Bambaiya Hindi
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Bambaiyya Hindi, Mumbaiyya, or Bombay Hindi is a vernacular form of Hindi spoken primarily in Mumbai (Bombay, formerly). On the streets of Mumbai, people from every part of India co-exist (See Mumbaikar). Their inter-mingling has created a language that has Hindi as a base, but includes words and pronunciations from other languages such as English, Marathi and Gujarati, as well as languages from South India (as evident from the use of the word "Tambi", which is Tamil).
An example: Abe saale dhakkan, kyon time khoti kar rahela hai? Cut to cut baat karne ka, apun ko faltu bakbak karne ka aadat nahin hai. Jo kuch kehna hai, jaldi kar aur phoot le. Here, the Hindi sentences have been studded with Marathi and some English. This is very common amongst college students in Mumbai.
Bambaiyya Hindi may be objectionable to conservatives, but it can be argued that it has a rhythm, and pithiness of its own. The pithiness, incidentally, may come from the use of cliches and canned phrases such as "cut to cut baat karne ka" (to speak concisely or briefly) and "time khoti mat kar" (do not waste time). The colourful phrases in Bambaiyya Hindi also convey what is known as a 'street sensibility' and a sense of disdain for courtesies. A form of Bambaiyya Hindi usually sprinkled with an ample amount of double-entendres and/or expletives is associated with the marginal and/or poor young.
Bambaiyya Hindi relates to mainstream Hindi the way Cockney relates to "proper" English and "Brooklyn English" relates to New York. Incidentally, young, renegade and/or broody characters in Indian films often speak Bambaiyaa Hindi. The Mumbai underworld slang known as Tapori is Bambaiya Hindi with special coding for certain words.
Examples
Most examples via [Metroblogging Mumbai Dictionary] Some were added later by a Bambaiya!- Bas kya - Don't take me for granted.
- Chava or Chavi - Boyfriend/girlfriend (normally the one that is going steady).
- Battery/Double battery/Dhapnya - A person wearing prescription glasses.
- Haila or Aaila - "Oh God". ('Haila!' is probably derived from 'Hai Allah!'). Aaila is also a Marathi word meaning "(to) your mother". It is an offensive word, but is not taken with the literal meaning.
- Paka - Irritate (literally paka means "to cook", so here the word has the sense of "cooking one's brain" to mean irritate).
- Atrangi - Something strange or extraordinary.
- Chappan tikkli - One with lots of pimples on his/her face.
- Tapri - A road side shop.
- Chotay, Tambi or Ramu - Any kid working in a tapri (small shop or eatery).
- Apun - Me or myself.
- Kalti- Get lost or go away.
- Kaiko - Why?
- Cutting - Though an English word, it is used to refer to half a glass of tea.
- Jhakaas - Amazing, Awesome, Superb, Wonderful.
- Saalaa - Written commonly as 'sala' or 'saala'. It literally means "brother-in-law," specifically "brother of my wife" (not "husband of my sister"). It developed into a general taunt or insult, with the implication that the speaker has had intimate relations with the object's sister. Like many insults, it has also developed into a term of affection between friends (Abey saale, kidhar tha? - "Where were you, dude?"), criticise/tease/naughtily refer to someone (saalaa chor - "you/that/bloody thief/prankster!!") or as an impersonal reference (Saalaa, apun ka naseebich kharaab hai! - "Hell, my fate/luck is/was bad!"). The word sasur (father-in-law) can be used similarly as a term for an older man (implying intimate relations with his daughter).
- Boss - Form of address to a friend, unrelated person or stranger.
- Kharcha-paani - Literally it means "stipend, pocket-money, bribe or (small) payment". In Mumbai it may also refer to beating up somebody. So depending on context, "kharcha-paani deu kya?" may mean "Do you want me/us to beat you up?" instead of "Do you want me/us to give you some money?". Conversely a person asking for a bribe (or one belonging to the lowest strata when asking for some money) will say "thoda kharcha-paani do" (Give me some money).
