India Vocabulary - Mish Mash 2

Front 1

wa alaikum assalam

Back 1

1. (Islam) the traditional response to the greeting Assalamu alaikum

May peace be upon you

Front 2

ayah pronounced aayaa ( आया )

Back 2

Nanny

Front 3

adhan (azaan)
Muslim call to prayer

Back 3

Muslim call to prayer

Front 4

bandh ( बन्द )

Back 4

originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists in some countries in South Asia like India and Nepal. During a Bandh, a large chunk of a community declares a general strike, usually lasting one day.
... A bandh is not the same as a Hartal, which simply means a strike: during a bandh, any business activity (and sometimes even traffic) in the area affected will be forcibly prevented by the strikers.

Front 5

hartaal, Hartal, pronounced haRtaal ( हड़ताल )

Back 5

a term in many Indian languages for strike action, used often during the Indian Independence Movement.

Front 6

bhukh hartal pronounced bhuukh haRtaal ( भूख हड़ताल )
Hunger strike.

Back 6

Hunger strike.

Front 7

barsaat ( बर्सात ? )

Back 7

Moonsoon

Front 8

barsaati ( devanagari? )

Back 8

A top floor flat

Front 9

biryaanii, "biryani"

Back 9

Devanagari बिरयानी )
is derived[1] from the Persian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means "fried" or "roasted". Biryani is a family of Middle Eastern, South Asian dishes made from a mixture of spices, rice (usually basmati), meat/vegetables and yogurt.

Front 10

bogie

Back 10

Hinglish for railway carriage

Front 11

baRa saahab ( बड़ा साहब )

Back 11

Great Sir, Big man. Probably dated.

Front 12

chapaatti, chapati pronounced chapaatii ( चपाती )

Back 12

Roti is a pan fried bread circle, thicker than a chapati and a wee bit oily.
A chapati is cooked without oil and is a dry, flexible, plate wiper. Otherwise very similar.

Front 13

naan ( नान )

Back 13

tandoor baked round flatbread made of white flour....It bears a resemblance to pita, but is softer in texture.. . Naan cooks in a tandoor, or clay oven, from which tandoori cooking takes its name. This distinguishes it from roti which is usually cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tava. . . . Typically, the naan will be served hot and brushed with ghee or butter. It can be used to scoop other foods, or served stuffed with a filling: for example, keema naan is stuffed with a minced meat mixture (usually lamb or mutton); peshwari naan and Kashmiri naan are filled with a mixture of nuts and raisins; aloo naan is stuffed with potatoes.

Front 14

champa

Back 14

Plumeria aka Frangipani, a fragrant flower.

Front 15

charbagh

Back 15

a Persian-style garden layout. The quadrilateral garden is divided by walkways into four smaller parts.

Front 16

Manjaa

Back 16

The Manjaa is a traditional Punjabi name for a woven bed. It consists of a wooden frame bordering a set of knotted ropes. Traditionally the user would lie directly on top of the ropes without an intervening mattress. The making of a Manjaa begins with the tying of a Jee (Life knot) at one corner of the bed. The art of weaving the manjaa is called manjaa unena. Manjaa were known as Charpoy (from the Punjabi word chaarpaaee) to the British.

Front 17

chela pronounced chelaa ( चेला )

Back 17

Daughter, disciple, follower or slave

Front 18

hazri pronounced haazirii ( हाजिरी )

Back 18

Older North Indian term for breakfast

Front 19

baRa hazri ( बड़ा हाजिरी )

Back 19

Full breakfast. May not be contemporary.

Front 20

chota hazri, chota hazari pronounced chhoTii haazirii ( छोटी हाजिरी )

Back 20

"little breakfast", or bed tea. Early morning tea taken before dawn. British Indian practice. May not be contemporary.

Front 21

bura pronounced buraa ( बुरा )

Back 21

bad

Front 22

dargah

Back 22

a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as (ziyarat). Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah. They often include a mosque, meeting rooms, schools (Madrassas), residences for a teacher or caretaker, hospitals, and other buildings for community purposes.

The term is derived from a Persian word which can mean, among other uses, "portal" or "threshold". Many Muslims believe that dargahs are portals by which they can invoke the deceased saint's intercession and blessing (see Tawassul).

Front 23

dervish

Back 23

The word Dervish, especially in European languages, refers to members of Sufi Muslim ascetic religious Tarika/tariqa, known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars.

The term comes from the Persian word Darwīsh [1] (درویش), which usually refers to a mendicant ascetic. This latter word is also used to refer to an unflappable or ascetic temperament (as in the Urdu phrase darwaishana thabiyath for an ascetic temperament); that is, for an attitude that is indifferent to material possessions and the like.

Front 24

derzi-wallah pronounced darzi-waalaa ( दरजी-वाला )

Back 24

Tailor; derzi is the tailor jati.

Front 25

dharna (devanagari? )

Back 25

A peaceful protest, usually involving a long period of sitting outside the house or office of a person considered to be responsible for some injustice.

