Though I've always been passionate about learning new languages, lately I have witnessed a sudden increase in my enthusiasm towards them. I hail from a background which has Sanskrit, Punjabi(the very language everyone tries to destroy in their attempt to speak it), Hindi and Gujarati attached to it though I can only speak d latter two with some fluency. Though my mother tongues remain to be Hindi and English.
I have in recent times started picking up some funny phrases or words from Bengali, and practice on the Bengali crowd of our school. They deserve a special commendation for they sportingly accept the stupid remark I make and curse me back in Bengali! Bingo! Here I learn another word for them and set out on my endeavor to find out what that means. I have been learning the 'tongue rolling' language under the tutelage of Guru Suhasini Krishnan, Guru Priyanka Banerjee and Guru Ishan Roy. Some words I picked up today were:
Nongra Kukoor= Ganda kutta
Bhalo Bhedal= Achhi Billi(HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!)
Ghoda'r Dheem= Horse ki poop
The other language that I fluently converse in and can read only a 'leeeeetle beeet'(in the French style) is Gujarati. The first thing that I've been asked to do by people when they find out that I speak in Gujarati is to say 'Kem Cho?' I mean Gujarati isn't limited to just 'How are you?' It's a goddamn language people!(Didn't I just sound like Su?). The second thing on their agenda is to ask me to say something in 'The' language as if I carry a set of phrases to say in front of people. Atleast be decent enough to give me a line to speak or maybe some words? For this reason(and for acting miserly at times) my friends like to call me Gujju Seth!
The remains of a half built French building can still be traced in me which is crumbling day by day. My three year stint with French has left me with a legacy of a handful of words sans grammar. The brief period gave me just a glimpse of the language that has against its name one of the oldest literatures. The thing which still puzzles me is that why do they not have proper words for 70,80 and 90? I have known one 'French Fanatic', a die hard French lover who virtually worships French. Mademoiselle Gauri is one person who is always so excited about the French . The language topper knows way too much about France and the French culture than even the French themselves do I believe. She ardently collects French magazines and her latest tally is 21.
Another language that fascinates me alot is Urdu. Actually, it isn't Urdu but Urdu poetry that I genuinely wish to read and understand. The poems written by distinguished poets like Mirza Ghalib, Bahadur Shah 'Zafar', Zauq or the more contemporary ones like Javed Akhtar and Gulzar have enticed me lately. I wish I knew some of the language so that I too could write maybe just a beautiful Couplet.
These are the languages that I know or wish to know. I didn't really touch upon any of the International languages but there aren't many that I would like to learn as compared to the Indian ones. It is a matter of pride for me that all over the world, countries have one language they speak but India can boast of not 1 or 2 languages but 28 recognized ones and another maybe 100 which are spoken around the subcontinent.
I have in recent times started picking up some funny phrases or words from Bengali, and practice on the Bengali crowd of our school. They deserve a special commendation for they sportingly accept the stupid remark I make and curse me back in Bengali! Bingo! Here I learn another word for them and set out on my endeavor to find out what that means. I have been learning the 'tongue rolling' language under the tutelage of Guru Suhasini Krishnan, Guru Priyanka Banerjee and Guru Ishan Roy. Some words I picked up today were:
Nongra Kukoor= Ganda kutta
Bhalo Bhedal= Achhi Billi(HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!)
Ghoda'r Dheem= Horse ki poop
The other language that I fluently converse in and can read only a 'leeeeetle beeet'(in the French style) is Gujarati. The first thing that I've been asked to do by people when they find out that I speak in Gujarati is to say 'Kem Cho?' I mean Gujarati isn't limited to just 'How are you?' It's a goddamn language people!(Didn't I just sound like Su?). The second thing on their agenda is to ask me to say something in 'The' language as if I carry a set of phrases to say in front of people. Atleast be decent enough to give me a line to speak or maybe some words? For this reason(and for acting miserly at times) my friends like to call me Gujju Seth!
The remains of a half built French building can still be traced in me which is crumbling day by day. My three year stint with French has left me with a legacy of a handful of words sans grammar. The brief period gave me just a glimpse of the language that has against its name one of the oldest literatures. The thing which still puzzles me is that why do they not have proper words for 70,80 and 90? I have known one 'French Fanatic', a die hard French lover who virtually worships French. Mademoiselle Gauri is one person who is always so excited about the French . The language topper knows way too much about France and the French culture than even the French themselves do I believe. She ardently collects French magazines and her latest tally is 21.
Another language that fascinates me alot is Urdu. Actually, it isn't Urdu but Urdu poetry that I genuinely wish to read and understand. The poems written by distinguished poets like Mirza Ghalib, Bahadur Shah 'Zafar', Zauq or the more contemporary ones like Javed Akhtar and Gulzar have enticed me lately. I wish I knew some of the language so that I too could write maybe just a beautiful Couplet.
These are the languages that I know or wish to know. I didn't really touch upon any of the International languages but there aren't many that I would like to learn as compared to the Indian ones. It is a matter of pride for me that all over the world, countries have one language they speak but India can boast of not 1 or 2 languages but 28 recognized ones and another maybe 100 which are spoken around the subcontinent.
