You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|July 2005|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
Madras bashai (Tamil: ெமட்ராஸ் பாைஷ), is a type of mixed language spoken in the city of Chennai, India. It is a loose polyglot blend of Tamil and English, with loanwords from Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi-Urdu. The word bashai derives from the Sanskrit bhasha (language). The term therefore is Tamil for "Madras language".
Madras bashai has its strong influences from Urdu and Telugu, with weaker influences from Hindi and Kannada. After this dialect became somewhat common in Madras, it became a source of satire for early Kollywood movies from the 1950s, in the form of puns and double entendres. Subsequent generations in Chennai identified with it and absorbed English constructs into the dialect, making it what it is today.
Madras bashai is learned from one's peers rather than from one's parents. It forms a strong foundation for the lingo used by college students in Chennai. It is still considered infra dig by many people in the city. For instance, most formal communication is in real Tamil or in English, with government proceedings using the pure form of Tamil (centamil).
Classification
Madras bashai can be thought of as either of the following:
- A mixed language, using extreme amounts of code-switching between Tamil and English.
- Madrasi Tamil heavily infused with English influences and loanwords from other Indian languages.
a Madras bashai is also known informally by some as Tanglish. Some observers consider "Tanglish" to be distinct from "Madras bashai", in that "Tanglish" is considered to be English with Tamil influences and loanwords, while "Madras bashai" is considered the opposite. Madras bashai is however not a type of Engrish, since it is not the result of trying to speak English correctly and then failing.
Grammar
Madras bashai favours the Tamil syntax with heavy use of English words to represent concepts.
The following examples illustrates the difference between the syntax of Madras bashai, English and Tamil:
| English | Tamil | Madras bashai |
|---|---|---|
| Go fast! (Verb Adverb) | Vegamaa po! (Adverb Verb) | Speeda po! (Adverb Verb) (also "Feeda po!") |
| Go straight! (Verb Adverb) | Nera po! (Adverb Verb) | Straightaa po! (Adverb Verb) (also "Steittaa po!") |
Code-switching plays a very important role in Madras bashai. For instance, a person aggrieved with the English in this article may plaintively wail:
"Intha maathiri full English speak panna people like me eppadi understand panrathu?" ([1])
Or a person may sadly shake one's head at the poor grasp of real Tamil among college students in the city, and say:
"Future generation ellam full-aa English dhaan pEsuvAnga."
The key point about the second example is that if it were translated to Tamil completely, it would sound distinctly non-colloquial.
Verb conjugation
Tamil verbs are conjugated differently from Madurai Tamil (considered the standard dialect). An underlying motive is to shorten the conjugated form of the verb by one or more syllables by deleting intermediate vowels, and to replace "slow" consonants by consonants that can be pronounced more quickly. Since Tamil is an agglutinative language, a word can still be discerned and understood even after a surprising number of vowels have been removed. The specific context of the word also helps to disambiguate it in practice. The examples shown here are therefore not as drastic as they might appear.
| Standard Tamil | Madras bashai | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Irukkiraay | Kiray | "You are". |
| IrukkiRathuu | Keedhu | "it is there". |
| Izhuthukkondu | Isthukinu | "Dragged with" (participle of Izhukkaradhu (to drag) |
| Kizhuththuviduven | Keesiduven | "I will tear". |
Alternative pronunciation
Some Tamil words are pronounced differently from Madurai Tamil (considered the standard dialect). This practice is very similar to other dialects of Tamil. The pronunciation differences are usually accounted for by morphed and/or deleted vowels.
| Standard Tamil | Madras bashai | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Enna? | Inaa? | "What?" |
| Gudisai | Gudse | "Hut" |
| Veedu | Voodu, Oodu | "House" |
Questions with binary answers
Questions with yes/no answers are framed by saying the statement whose truth is to be verified (using the participle if necessary) and then saying "aa" at the end with a rising inflexion like a question. If the statement already ends in an "aa" or other interfering vowel sound, then the questioning "aa" can be made "vaa" in the interest of euphonics. Some speakers tend to carry the "-aa" even into full English conversations from force of habit. e.g.: "Did you finish it aa?"
| English | Madras bashai |
|---|---|
| Are you ready? | Ready-aa? |
| Am I late? | Late-aa? |
| Is it OK? | OK-vaa? |
Verbifying and Nounification
Many Tamil verbs are informally 'translated' to English by taking the verb root and suffixing "ify" or "ification". Verbifying and nounification are used in a jocular sense, only with people one knows well, and only if they speak Tamil. Using these forms in formal situations or with strangers is considered very juvenile, analogous to using emoticons in a high school essay. Some observers classify this practice as Tanglish rather than Madras bashai.
