ROMAN KONKANI IS NOT GREEK OR LATIN Bor: Cecil Pinto

MAPUSA MARKET - PART FOUR

Cecil & Beatrice Pinto explore Goa with, and teach Konkani to a young couple from the Isle of Wight in UK - Andrew and Justine.

Andrew: That was a nice jevonn. You up for another beer, Cecil?
Cecil: You must be kidding. Here in Goa we drink before eating, and not after-unlike you Europeans. The culmination of the meal is the end of the event.
Justine: Indeed. We attended a Catholic wedding some days back and immediately after the people had their buffet dinner they were off like a shot.
Cecil: Must have been in South Goa. In the North we hang around and wish the couple before leaving.
Justine: Actually the wedding was at Parra.
Cecil: Then the bride's people must have been from South Goa and wanted to ensure their seats on the hired bus back home.
Justine: The bride was from Brittona and...
Beatrice: Forget it! Just don't bother convincing him.
Andrew: So if we're not drinking what do we do now?
Cecil: We take a nap. A siesta. Morning is sokallim, afternoon is donparam, evening is sanje and night is raat. Donparam is siesta time. We have a quick nap and wake up refreshed to better utilise sanje ani raat. Western management gurus are only now learning this principle which we have practiced for generations.
Justine: Do you wish someone depending on the time of the day, like Good Morning or Good Evening?
Beatrice: Actually we say Dev boro dis dium. Which actually means 'May God give you a good day'. Like how we say Dev borem korum for 'Thank you'. Which translates as 'May God be good to you'. God features a lot in our greetings and exclamations. For example if you were scandalised by something someone said you would exclaim saiba bhogos which means 'God forgive'.
Justine: So saib is the same as dev?
Cecil: Not really. Saib, depending on the context it is used, could mean anything from Boss to the Archbishop to Saint Francis Xavier to Deputy Collector to Police Inspector to the clerk at the Civil Registrar's office. It refers to a person in a revered position.
Andrew: Somewhat like patrao?
Cecil: Somewhat. But you wouldn't call a vendor or a waiter saib. Everything is contextual. Now I wouldn't greet a good friend with Dev boro dis dium. That is polite and dignified. I would say boro mure? or ghot mure? Which is a casual way of asking about his health - hope you are healthy? If you are meeting someone after a long time you ask: atam khuim astai? Which means where are you now? With lots of our people working or resettled abroad this is normal to ask. Also always comment - bhaglai murre or fuglai murre, which means you've become thin or you've bloated up. Replace murre with mugho for a female. But a male commenting on a female's body status does so at his own risk - as all over the world. If the person looks exactly the same as you last seen him then say aslo tosoch asai - you are as you were. If the person works in the Persian Gulf or on the ship then you normally ask kedna ailoi and later kedna vetai - when did you arrive, when do you leave?
Beatrice: Also depending on the age of the person, relative to you, you change the way you greet them. I would ask my niece borem mugho - are you all right? But I would ask my elderly female neighbour bori mughe which means the same thing. Or koshem asai and koshi asai, which means how are you?
Justine: The cute little flower girl at the wedding called me 'aunty' yesterday. I found it a bit unnerving. But when the mother of the bride also called me 'aunty' I was quite offended.
Cecil: See! I told you they must have been South Goans!
Beatrice: Actually they mean no offense. Aunty or Uncle is a polite and affectionate way of addressing someone who is not related to you, or you are unsure on how to address. Like Sir or Ma'am. Of course keep in mind that in Konkani we have words to describe almost any family relationship - unlike in English where the terms are ambiguous. My father's brother is my titiu and my mother's brother is my maam. My mother's sister is my maushi and father's sister timana. My mother-in-law is my sasumai and father-in-law sasupai. My husband's brother is my dher and my husband's sister is my nonnon. My sister is Cecil's meuni and my brother is Cecil's meunno.
Cecil: You're confusing them. Start with the basic. Mai is mother and pai is father. Bhav is brother and bhoinn is sister. Manna and irmao actually refer to elder sister and elder brother but are affectionately used to describe any older relative or even close friend. My son is my put and my daughter is my dhu. My daughter-in-law is my sun and my son-in-law is my zanvui. The godfather of my child is my kumpar...
Justine: Wow! You have a word to describe your child's godfather?
Cecil: Sure, there is a word. Stingy!
Beatrice: Ha! And look what happened when you chose the godparents for Fabian. Don't make me start...
Andrew: What's this all about now?
Cecil: Some other time, Andrew. Ok! Let's buy some bananas to have as dessert as we walk. Andrew, it's your turn to try your Konkani skills. Go ahead. Speak to the vendor. And remember to bargain with her. Mharog means expensive. Kitteak means why. Haddun dakhonv means shall I bring and show you?
Andrew: Ok! Aunty, kelim kitle poishe?
Vendor Lady: Vis rupiannim duz, patrao.
Andrew: Kiteak itle marog? Calangute pondra rupiani melta.
Vendor Lady: Koshench zanv nezo. Itkim sovai tuka khuimch melchi na.
Andrew: What did she say?
Cecil: She said you could never get them that cheap anywhere. Just rattle her by offering to bring some and show her.
Andrew: Hanv hann dakhonv?
Vendor Lady: Patrao kelim ghennai zalear upkarta, pun aann dakhoi naka!
Cecil: Ha! Ha! Ha!
Beatrice: You set him up, didn't you?
Cecil: No, I didn't!
Andrew: How come she got angry and rude? What did I say wrong?
Cecil: Go figure, pal!

CECIL PINTO
9822164364
cpinto@sancharnet.in