Madras Bashai (Tamil: மெட்ராஸ் பாஷை Měţrās Pāṣai) or Madras Tamil, is a colloquial slang of Tamil language spoken in the city of Chennai, India (previously known as Madras).The word bashai derives from the Sanskrit bhasha (language). Like Bambaiya Hindi used in Mumbai, Madras Bashai is a loose polyglot blend of Tamil with Indian English, Telugu and Hindustani. Madras bashai has been largely popularized by autorickshaw drivers and fishermen from the northern parts of the city.
Madras Bashai evolved largely during the past three centuries. It grew in parallel with the growth of cosmopolitan Madras. After Madras Bashai 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.
Due to immigration and cultural exchange, terms from Madras Bashai are also used sometimes in other cities and towns of South India.
Contents |
Madras Bashai evolved largely during the past three centuries. When the city of Madras was founded in 1640 by the British East India Company, it had sizable populations of both Tamil[1] and Telugu speakers. As the city gradually expanded to include the predominantly Tamil-speaking areas to its south, a cosmopolitan culture evolved. The Tamil spoken by Telugu settlers was heavily-laced with Telugu words. Gradually, with the emergence of Madras as an important city in the British Empire and as the capital of Madras Presidency, contact with the western world increased and a number of English words crept into the idiom. Due to the presence of a considerable population of Hindustani-speakers, especially, the Gujaratis, Marwaris and some Muslim communities, some Hindi words, too, became a part of Madras Bashai. It is a surprise that Madras Bashai uses two corrupt forms of Sanskrit words, which are not available in any Tamil dialects. They are 'madha kolam' (மாதாகோலம்) and 'kasamalam'(கசமாலம்). First words are from Sanskrit' maatha kavala' which means 'mother, a mouthful of food'. This phrase is used by alms seeker in the sense 'oh Mother give me a mouthful of food' in late nights. Second word is from Sanskrit 'kashmalam' which means impurity, used to scold a person in the sense of filthy/dirty.
Madras bashai helps Tamil syntactic structures, with heavy use of English words..
A few words unique to Madras Bashai are given below:
J name="inspiration_thehindu">Guy, Randor (June 15, 2003). "Inspiration from Madras". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/06/15/stories/2003061500340500.htm.</ref>
| Standard Tamil | Madras bashai | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Appuram (அப்புறம்) | Appālikā,appāllē,appa (அப்பாலிகா, அப்பாலே,அப்ப) | Then |
| Ankae (அங்கே) | Annanṇṭa (அந்தாண்ட) | There |
| Kōpam (கோபம்) | Kāndu (காண்டு) | Anger |
| Bhayam (பயம்), Achcham (அச்சம்) | Mersu (மெர்ச) | Fear |
| Izhuththukkondu (இழுத்துக்கொண்டு) | isthukinu (இஸ்துகிணு) | pulling ( as in 'Come pulling the cart) |
| Iravu (இரவு) | Raavu (ராவு) | night |
| Verumane (வெறுமனே) | Summangattiyum (சும்மாங்காட்டியும்) | just like that (Telling a thing without meaning it) |
| Azhaithhukkondu va (அழைத்துக்கொண்டு வா) | ittukinu va (இட்டுகினுவா) | Bring (him) |
| Azhukkuppidiththavan' (அழுக்குபிடித்தவன்) | Kasamalam (கசமாலம்) | Dirty/filthy man (used to scold a person) |
| amma, oru vaai unavu kodu (தாயே, ஒரு வாய் உணவு கொடு) | mathakolam (மாதாகோலம்) | Mother, give a mouthful of food (Phrase used by beggars) |
| veettirku/veettil (வீட்டிற்கு, வீட்டில்) | vuttande/vutle (வூட்டாண்டெ, வூட்லே) | To the house, in the house |
| yaravathu/ evarenum (யாராவது/எவரேனும்) | yarachchum (யாராச்சும்) | anyone/ anybody |
| payanatra vaichchol manithan (பயனற்ற, வாய்ச்சொல் மனிதன்) | dubakkoru (டுபாக்kooரு) | useless, talkative man |
| Thurnatram (துர்நாற்றம்) | gabbu (கப்பு) | Bad smell (From Telugu) |
| miga chiriya (மிகச் சிறிய)
miga kuraintha alavu (மிகக் குறைந்த அளவு) |
dammathoondu (தம்மாதூண்டு) | very little, very little quantity |
| Thiraippadam (திரைப்படம்) | bayaskopu (பயாஸ்கோப்பு) | Movie, cinema (From English- Bioscope meant
