) | Duplicate | Naqal | ||
| Shaana (शाणा) | Smart fellow | Hoshiyar, Sayana | ||
| Shaanapanti (शाणापन्ति) | Acting smart | Hoshiyari, Sayanapan | ||
| Kauwa (कौवा) | Mobile phone | Local slang, literally means crow | ||
| Ghoda (घोडा) | Gun | Bandooq | Local slang, literally means horse | |
| Satak le, kat le (सटक ले, कट ले) | Get out, beat it | Khisak le | ||
| Sultana (सुल्टाना) | To resolve an issue | Suljhana | ||
| Fattu (फट्टू) | Coward | Darpok, Buzdil | ||
| Mama (मामा)/ Pandu | Cop | Policewala | Local slang, literally means maternal uncle | |
| Lafda (लफड़ा) | Fight, Love-Affair | Larai, Prem-sambandh | ||
| Chhaavi (छावी) | Girlfriend | Saheli | ||
| Chikna (m.) (चिकना), Chikni (f.) (चिकनी) | Fair complexioned person, well dressed person | Gora (m.), Gori (f.) | Local slang, literally means smooth or slick/oily | |
| Thhaasna (ठासना) | Alcohol | Sharaab | ||
| Hadakna (हड़कना) | To eat | Khana | ||
| Bablya (बाबल्या) | Marathi for baby(kid) | |||
| Sutta (सुट्टा) | Cigarette | Cigrett | This slang term has achieved near-universal usage in India and Pakistan | |
| Waat lagna (वाट लगना) | To have a major problem | Museebat aana | ||
| Dabba (डब्बा) | Police vehicle | Police gaadi | Local slang, literally means box | |
| Samaan (सामान) | Weapon | Hathyar | Local slang, literally means luggage or the stuff | |
| Kaccha Limbu (कच्चा लिम्बू) | Rookie/ Noob | Local slang, usually used during gully cricket for a noob or to downright embarrass someone | ||
| Lafda nahin karne ka (लफड़ा नहीं करने का) | Do not fight | Larna nahin | Larna functions a verb, lafda as a noun | |
| Patli galli se satak le | Go away from here quietly | It is used when you want to warn a person by telling him to go away from the scene | ||
| Hawa aane de | Go away, let me breathe some air | It is used when you want to tell someone to go away | ||
| Mai meri kitaab layela hai (मै मेरी किताब लायेला है) | I have brought my book | Main apni kitaab laya hoon | Pidgin simplification: conjugation of 'hai' ('is') is dropped in Bambaiyya; Also, addition of the suffix -la adapted from Marathi for past perfect[9] | |
| Thakela (थकेला) | A weak person | A local slang used for a person who is not energetic or seems dull most of the time | ||
| Hari Patti (हरी पत्ती) | Money | Paisa | Hari Patti means green note, directly referring to the 500 rupee note, which is green in colour | |
| Churan (चूरन) | Lie | Jhoot | Churan is a slang used to describe a lie spoken by a person | |
| Taliya | Bald | Takla | Taliya is a slang used to describe a bald person especially at the crown part of the head, although can be used for any conspicuous bald person | |
| Peti | One Lakh Rupees | Ek Lākh Rupaye | One hundred thousand rupees | |
| Khoka | One Crore Rupees | Ek Karoṛ Rupaye | Ten million rupees |
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