Front 26

dhobi pronounced dhobii ( धोबी )

Back 26

Laundryman. In Mumbai, dhobis are an integral feature of the city. All the dhobis wash their linen in the Mahalaxmi area known as Dhobi Ghat. This area is strangely popular with foreign tourists looking for a piece of quintessential Indianness.

Front 27

Churidars ( devanagari? )

Back 27

Churidars, or more properly churidar pyjamas, are tightly fitting trousers worn by both men and women in South Asia and Central Asia. They are a variant of the common salwar pants. Salwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow more quickly, so that contours of the leg are revealed.

Front 28

Salwar kameez pronounced salwaar kamiiz ( सलवार-कमीज़ )

Back 28

Salwar kameez (also spelled shalwar kameez and shalwar qamiz) is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in South Asia. Salwars or shalwars are loose pajama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the bottom. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams (known as the chaak) are left open below the waist-line, which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the garment is worn by both sexes. In Bangladesh and India, it is most commonly a woman's garment.

Front 29

kurta pronounced kurtaa ( कुरता )

Back 29

(or kurti, for a shorter version of the kurta) is a traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women. It can be worn with either loose salwar pants, churidar pants, as well as Jeans a tight-fitting variant of the salwar.

Front 30

dhoti ( धोती )

Back 30

The dhoti, called Laacha in Punjabi, mundu in Malayalam, dhuti in Bangla, vaetti in Tamil, pancha in Telugu, dhotar in Marathi and panche in Kannada, dhoti in Pakistan is the traditional garment of men's wear in South Asia, especially India. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 5 yards long, wrapped about the waist and the legs, and knotted at the waist.
In northern India, the garment is worn with a Kurta on top, the combination known simply as "dhoti kurta", or a "dhuti panjabi" in the East. In southern India, it is worn with an angavastram (another unstitched cloth draped over the shoulders) or else with a "chokka"(shirt) or "jubba"(a local version of kurta).

Front 31

Domba or simply Dom ( devanagari? )

Back 31

Daalit responsible for cremations and cremation grounds. Both a title and the name of their jati. It can also be used as a synonym for the more popular term, namely Chandala.

Front 32

galii, "Galee", pronounced gaalii ( गाली )

Back 32

Abuse. Can be used to refer to a derogatory phrase or abusive action.

Front 33

godown ( devanagari? )

Back 33

Warehouse or storeroom.

Front 34

gora pronounced goraa ( गोरा )

Back 34

a Hindi word for fair-skinned people, whether Indian, European, or from other regions.

Front 35

gurdvaaraa, "gurdwara" ( गुरदवारा ? )

Back 35

Sikh temple

Front 36

howdah

Back 36

Seat carried on an elephant's back, usually canopied.

Front 37

Mahout pronounced mahaut ( महौत )

Back 37

the driver of an elephant

Front 38

Eid

Back 38

Arabic name for festival, and a short name for the two great Muslim festivals. Eid ul-Fitr is end of Ramadan;Eid ul-Adha (or Eid ul-Zuha or Bakr-id or Eid-e Qurban) commemorates the birth of Isaac.

Front 39

Idgah

Back 39

Open-air mosque used biannually for Id prayers, very large and designed to take spillover from proper mosques. May be Indian usage only.

Front 40

Iftar

Back 40

refers to the evening meal for breaking the daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar during Ramadan is often done as a community, with Muslims gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib (sunset) time.

Front 41

keffiyeh

Back 41

traditional headdress of Arab men, made of a square of cloth ("scarf"), usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head.

Front 42

Khanqah

Back 42

traditionally a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa/tarika, and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation.

Front 43

khun, "khoon" pronounced khuun ( खून )

Back 43

blood

Front 44

kirpan

Back 44

Sikh ceremonial sword

Front 45

kufic

Back 45

Arabic calligraphy used for art and decoration

Front 46

Lu

Back 46

(Delhi) the hot wind that blows in from Rajasthan during midsummer.

Front 47

Lungi ( लुंगी ? )

Back 47

Sarong-style loin wrap; simplification of the dhoti. Unlike dhotis, which are linear like sheets, lungis are sewn into a circle like a skirt. Depending on local tradition, lungis can be worn by men and/or women

Front 48

Mahar

Back 48

Severance fee paid to a Muslim woman by her husband in the event of a divorce.

Front 49

maidaan, Maidān, "maidan" pronounced maidaan ( मैदान )

Back 49

term for any open plain, park or square near a town in Persian, Arabic, Turkish and several Indian languages.

