For autodidact students of Bhojpuri, the first thing to know about "the" is that Bhojpuri has no separate word for it. A bare noun such as लइका (laikā) can mean "boy", "a boy" or "the boy", depending on the context. When Bhojpuri wants to say "the boy, the one we both mean", it changes the end of the noun, and the commonest change is to add -वा (-vā):
- लइका (laikā): boy → लइकवा (laikvā): the boy - घर (ghar): house → घरवा (gharvā): the house - घोड़ा (ghoṛā): horse → घोड़वा (ghoṛvā): the horse
English books often write this suffix -wā. This course writes v throughout, as the script does: व is v.
The ending has three shapes, depending on the noun it joins: - -वा (-vā): after a noun that ends in -ā, which gives way to it (लइका → लइकवा), and after a short noun that ends in a consonant (घर → घरवा) - -आ (-ā): after a longer noun that ends in a consonant. Grammars give भतार (bhatār), "husband" → भतरा (bhatarā), and सोनार (sonār), "goldsmith" → सोनरा (sonarā) - -या (-yā): after a noun that ends in -ī, whose vowel shortens: बेटी (beṭī), "daughter" → बेटिया (beṭiyā); कुरसी (kursī), "chair" → कुरसिया (kursiyā); आदमी (ādmī), "man" → अदमिया (admiyā). Some nouns that end in a consonant take it too, such as औरत (aurat), "woman" → औरतिया (auratiyā)
Which shape a noun takes is partly a matter of habit, and some nouns waver, so learn each noun with its form.
The same thing is done for "a" by a word in front of the noun: एगो (ego), "one": एगो कुरसी (ego kursī), "a chair". So the difference between "a" and "the" in Bhojpuri is a difference of place: एगो in front is "a", and the ending on the noun is "the". A story brings a thing in with एगो and then names it again with the ending: एगो कुरसी, "a chair", and later कुरसिया, "the chair".
The ending is not obligatory. Bhojpuri does not mark every definite noun, and a bare noun is often enough: आम (ām), "a mango" or "the mango". What the ending adds is a tone. A noun in -वा is spoken of as familiar: a child, a younger person, an equal, an animal, a thing. That is why you will not hear it with respect: बाबूजी (bābūjī), "father", and माई (māī), "mother", take no ending and are spoken of with honorific verbs.
This course teaches Bhojpuri in Devanagari as it is written in Bihar, with one consistent spelling.
Script note: वा is the consonant व (va) with the vowel sign ा (-ā). The Bhojpuri व is a soft v, between English "v" and "w". The sign ा is a long vowel, as in English "father".
Key Takeaways: - Bhojpuri has no word for "the"; it changes the end of the noun - -वा (-vā) is the commonest ending: लइकवा, घरवा, घोड़वा; the other shapes are -आ (-ā) and -या (-yā) - एगो (ego), "one", in front of the noun gives "a": एगो कुरसी - The ending is familiar in tone, and is not used with elders such as बाबूजी and माई - A bare noun is also allowed, and may mean either "a" or "the"
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1.1a लइकवा the-boy आइल came
1.1b laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF āil (AA-il) come-PAST.3SG
1.2a घरवा the-house बड़ big बा is
1.2b gharvā (GHAR-vaa) house-DEF baṛ (BAR) big bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.3a घोड़वा the-horse कहाँ where बा is
1.3b ghoṛvā (GHOR-vaa) horse-DEF kahā̃ (ka-HAA) where bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.4a कुरसिया the-chair नया new बा is
