Hindustani etymology
Introduction
Because Hindustani is not an immediate descendant of Sanskrit, the origin of common Hindustani words can be obscure.
Standard Hindī derives much of its formal and technical vocabulary from Sanskrit while standard Urdū derives much of its formal and technical vocabulary from Persian. Standard or shuddʰa ("pure") Hindī and Urdū are used only in public addresses and radio or TV news, while the everyday spoken language in most areas is one of several varieties of Hindustānī, whose vocabulary contains words drawn from Persian, Arabic, and Hindi. In addition, spoken Hindustānī includes words from English and other languages as well.
Vernacular Urdū and Hindī are practically indistinguishable. However, the literary registers differ substantially; in highly formal situations, the languages are somewhat intelligible to speakers of the other standard. It bears mention that in centuries past both Sanskrit and Persian have been regarded as the languages of the elite, even by those of differing ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Hindustani or Hindi-Urdu then, is the name often given to the language as it developed over hundreds of years throughout India (which formerly included what is now Pakistan). In the same way that the core vocabulary of English evolved from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) but includes a large number of words borrowed from French and other languages (whose pronunciations often changed naturally so as to become easier for speakers of English to pronounce), what may be called Hindustani can be said to have evolved from Sanskrit while borrowing many Persian and Arabic words over the years, and changing the pronunciations (and often even the meanings) of those words to make them easier for Hindustani speakers to pronounce. Therefore, Hindustani is the language as it evolved organically.
Linguistically speaking, Standard Hindī is a form of colloquial Hindustānī, intentionally de-Persianised and de-Arabicised, with its formal vocabulary borrowed instead from Sanskrit; Standard Urdū is also a form of Hindustānī, intentionally de-Sanskritised, with its formal vocabulary borrowed instead from Persian and Arabic. So the differnce is in the vocabulary.
The difference is also sociolinguistic: When people speak Hindustani (i.e., when they are speaking colloquially) speakers who are Muslims will usually say that they are speaking Urdu, and those who are Hindus will typically say that they are speaking Hindi, even though they are speaking essentially the same langauge.
The two standardised registers of Hindustānī: Hindi and Urdu--have become so entrenched as separate languages that often nationalists, both Muslim and Hindu, claim that Hindī and Urdū have always been separate languages. However, there are unifying forces. For example, it is said that Indian Bollywood films are made in "Hindī", but the language used in most of them is almost the same as that of Urdū speakers. The dialogue is frequently developed in English and later translated to an intentionally neutral Hindustānī which can be easily understood by speakers of most speakers of most North Indian languages, both in India and in Pakistan.
Categorization of Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) Words
Words in Hindustānī can be of these types:
- Tadbhava (तद्भव/تدبھو derived from): There are words that are drived from Sanskrit, but with some transformation.
- Tatsama (तत्सम्/تتسم identical): Words that are in exactly the same form as standard Sanskrit.
- Deshaja (डेशज/ڈیشج local): words that are unrelated to any Sanskrit words, and of local origin.
- Loan words from non-Indian languages that include Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Portuguese or English.
The use of tatsama words was much less common in Apabhramsha. The most common words in Hindustani are tadbhava and are dervied through Prakrit and Apabhramsha.
Hindustani Word Derivations
Origin of word "hai" (है ہے)
One of the most common words in Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) is "hai" meaning "is" in English.
- Sanskrit "asti" (meaning "is")
- Prakrit: "ahai" (here a and i are pronounced separately)
The Sanskrit "s" sometimes becomes "h" in Prakrits.
Shortening of "ahai" produced "hai". In some older works in Hindustani, one can find usage of "ahai". For example, Bharatendu Harishchandra wrote: "निज भाषा उन्नति अहै, सब उन्नति को मूल" ("نِج بھاشا اُنّتِ اَہے، سب اُنّتِ کو مُول "). In Marathi it becomes "aahe".
Derivation of "jata" (जाता جاتا) and "gaya" (गया گیا)
jata (goes): It is from Sanskrit root yaa (yaati, yaata). "ya" often becomes "ja" in Prakrit.
gaya (went): It is from Sanskrit root gam (gachchhati), from gatah. Here "t" transforms to "y" in Prakrit.
"aajaa" (आजा آجا) and "daadaa" (दादा دادا)
The word "aajaa" has also been used in the north for father's father. It is indeed derived from "Arya" meaning "sir" in this case. Jains nuns are addressed either as Aryika or Ajji.
That reminds me of the word "daadaa" which is used in some regions for father, in other regions for older brother or even for grandfather in some regions. Where did it come from?
From Sanskrit "taata" used to address intimate persons which means either "sir" or "dear".
"Tau" meaning father's older brother in UP is derived from "taata" too.
"baDaa" (बड़ा بڑا)
baDaa" (older/bigger) is from Sanskrit vridhha and Prakrit vaDhDha.
See Also
References
This article, compiled by Wikipedia editor Prof. Yashwant Malaiya (Malaiya (Wikipedia User Page)) [1], has been reproduced with his permission.
- History and Evolution of Hindi Language: Extended resource compiled by Abhinav Bhatele, with phonological, morphological, and lexical
development in Hindi, with many period extracts. (Accessed Mar 16, 2006).
- Hindi Language and Literature, a site about Hindi's usage, dialects, and history by Dr. Yashwant K. Malaiya, Professor at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
- Hindi Language Resources A comprehensive site on the Hindi language built by Yashwant Malaiya
- Indian Dpeartment of Official Language
- Dua, Hans R. (1994a). Hindustani. In Asher (Ed.) (pp. 1554)
- Liberman, Anatoly. (2004). Word Origins ... and How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone. Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-1956-1643-X.
- Rai, Amrit. (1984). A house divided: The origin and development of Hindi-Hindustani. Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-1956-1643-X.