- Fultoo - Too good or very cool, not to be confused with Faltoo which means useless or waste. Fultoo may also mean drunk depending on context.
- Dhakkan - Depending on context may mean "lid" or "stupid".
- Dedh-dimaag - Literally "one and a half brains", in reference to an over-smart, dim-wit or stupid person.
- Talli - Drunk.
- Dedh-foot or Dedh-futya - Literally means "one and a half foot". Usually refers to a short person. May also be a form of irreverent address to a kid.
- Chikna - Literally "clean-shaven" or "smooth". Used usually to refer to a male new-comer or teenager, especially in a negative manner.
- Gadha-majoori - Literally "donkey work or labour". To signify slogging, boring or heavy work.
- Tadi-paar - Means long absence, absconding, hiding or evading the police.
- Mamu - Depending on context may mean a police constable or a eunuch.
- Waat or Vaat - Derived from Marathi. Signifies "(to be in) trouble". Meri waat lag gayi means "I'm in trouble".
- Paan-patti or Tapri - A small shop selling tobacco, cigarettes, toffees and optionally, tea.
- Yeda ban ke peda kha - Roughly translates to "act dumb and eat the whole cake".
- item/maal - term used for attractive girl usually while eve-teasing like "kya item hai baap".
- tapaka daal - Roughly translates to "kill someone".
- daal dena - Roughly translates to "shoot with a gun".
- Dimaag ka dahi - Literally means making curd of the brain. It means to baffle, frustrate or irritate someone as in "Dimaag ka dahi mat bana" (Don't irritate me)
- Ghoda - Used for trigger of a gun. (literal meaning is a Horse)
- Kauwa - (Hindi, crow) cellular phones
- Chidiya - (Hindi, sparrow) pager
- Chayla - (probably contracted from Marathi) a stupid or useless person
- Kantalaa aa gaya - (Marathi/Hindi/Gujarati?) to get bored
- Ghantaa - Literally, it means A big bell. But in Bambaiya Hindi it means "No Ways...Thats not possible". For example if someone orders you to do something, say "Tujhe weekend pe office aana hoga (You will have to work on a weekend)", you can reply back saying "Ghantaa!".
- Lafda - Means "Trouble", "Fight", "Riot". When you say, "Apun ko lafda nahi chahiye", it means, "I dont want any trouble" or "I dont want any fights".
- Radaa - In other words, "Fight". "Abe, radaa ho gaya" means "Oh, a fight has started".
- Popat - Literally it means a Parrot in Marathi. But when you say "Tera popat ho gaya", you actually mean "You got fooled". You can also call someone a "Popat" which in other words is a "Moron".
- Paplu - It's also a nick name for little kids, but it actually means "Simple" in Bambaiya Hindi. As in, "Question paper bahut paplu tha" (The question paper was very simple) or "Paplu ball daal" (Bowl a simple ball).
- Soomdee - "Quietly" or "Secretly". When someone says, "Soomdee me vat le" he/she actually means "Leave this place quietly or secretly without anyone knowing about it".
- Khopchaa - "Corner"
- Jhol - Something that is strange or weird. Depending on context, it could be synonym for another Bombaiya Hindi word "Lafda" or some thing very simlilar to "messed up". Also refers to scam. Jholer = Scammer
- Khajoor - "Dumb fellow"
- Khoka - "Refers to 1 crore (10 million) rupees"
- Peti - "Refers to 1 lakh (100 thousand) rupees"
- Tembka - Refers to a pregnant woman's oversized stomach.
- Khopdi - It means Brain or a fool eg. "Mera khopdi sarka mat" (dont irritate me) or "Abe khopdi, tere baap ne to aise kabhi kiya tha kya?" (You idiot, did your father ever do a thing like that?)
- Chuna lagana - Literally translated in Hindi , it means to whitewash a wall in Bambaiyya Hindi it means to "fool someone"
- Karjat-Kasara/Dadar-Borivali - Based on the train routes this term refers to the Squints. "Ae Karjat-Kasara, idhar aa"
See also
External links
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