Front 50

Dabbawallah pronounced Dibbaa-waalaa ( डिब्बा--वाला )

Back 50

A dabbawala (one who carries the box, see Etymology), sometimes spelled dabbawalla or dabbawallah, is a person in the Indian city of Mumbai whose job is to carry and deliver freshly made food from home in lunch boxes to office workers. "Tiffin" is an old-fashioned English word for a light lunch, and sometimes for the box it is carried in; for this reason, dabbawalas are sometimes called Tiffin Wallahs.
... The word "Dabbawala" can be translated as "box-carrier" or "lunchpail-man". In Marathi and Hindi, "dabba" means a box (usually a cylindrical aluminium container), while "wala" means someone in a trade involving the object mentioned in the preceding term

Front 51

Mawlawi (also spelled: Maulvi, Moulvi and Mawlvi )

Back 51

is an honorific Islamic religious title often, but not exclusively, given to Sunni Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names, similar to the titles Maulana, Mullah or Shaykh. Mawlawi generally means any religious cleric or teacher.

Front 52

Madrasah (madrasa pl. madāris)
is the Arabic word for any type of school, secular or religious (of any religion).

Back 52

Arabic word for any type of school, secular or religious (of any religion).

Front 53

Salah (also namāz in Persian)

Back 53

is the ritual prayer practiced by Muslims in supplication to Allah. The term is commonly used to refer to the five daily prayers, which are compulsory upon all mature Muslims. Salah (plural salawah) is considered the most important act of worship in Islam and its importance is such that under very few circumstances can it be omitted.

Front 54

paNDit, Pandit, pundit pronounced paNDit ( पण्डित,)

Back 54

Synonymous with pujari.
a scholar, a teacher, particularly one skilled in Sanskrit and Hindu law, religion and philosophy. In the original usage of the word, a pundit is a Hindu, almost always a Brahmin, who has memorized a substantial portion of the Vedas, along with the corresponding rhythms and melodies for chanting or singing them.
... Pundits or pujaris are hired to chant Vedic verses at yagyas and other events, both public and private.

Front 55

Pradhan pronounced pradhaan ( प्रधान )

Back 55

Village headman. The term can mean any kind of leader and is not contemporary.

Front 56

Pujari pronounced pujaarii ( पुजारी )

Back 56

One who prays, the Brahmin in charge of the temple or officiating at a wedding. Also, Pujari is an Indian surname which means "priest". In Rajput society, Pujaris traditionally belonged to the priestly class in the Kshatriya community.

Front 57

Pukka pronounced PUK-kah

Back 57

Proper, civilized, refined; the opposite of jungli. Originally British slang, contemporary slang denotes high quality.

Front 58

Qalander

Back 58

(Persian) a title given to Sufi mystics, especially in South Asia.

Front 59

Rishi pronounced riishii ( ऋषि )

Back 59

Hindu "saint" or "sage" and in its most strict canonical sense denotes 'a Vedic sage to whom Vedic hymns were originally revealed'. Contemporary counterpart would be the sadhu.

Front 60

Ramadan

Back 60

Currently occurring September - October timeframe.
Ramaḍān is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when the Qur'an was revealed. The name "Ramadan" is taken from the name of this month; the word itself derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground, and shortness of rations. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, sawm (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month.

Laylat al-Qadr, which falls during the last third, commemorates the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an and is considered the most holy night of the year. Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid ul-Fitr, on which feasts are held. During the month following Ramadan, called Shawaal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days.

Front 61

"Sannyasa" pronounced sanyaasa ( संन्यास , sannyāsa )

Back 61

the renounced order of life within Hinduism. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the varna and ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to dedicate their entire life towards spiritual pursuits. One within the sanyass order is known as a sannyasi or sannyasin.

Front 62

Satī, sati, suttee, pronounced satii ( सती, the feminine of sat "true")

Back 62

as a Hindu funeral practice in which the widow would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.
... The term is derived from the original name of the goddess Sati also known as Dakshayani, who immolated herself, unable to bear the humiliation of her (living) husband Shiva by her father Daksha.

Front 63

sherwani (devanagari?)

Back 63

Long Muslim frock coat.

Front 64

Tiffin

Back 64

Luncheon; old British slang still in use in Delhi.
In South India, especially Tamil Nadu, the term Tiffin is generally used to mean an in-between-meals snack. Most road-side restaurants in Tamil Nadu will have a board displaying 'Tiffin Ready'. It is customary to be offered a 'Tiffin' as a courtesy when you visit a Tamil residence.
In other areas like Mumbai, the word is mostly used for light lunches prepared for working Indian men by their wives after they have left for work, and forwarded to them by Dabbawalas who use a complex system to get thousands of tiffin-boxes to their destinations. The lunches are packed in steel or tin boxes, also sometimes called tiffins or tiffin-boxes. A common approach is to put rice in one box, dal in another and yet other items in the third or fourth. The other items could be breads, such as naan, vegetable curry and finally a sweet.

Front 65

Tiffin tins

Back 65

Set of metal containers in which a commuter carries his lunch.

Front 66

aare dost अरे, दोस्त

Back 66

Hey! Friend!

Front 67

kalkaaTaa कल्काटा

Back 67

Kolkata / Calcutta

Front 68

phir milenge फिर मिलेंगे

Back 68

See you later

Front 69

shubh kaamnaaen शुभ कामनाएँ

Back 69

good luck

Front 70

Grihasthya, Grahastha गृहस्थ

Back 70

Householder phase in the ashrama system of Hinduism.