1.4b kursiyā (KUR-si-yaa) chair-DEF nayā (na-YAA) new bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.5a बेटिया the-daughter स्कूल school गइल went
1.5b beṭiyā (BE-ti-yaa) daughter-DEF skūl (SKOOL) school gail (GA-il) go-PAST.3SG
1.6a लइकिया the-girl आज today ना not आइल came
1.6b laikiyā (LAI-ki-yaa) girl-DEF āj (AAJ) today nā (NAA) NEG āil (AA-il) come-PAST.3SG
1.7a लइकवा the-boy आम mango खइलस ate
1.7b laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF ām (AAM) mango khailas (KHA-i-las) eat-PAST.3SG
1.8a हम I अदमिया the-man के ACC देखनी saw
1.8b ham (HAM) I admiyā (AD-mi-yaa) man-DEF ke (KE) ACC dekhnī (DEKH-nee) see-PAST.1SG
1.9a पंडितवा the-priest किताब book पढ़त reading बा is
1.9b paṇḍitvā (PAN-dit-vaa) priest-DEF kitāb (ki-TAAB) book paṛhat (PA-rhat) read-PROG bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.10a घोड़वा the-horse खेत field में in बा is
1.10b ghoṛvā (GHOR-vaa) horse-DEF khet (KHET) field mẽ (MEN) in-LOC bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.11a बचवा the-child सुतल asleep बा is
1.11b bacvā (BACH-vaa) child-DEF sutal (SU-tal) sleep-PTCP bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.12a औरतिया the-woman बजार market से from आइल came
1.12b auratiyā (AU-ra-ti-yaa) woman-DEF bajār (ba-JAAR) market se (SE) from-ABL āil (AA-il) come-PAST.3SG
1.13a लइकवा the-boy के of घोड़वा the-horse बहुत very सुघर beautiful बा is
1.13b laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF ke (KE) of-GEN ghoṛvā (GHOR-vaa) horse-DEF bahut (ba-HUT) very sughar (SU-ghar) beautiful bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.14a हम I एगो one कुरसी chair किननी bought कुरसिया the-chair बहुत very नीक good बा is
1.14b ham (HAM) I ego (E-go) one-CL kursī (KUR-see) chair kinnī (KIN-nee) buy-PAST.1SG kursiyā (KUR-si-yaa) chair-DEF bahut (ba-HUT) very nīk (NEEK) good bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.15a पंडितवा the-priest लइकवा the-boy के to किताब book दिहलस gave
1.15b paṇḍitvā (PAN-dit-vaa) priest-DEF laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF ke (KE) to-DAT kitāb (ki-TAAB) book dihlas (DIH-las) give-PAST.3SG
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1.1 लइकवा आइल। — laikvā āil. — "The boy came."
1.2 घरवा बड़ बा। — gharvā baṛ bā. — "The house is big."
1.3 घोड़वा कहाँ बा? — ghoṛvā kahā̃ bā? — "Where is the horse?"
1.4 कुरसिया नया बा। — kursiyā nayā bā. — "The chair is new."
1.5 बेटिया स्कूल गइल। — beṭiyā skūl gail. — "The daughter went to school."
1.6 लइकिया आज ना आइल। — laikiyā āj nā āil. — "The girl did not come today."
1.7 लइकवा आम खइलस। — laikvā ām khailas. — "The boy ate a mango."
1.8 हम अदमिया के देखनी। — ham admiyā ke dekhnī. — "I saw the man."
1.9 पंडितवा किताब पढ़त बा। — paṇḍitvā kitāb paṛhat bā. — "The priest is reading a book."
1.10 घोड़वा खेत में बा। — ghoṛvā khet mẽ bā. — "The horse is in the field."
1.11 बचवा सुतल बा। — bacvā sutal bā. — "The child is asleep."
1.12 औरतिया बजार से आइल। — auratiyā bajār se āil. — "The woman came from the market."
1.13 लइकवा के घोड़वा बहुत सुघर बा। — laikvā ke ghoṛvā bahut sughar bā. — "The boy's horse is very beautiful."
1.14 हम एगो कुरसी किननी; कुरसिया बहुत नीक बा। — ham ego kursī kinnī; kursiyā bahut nīk bā. — "I bought a chair; the chair is very good."
1.15 पंडितवा लइकवा के किताब दिहलस। — paṇḍitvā laikvā ke kitāb dihlas. — "The priest gave the boy a book."
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1.1 लइकवा आइल।
1.2 घरवा बड़ बा।
1.3 घोड़वा कहाँ बा?