a projector of yesteryear) |
| Kannadi thundu (கண்ணாடித் துண்டு) | vatlodu (வாட்லோடு) | glass pieces |
| chappidu (சாப்பிடு) | tunnu (துன்னு) | eat |
| achchamoottu, bayamuruththu (அச்சமூட்டு, பயமுறுத்து) | payangattu (பயங்காட்டு) | create fear in one's mind |
| thiruman seithukol, kalyanam seithukol (திருமணம் செய்துகொள், கல்யாணம் செய்துக் கொள்) | kannalam kattikko (கன்னாலம் கட்டிக்கோ) | get married |
| paruvap pen (பருவப் பெண்) | samanja ponnu சமஞ்ச பொண்ணு | marriageable girl |
| thimir pidiththavan (திமிர் பிடித்தவன்) | gandu pudchavan (காண்டு புட்சவன்) | egoistic man |
| kama veriyan (காம வெறியன்) | kaji pudchavan (காஜி புட்சவன்) | A man of lust |
| valadhu kai (வலது கை) | soththu kayyi (சோத்து கய்யி) | right hand |
| idadhu kai (இடது கை) | peechchangayyi, lottaangai.( பீச்சாங்கய்யி) | left hand |
| mariyadaikkuriyavar, asiriyar (மரியாதைக்குரியவர், ஆசிரியர்) | Vaththiyar (வாத்தியார்) | respectable man, teacher |
| Ilaneer (இளநீர்) | thengathanni (தேங்காதண்ணி) | coconut water |
| puliyorai, puliyodarai, pulisadam (புளியோரை, புளியோதரை, புளிசாதம்) | puliyanchoru (புளியான்சோறு) | tamarind bath |
| avan poyvittan (அவன் போய்விட்டான்) | avan poottan (அவன் பூட்டான்) | He has gone |
| Appaa (அப்பா) | Naināh (நைனா) | DudeFrom the Telugu word Nāyanāh meaning "Father" |
| மானம் கெட்டவன் | Bēmānī (பேமானி) | Swearword; meaning unclear Derived from the Hindusthani word Bē Imāni meaning "a dishonest person" |
| siriyavan (சிறியவன்) | Bīscōthū (பிஸ்கோத்து) | Derived from the English word "biscuit" |
| utkaar (உட்கார்) | Kūnthū (குந்து), Kūchū (குச்சு) | Sit down; Derived from Telugu |
| kaasu (காசு) | Dhūddū (துட்டு) , Dappū (டப்பு) | Money; Derived from Telugu |
| kuthi (குதி) | Egīrī (எகிறி) | To jump; Derived from Telugu[2] |
| thollai (தொல்லை) | Bējār (பேஜார்) | Problem; Derived from Hindusthani |
| kazhuthai (கழுதை) | " Kaida" (கைத) | Donkey; delivered from Tamil |
| penn (பெண்) | Figure (பிகரு) | A beautiful girl; From English. Used by youngsters |
| Regend | Decent | Derived from English |
| Chumma iru (சும்மா இரு) | Kamnu kida (கம்னு கிட) | be silent |
| kaalai unavu (காலை உணவு) | Naashtaa (நாஷ்டா) | breakfast |
| cherikkada unavu (செரிமானமாகாத உணவு) | Manchaa soru (மஞ்சா சோறு) | undigested food ( This word is used to threaten opponents in a quarrel) This actually means undigested, yellow coloured, sour food in the stomach which often comes out in the mouth. The sentence in a verbal fight may sound as 'oru kuththu vitta nenjile keera manja choru velle vanthudum' ஒரு குத்துவிட்டா நெஞ்சுலெ கீர மாஞ்சா சோரு வெல்லே வந்துடும். English: If I give a kick the food in your stomach will come out. |
| saththam podaatha (சத்தம் போடாத) | koovaatha (கூவாத) | be quiet |
| Nalla irukka (நல்லா இருக்க) | shokkaa keera (ஷோக்கா கீற) | looking good |
| unmaiyakave (உண்மையாகவே) | meyyalume (மெய்யாலுமே) | really |
| pallikkoodam (பள்ளிக்கூடம்) | ishkoolu (இஸ்கூலு) | derived from English word 'School' |
| oru murai (ஒரு முறை) | oru dhabaa (ஒரு தபா) | once |
| paarthuttu (பார்த்துட்டு) | kandukkinu (கண்டுக்கினு) | meet |
Madras Bashai is used in majority of the Tamil movies after 1950s. Though many have tried to use Madras bashai in their movies, very few like Chandrababu, Manorama, Loose Mohan, Thengai Srinivasan, Kamal Hassan, Cho Ramaswamy have really managed to bring out the real flavor. The best movies to watch and feel the real Madras bashai are Maharasan, Aboorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan,May Madham, Vasool Raja MBBS, Pammal K. Sambandam, Chennai 600028, Kasethan Kadavulada & Ko.
Madras Bashai has also been used in Tamil movie songs. To quote some examples, 'Vaa Vadhyare Voottanda' (வா வாத்தியாரே ஊட்டாண்ட) song by Manorama in the movie 'Bommalaatam' (பொம்மலாட்டம்), 'Elandha Payam' (எளந்த பயம்) song by L. R. Easwari for the movie 'Panamaa Paasama' (பணமா பாசமா) and a few Gaana songs by Deva, Sabesh & Murali, Gaana Ulaganadhan have used Madras bashai.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||