Thanjavur Marathi, (Marathi: तंजावूर मराठी)also commonly spelled Tanjore Marathi, is a community language of Maharashtrians who migrated south, along with Shivaji's half brother Venkoji, to the areas surrounding the city of Thanjavur in India back in the 17th century.
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The history of Maratha rulers in South India possibly begins with Shahaji's attempt at setting up an independent kingdom in the Deccan plateau and his subsequent defeat in battle by Shahjahan around 1636. Shahaji made peace with Shahjahan and was posted in the deep south so as not to pose any challenge to Mughals. He finally became one of the top generals in the Adilshah's army, accepting a Jahagir in his court, being based in Bangalur (Present day Bangalore in Karnataka). Shahaji had two sons by Jijabai, Sambhaji and Shivaji. He also had one son Venkoji (aka Vyankoji or Ekoji) by his second wife, Tukabai. Venkoji later ruled over the independent Maratha kingdom of Thanjavur.
Serfoji I Maharaja was one of the most famous marathi kings of Tanjore.
The language spoken by this community, also known as "Thanjavur Marathi", is a scholarly dialect far removed from the present day Marathi. There are an estimated 100,000 people who speak the dialect. The various dialects of the language since its establishment are Kumbakonam and Namdev, each mutually intelligible with the other. There is heavy admixture of Tamil, almost all speakers are fluent in Tamil. Recent mass migration of people to major cities has diluted the language and it is now mostly spoken exclusively at home or with older generations.
Tanjavur Marathi (TM) as spoken today can at best be described as a dialect of Marathi. It has a considerably smaller vocabulary. A quick estimate indicates that TM has around 4,000 words, as compared to over 40,000 words in Marathi. TM has several words which have since disappeared from or gone out of fashion/ usage in Marathi. In addition, several words and usages from the major languages of the Southern India, (mostly Tamil) have got into TM. Despite these changes, almost all the words of TM exist as it is in Marathi. The major differences between TM and Marathi can be traced to pronunciation, inflection, syntax and grammar. Historically, TM took a totally different route in its evolution over the past 250 years, influenced by the Dravidian languages and customs. TM had hardly used devanagari script. Instead the archaic modi script was used by the early TM speakers. Usage of modi script was given up gradually, until as of today, the dialect is left with no script. Without the benefit of a written reference standard, each succeeding generation of TM speakers is being bequeathed a dialect with ever increasing degeneration in pronunciation and inflection. There is an urgent need to arrest this trend by introducing devanagari script and standardizing the dialect.
Though it is believed by many that TM is influenced by Tamil, it is actually an ancient form of Marathi that was spoken in Maharastra three centuries ago. In Tamil Nadu, it has remained insulated from the influence of 'related' languages and has therefore retained its original form. If the pure form of TM, as spoken by a few traditional families is taken into consideration, there are no Tamil words in it at all. Certain words such as 'Kavaad' for door, are used in Maharashtra not directly for door but in phrases like "dnyanachi kawade ughadi zali" (meaning the doors of knowledge opened) while it is commonly used in Tanjore Marathi.
Historically Modi, Devanagari and Tamil, Telugu scripts have been used to write this dialect as found in old historical documents.
The community or the social group which speaks this dialect is now spread all over Southern India and elsewhere. Tanjavur District in Tamil Nadu can no longer lay claim to having the largest number of the community with it. It is estimated that less than 15% of the TM speaking poputaion now lives in Tanjavur. The vast majority of TM speakers who live elsewhere have no connection with Tanjavur. It's deceptive similarity to the Saurashtra language suggests a common Indo-Iranian root. The people's eventual assimilation into the Tamil community resulted in a unique culture which retains elements of both cultures and religious beliefs. Although members of this community have spread around the world today, the vast majority are still scattered throughout India with a concentration in and around South India, in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Most people of this community can trace their lineage back to the 17th century Maratha Empire.
| Tanjore Marathi | Standard Marathi(colloquial) | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| namaśkāra | namaskār | hello/greetings |
| kaśa āhenta/āhesa? | kase/kasā/kaśyā āhāt/āhes/āhāt | How are you? |
| mī beś hāy | mī ṭhīk āhe | I am fine |
| tumca nāw kāy? | tumace nāw kāy? | What is your name? |
| māja nāw śahāji hāy | mājhe nāw śahāji āhe | My name is Shahaji |
| kewda ghaṇṭa jhālāy? | kitī wājale? | What is the time? |
| yejā mol kewda | hyālā kitī ? | How much is this for? |
| dāwa/ujwa pāṭīs | ḍāwyā/ujawyā bājūs/lā | toward left/right |
| kemma pahā | kadhihī | always,whenever |
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