1.4 कुरसिया नया बा।
1.5 बेटिया स्कूल गइल।
1.6 लइकिया आज ना आइल।
1.7 लइकवा आम खइलस।
1.8 हम अदमिया के देखनी।
1.9 पंडितवा किताब पढ़त बा।
1.10 घोड़वा खेत में बा।
1.11 बचवा सुतल बा।
1.12 औरतिया बजार से आइल।
1.13 लइकवा के घोड़वा बहुत सुघर बा।
1.14 हम एगो कुरसी किननी; कुरसिया बहुत नीक बा।
1.15 पंडितवा लइकवा के किताब दिहलस।
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These are the grammar rules for expressing "the" in Bhojpuri.
There is no article; the end of the noun does the work. A Bhojpuri noun has a short form, such as लइका (laikā), घोड़ा (ghoṛā) or घर (ghar), and a longer form that makes it definite: लइकवा, घोड़वा, घरवा. The short form is neutral. The long form points to a particular boy, horse or house that speaker and hearer both know.
Three shapes of the ending. The ending is -वा, -आ or -या, according to the last sound of the noun: - -वा (-vā), after -ā and after short nouns that end in a consonant: लइका → लइकवा (the boy, 1.1, 1.7); घोड़ा → घोड़वा (the horse, 1.3, 1.10); घर → घरवा (the house, 1.2); पंडित → पंडितवा (the priest, 1.9, 1.15); बच्चा → बचवा (the child, 1.11) - -आ (-ā), after longer nouns that end in a consonant: भतार → भतरा (the husband); सोनार → सोनरा (the goldsmith) - -या (-yā), after -ī, with the vowel shortened: बेटी → बेटिया (the daughter, 1.5); लइकी → लइकिया (the girl, 1.6); कुरसी → कुरसिया (the chair, 1.4, 1.14); आदमी → अदमिया (the man, 1.8); and औरत → औरतिया (the woman, 1.12)
"A" and "the": position again. - Before the noun, एगो (ego): "a". एगो कुरसी (a chair, 1.14) - On the end of the noun: "the". कुरसिया (the chair, 1.14) - Neither: a bare noun, which may mean either. आम (a mango, 1.7), किताब (a book, 1.9, 1.15), खेत (the field, 1.10), बजार (the market, 1.12), स्कूल (school, 1.5)
Example 1.14 shows the usual pattern of a story or a conversation: a thing is brought in with एगो (a), then named again with -या (the). हम एगो कुरसी किननी; कुरसिया बहुत नीक बा.
Plurals. Bhojpuri makes a plural by -न (-n), as in लइकन (boys), or by putting सब (sab, "all") or लोग (log, "people") after the noun: लइका सब, "the boys". This lesson teaches the singular only; plurals are left for a later lesson.
Postpositions follow the noun. Bhojpuri has postpositions, not prepositions, and they come after the noun, with the definite ending in between: - में (mẽ), "in": खेत में (in the field, 1.10) - से (se), "from, by": बजार से (from the market, 1.12) - के (ke), "of": लइकवा के घोड़वा (the boy's horse, 1.13) - के (ke), also marks a definite person as the object, or the person who receives something: अदमिया के (the man, 1.8), लइकवा के (to the boy, 1.15)
A thing that is the object needs no ending: आम खइलस (ate a mango, 1.7), किताब पढ़त बा (is reading a book, 1.9). A verb of going takes its place bare: स्कूल गइल (went to school, 1.5).
The verb "to be" in the present: बा. बा (bā), "is", is the usual form for a thing, and it is the form that follows the nouns in this lesson: घरवा बड़ बा (1.2), कुरसिया नया बा (1.4). The adjective comes before बा, and there is no word for "the" in front of it.
Past tense of the verb. The plain third-person past of a verb with no object ends in -ल (-l): गइल (went, 1.5), आइल (came, 1.1, 1.6, 1.12). A verb with an object usually takes -लस (-las): खइलस (ate, 1.7), दिहलस (gave, 1.15). With हम (I), the past ends in -नी (-nī): देखनी (saw, 1.8), किननी (bought, 1.14). The present continuous is made from the stem + -त and बा: पढ़त बा (is reading, 1.9). Negation is ना (nā), put before the verb: ना आइल (did not come, 1.6).
Questions. कहाँ (kahā̃), "where", comes where the answer would stand: घोड़वा कहाँ बा? (1.3).
Common Mistakes: - Looking for a word for "the". There is none; change the end of the noun, or leave the noun bare. - Using -वा for an elder or someone to be respected. The ending is familiar in tone: say बाबूजी, not a -वा form, and use the honorific verb (see Genre Section). - Treating -वा as compulsory. Bhojpuri does not mark every definite noun; आम, किताब and खेत above are bare. - Using the wrong shape of the ending. Learn each noun with its form: लइकवा, but बेटिया; घरवा, but कुरसिया. - Putting the postposition before the ending. The order is noun + ending + postposition: घरवा में, never a form with में inside. - Reading वा as "wa". It is long: vā.
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The ending -वा is one of the most recognisable features of Bhojpuri, and Hindi has nothing like it.
Its tone is the heart of it. The same -वा can be affectionate or scornful. It is affectionate in बेटवा (betvā), "the son, dear son", and बचवा (bacvā), "the little one". It can also be pejorative. Which of the two is meant lies in the speaker's voice and the occasion. A learner who is unsure should leave the noun bare, which is always safe.
The ending is not used of elders and superiors, and Bhojpuri keeps its honorific for them in the verb instead. बाबूजी and माई, "father" and "mother", have no -वा, and the verb that goes with them is honorific: बाड़न, बाड़ी (see Genre Section). A Bhojpuri sentence therefore shows, in two places, how the speaker stands to the people spoken of: on the noun, by the ending, and on the verb, by the honorific.
Bhojpuri has been written in Kaithi and, since 1894, mostly in Devanagari. It is not among the scheduled languages of India, and Hindi is the language of most of its speakers' schooling, but it is the language of the stage and the song. The playwright Bhikhari Thakur (1887–1971), a barber from Kutubpur in the Saran district of Bihar, made Bhojpuri theatre known well beyond Bihar, and his Bidesiya, the play of the husband who leaves his village for the city and the wife who waits, gave its name to a whole kind of Bhojpuri song, the song of the one who has gone abroad.
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भिखारी ठाकुर (Bhikhari Thakur, 1887–1971), बिदेसिया (Bidesiya), as given in the text on Wikisource
The lines:
घरवा के ना तनिको उदेस कइलन, जब से बिदेस गइलन साजन मोर।
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a घरवा the-house के of ना not तनिको even-a-little उदेस heed कइलन did
F.1b gharvā (GHAR-vaa) house-DEF ke (KE) of-GEN nā (NAA) NEG tanikō (ta-ni-KO) a-little-even udes (U-des) heed kailan (KA-i-lan) do-PAST.3HON
F.2a जब when से from बिदेस abroad गइलन went साजन beloved मोर my
F.2b jab (JAB) when se (SE) from-ABL bides (BI-des) abroad gailan (GA-i-lan) go-PAST.3HON sājan (SAA-jan) beloved mor (MOR) my
F-B: Original and Translation
घरवा के ना तनिको उदेस कइलन, / जब से बिदेस गइलन साजन मोर।
"He took no notice at all of the house, / ever since my beloved went abroad." (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
घरवा के ना तनिको उदेस कइलन, जब से बिदेस गइलन साजन मोर।
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The word घरवा (gharvā) is the very form taught in this lesson: घर (ghar), "house", with -वा. It is the only noun in the two lines that carries the ending, and the poet chooses it. Sundari is speaking of her own house, and the ending gives it the closeness of a thing that she knows and cares for, and that her husband has left unnoticed. The two other nouns are bare: बिदेस (bides), "abroad", is a place and needs no "the", and साजन (sājan), "beloved", is the husband.
The husband takes no -वा. He is spoken of with respect, and the respect is in the verbs: कइलन (kailan) and गइलन (gailan), "did" and "went", end in -लन (-lan), the honorific ending of the third person. This is the same split as in the Genre Section: the house is घरवा with an ordinary noun, and the husband, like बाबूजी and माई, has an honorific verb and no ending on the noun.
घरवा के उदेस कइलन is "took notice of the house". के (ke) here joins the two nouns, as in लइकवा के घोड़वा (1.13). उदेस (udes) is glossed from the sense of the line: the wife's complaint is that her husband has not once asked after the house since he went. ना तनिको (nā tanikō) is "not even a little": ना is the negative, as in 1.6, and तनिको is तनी (tanī), "a little", with the ending -ओ, "even".
जब से (jab se) is "ever since", literally "from when". मोर (mor) is "my", the older and more literary form that stands beside the हमार (hamār) of the Genre Section. ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
A short description of a house in a village. Each new thing comes in with एगो ("a") and is named again with -वा, -आ or -या ("the"). Watch also who does not take the ending: Father and Mother, who have honorific verbs instead.
1.16a हमार my घर house गाँव village में in बा is
1.16b hamār (ha-MAAR) my ghar (GHAR) house gā̃v (GAANV) village mẽ (MEN) in-LOC bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.17a घर house के of आगे front एगो one नीम neem के of गाछ tree बा is
1.17b ghar (GHAR) house ke (KE) of-GEN āge (AA-ge) front ego (E-go) one-CL nīm (NEEM) neem ke (KE) of-GEN gāch (GAACH) tree bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.18a गाछ tree के of नीचे below एगो one कुरसी chair बा is
1.18b gāch (GAACH) tree ke (KE) of-GEN nīce (NEE-ce) below ego (E-go) one-CL kursī (KUR-see) chair bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.19a कुरसिया the-chair पुरान old बा is बाकिर but बहुत very मजबूत sturdy बा is
1.19b kursiyā (KUR-si-yaa) chair-DEF purān (pu-RAAN) old bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG bākir (BAA-kir) but bahut (ba-HUT) very majbūt (maj-BOOT) sturdy bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.20a बाबूजी Father कुरसिया the-chair पर on बइठल seated बाड़न is
1.20b bābūjī (BAA-boo-jee) father.HON kursiyā (KUR-si-yaa) chair-DEF par (PAR) on-LOC baiṭhal (BAI-thal) sit-PTCP bāṛan (BAA-ran) be-PRES.3HON
1.21a माई Mother ओसारा veranda में in रोटी bread बनावत making बाड़ी is
1.21b māī (MAA-ee) mother.HON osārā (o-SAA-raa) veranda mẽ (MEN) in-LOC roṭī (RO-tee) bread banāvat (ba-NAA-vat) make-PROG bāṛī (BAA-ree) be-PRES.3HON.F
1.22a लइकवा the-boy आँगन courtyard में in खेलत playing बा is
1.22b laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF ā̃gan (AA-gan) courtyard mẽ (MEN) in-LOC khelat (KHE-lat) play-PROG bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.23a बेटिया the-daughter चिट्ठी letter लिखत writing बा is
1.23b beṭiyā (BE-ti-yaa) daughter-DEF ciṭṭhī (CHIT-thee) letter likhat (LI-khat) write-PROG bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.24a घोड़वा the-horse दुआर yard पर at बान्हल tied बा is
1.24b ghoṛvā (GHOR-vaa) horse-DEF duār (du-AAR) yard par (PAR) at-LOC bānhal (BAAN-hal) tie-PTCP bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.25a घोड़वा the-horse के of लगे near एगो one बकरी goat बान्हल tied बा is
1.25b ghoṛvā (GHOR-vaa) horse-DEF ke (KE) of-GEN lage (LA-ge) near ego (E-go) one-CL bakarī (BA-ka-ree) goat bānhal (BAAN-hal) tie-PTCP bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.26a बकरिया the-goat घास grass खात eating बा is
1.26b bakariyā (BA-ka-ri-yaa) goat-DEF ghās (GHAAS) grass khāt (KHAAT) eat-PROG bā (BAA) be-PRES.3SG
1.27a साँझ evening भइल became
1.27b sā̃jh (SAANJH) evening bhail (BHA-il) become-PAST.3SG
1.28a लइकवा the-boy घरवा the-house में in आइल came
1.28b laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF gharvā (GHAR-vaa) house-DEF mẽ (MEN) in-LOC āil (AA-il) come-PAST.3SG
1.29a माई Mother लइकवा the-boy के to खाना food दिहली gave
1.29b māī (MAA-ee) mother.HON laikvā (LAIK-vaa) boy-DEF ke (KE) to-DAT khānā (KHAA-naa) food dihlī (DIH-lee) give-PAST.3HON.F
1.30a बाबूजी Father कुरसिया the-chair पर on सुतल asleep बाड़न is
1.30b bābūjī (BAA-boo-jee) father.HON kursiyā (KUR-si-yaa) chair-DEF par (PAR) on-LOC sutal (SU-tal) sleep-PTCP bāṛan (BAA-ran) be-PRES.3HON
1.16 हमार घर गाँव में बा। — hamār ghar gā̃v mẽ bā. — "My house is in the village."
1.17 घर के आगे एगो नीम के गाछ बा। — ghar ke āge ego nīm ke gāch bā. — "In front of the house there is a neem tree."
1.18 गाछ के नीचे एगो कुरसी बा। — gāch ke nīce ego kursī bā. — "Under the tree there is a chair."
1.19 कुरसिया पुरान बा, बाकिर बहुत मजबूत बा। — kursiyā purān bā, bākir bahut majbūt bā. — "The chair is old, but very sturdy."
1.20 बाबूजी कुरसिया पर बइठल बाड़न। — bābūjī kursiyā par baiṭhal bāṛan. — "Father is sitting on the chair."
1.21 माई ओसारा में रोटी बनावत बाड़ी। — māī osārā mẽ roṭī banāvat bāṛī. — "Mother is making rotis on the veranda."
1.22 लइकवा आँगन में खेलत बा। — laikvā ā̃gan mẽ khelat bā. — "The boy is playing in the courtyard."
1.23 बेटिया चिट्ठी लिखत बा। — beṭiyā ciṭṭhī likhat bā. — "The daughter is writing a letter."
1.24 घोड़वा दुआर पर बान्हल बा। — ghoṛvā duār par bānhal bā. — "The horse is tied up in the yard."
1.25 घोड़वा के लगे एगो बकरी बान्हल बा। — ghoṛvā ke lage ego bakarī bānhal bā. — "Near the horse a goat is tied."
1.26 बकरिया घास खात बा। — bakariyā ghās khāt bā. — "The goat is eating grass."
1.27 साँझ भइल। — sā̃jh bhail. — "Evening fell."
1.28 लइकवा घरवा में आइल। — laikvā gharvā mẽ āil. — "The boy came into the house."
1.29 माई लइकवा के खाना दिहली। — māī laikvā ke khānā dihlī. — "Mother gave the boy his food."
1.30 बाबूजी कुरसिया पर सुतल बाड़न। — bābūjī kursiyā par sutal bāṛan. — "Father is asleep on the chair."
1.16 हमार घर गाँव में बा।
1.17 घर के आगे एगो नीम के गाछ बा।
1.18 गाछ के नीचे एगो कुरसी बा।
1.19 कुरसिया पुरान बा, बाकिर बहुत मजबूत बा।
1.20 बाबूजी कुरसिया पर बइठल बाड़न।
1.21 माई ओसारा में रोटी बनावत बाड़ी।
1.22 लइकवा आँगन में खेलत बा।
1.23 बेटिया चिट्ठी लिखत बा।
1.24 घोड़वा दुआर पर बान्हल बा।
1.25 घोड़वा के लगे एगो बकरी बान्हल बा।
1.26 बकरिया घास खात बा।
1.27 साँझ भइल।
1.28 लइकवा घरवा में आइल।
1.29 माई लइकवा के खाना दिहली।
1.30 बाबूजी कुरसिया पर सुतल बाड़न।
"A" first, "the" after. The two things that the description introduces with एगो are named again with the ending: - एगो कुरसी (a chair, 1.18) → कुरसिया (the chair, 1.19, 1.20, 1.30) - एगो बकरी (a goat, 1.25) → बकरिया (the goat, 1.26) The horse is the exception that shows the rule: घोड़वा is not brought in with एगो, because it is the family's horse and is known from the start (1.24).
Familiar nouns with -वा, respected people without. लइकवा (the boy, 1.22, 1.28, 1.29), बेटिया (the daughter, 1.23), घोड़वा, बकरिया and कुरसिया all have the ending, and their verb is the plain बा (is) or आइल (came). बाबूजी and माई have no ending, and their verbs are honorific: बाड़न (is, 1.20, 1.30), बाड़ी (is, of Mother, 1.21) and दिहली (gave, of Mother, 1.29). The verb "to be" shows the same split as the noun: बा for the plain, बाड़न and बाड़ी for the respected.
Genitive and the ending. Possession is made with के (ke), and the possessor can carry the ending too: लइकवा के घोड़वा (1.13). The pronoun "my" is हमार (hamār), and the noun after it is bare: हमार घर (1.16). A noun that is possessed in this way is already definite, so it does not need -वा.
Where things are. Position is given by a noun + के + a place word: घर के आगे (in front of the house, 1.17), गाछ के नीचे (under the tree, 1.18), घोड़वा के लगे (near the horse, 1.25). The simple postpositions में (in) and पर (on, at) follow the noun directly: ओसारा में (on the veranda, 1.21), दुआर पर (in the yard, 1.24), कुरसिया पर (on the chair, 1.20, 1.30).
Participle + बा: a state. बइठल बाड़न (is seated, 1.20), सुतल बाड़न (is asleep, 1.30) and बान्हल बा (is tied, 1.24, 1.25) join a past participle in -ल to बा and say that something is now in that state. The present continuous is made with -त: बनावत बाड़ी (is making, 1.21), खेलत बा (is playing, 1.22), लिखत बा (is writing, 1.23), खात बा (is eating, 1.26).
"It became evening": भइल. साँझ भइल (1.27) is "evening became", the usual way to say that evening has come. भइल (bhail) is the past of the verb "to become".
Two houses. घर without the ending in 1.16 and 1.17 means "a house" or "my house", the one being described. In 1.28 it is घरवा because the boy is coming into the house that has been described: the one that both speaker and listener know.
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The romanisation in this course follows the script: ā, ī, ū are long vowels; ṛ is the flapped ड़; ṭ and ṇ are retroflex, with the tongue curled back; ṭh, ṛh and the other h-letters are aspirated; a nasal vowel is written with a tilde (kahā̃, mẽ, gā̃v). A final consonant has no vowel after it: ghar, not ghara. In the respellings, AA is the long vowel of English "father", EE of "feet", OO of "food", and AI a short "uh" gliding to "ee". In the respellings, the syllable written in capitals is the one to lean on.
वा (vā) — IPA: [ʋaː] — व is a soft v, between "v" and "w", with the lips not quite touching the teeth. The vowel is long, as in English "father". लइकवा (laikvā) — IPA: [ləikʋaː] — the अइ of लइका is one sound, a short [ə] gliding to [i]; the vowel before the ending does not change. घरवा (gharvā) — IPA: [ɡʱərʋaː] — घ is a voiced aspirate, with a breath of air after the g. The vowel of ghar is the short neutral [ə], as in English "about". घोड़वा (ghoṛvā) — IPA: [ɡʱoɽʋaː] — ड़ is a flap, a quick tap of the tongue behind the ridge, with no English equivalent; it is not the English "r". कुरसिया (kursiyā) — IPA: [kʊrsijaː] — the -या ending is [jaː], with a glide between the vowels. बेटिया (beṭiyā) — IPA: [beʈijaː] — ट is retroflex, with the tongue curled back, and is not the English "t". अदमिया (admiyā) — IPA: [ədmijaː] — the first vowel is short, and the ī of आदमी is shortened before the ending. पंडितवा (paṇḍitvā) — IPA: [pəɳɖitʋaː] — ण is a retroflex nasal, and ड a retroflex d. एगो (ego) — IPA: [eɡo] — both vowels are pure, with no glide. बाड़न (bāṛan) — IPA: [baːɽən] — the final न follows a short [ə] that is hardly heard. कहाँ (kahā̃) — IPA: [kəɦãː] — the final vowel is long and nasal.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)