| English | Tamil | Tanglish |
|---|---|---|
| To read. (Infinitive) | Padippadhu. | Padichify. |
| Reading. (Gerund) | Paditthal. | Padichification. |
Vocabulary
Examples
The following examples give an idea of how different languages are combined to give a new word or phrase in Madras bashai. In addition, several words and phrases from conventional Tamil are used with different meanings.
| Word/phrase | Meaning in context | Origin, usage |
|---|---|---|
| Abase panradhu | To steal. | English abase and Tamil panradhu (to do). Also used as English loot and Tamil udradhu and amukardhu. |
| Accused | rouge,Accused,criminal | English Accused |
| A-haan | yes | Urdu Haan. (Possibly unrelated) |
| Allo | Hey, there... | English hello. Used to draw attention. |
| Appaala | Later... | Tamil Apparam. Afterwards. |
| Assaulta | To do something very easily. | Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from English "assault". |
| Baadu' | Pimp. | English 'Baadu' a corruption of Body. Possible origin Telugu - 'Baadukov' pimp Hindi - 'Badwaa' pimp |
| Baamaayilu | Palm oil. | English Palm + English oil. |
| Bagilu | Hip and region around it. | Hindi bagal (underarm). |
| Bajaari | A loud, unruly woman, like a fish-seller. | Urdu bazaar (market). |
| Balbu | Person absent minded or not that shrewd. Refers to one who is not picking up things easily. | English Bulb (Electric Bulb). |
| Bandha | good style.great looking | |
| Batli | Derogatory term for a woman. | English From "bottle". A reference to a woman's hourglass shape. |
| Bejaar | Alarmed. | Probably Kannada...(origin uncertain) |
| Begulu | Whistle. | |
| Beku | Imbecile. | Urdu bevkoof (stupid). |
| Bemani | That which makes one ashamed, that which has no shame. | Urdu bemani (shameless). |
| Bigjang | Someone who wears westernised clothes and/or accessories, even sunglasses. Derogatory. | Probably from the Hollywood western Django popular in the 1970s in Madras. |
| Biscothu | big person, usually sarcastically meant. | English biscuit periya biscothunu nenaippu.. |
| Bittu | A small strip of pornographic scene that is run during the screening of a legitimate movie. Also refers to a strip of paper especially used for copying in exams. | English bit |
| Blaydu | Boring. | English "blade". |
| Buddi | Someone who wears thick glasses. Derogatory. | From soda buddi (soft drink bottle). Analogous to Coke bottom glasses. |
| Dabba | Junk. | Hindi dabba (box). Used in colloquial speech such as Dabba padam ("junk movie"). |
| Dabbu | Money. | Telugu dabbu (money). |
| Dada | Kingpin, ganglord, don. | Hindi dada (literally "paternal grandfather", used as a term of respect among underworld crime families). |
| Dum | Stamina, strength | Urdu dum breath. Also used for refering to smoking. |
| Dumeel | Untrue, false. | Unknown. Could refer to the sound made by an explosion that leaves nothing behind, as does a false statement. |
| Dharma adi | Merciless beating, usually by a group. | Tamil dharma adi ("charity beating"). |
| Dhool | A superlative, as in "well done!" or "kick ass!". | Likely from Hindi dhool (dust), referring to the dust cloud after a good ass-kicking. 'Dhool' is also used as 'Dhool kalappitai' where kalappitai refers to the action of starting or kicking up (dust). |
| Dil | Chutzpah, guts, as in "Do you have the guts to step outside and fight like a man?!". | Urdu dil (heart), metaphorically indicates "courage". |
| Dubarkku(r) | Consummate liar | (Origins uncertain) |
| Duddu | Money. | Kannada duddu (money). |
| Etta/Ettinnuva | Fetch (someone) | Tamil Ezhuthu-kondu-vaa (Pull him over here) |
| Feelingu/Pheeling | sadness. | English "Feeling", as in "Feeling sorry" but the word got twisted. |
| Figaru | Attractive woman. | English "figure", as in "She's got a good figure". |
| Free-a-Vidu | Literally "let it free". Figuratively, "let bygones be bygones". | English "free". |
| Gabbu | Stink, foul odour. Often used figuratively to describe situations, personalities etc. | Telugu gabbu (stink, foul odor). |
| Gaali | Finished, as in "He's finished!". | Urdu khali meaning "empty" or "finished". Originally from Arabic. |
| Gaana paattu | A subgenre of Tamil film music. | Hindi gaana (song) + Tamil paattu (song). |
| Galata | 1. Fracas, brouhaha 2. Chaos 3. Celebration. | Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from Turkey (Galata was a suburb of Istanbul known for its nightlife) or from English gala. |
| Galiju | Dirty. | Kannada, meaning dirty. |
| Gandhi kannakku | Fraudulent accounting. | Before 1947, when India was fighting against British occupation, companies and individuals often included "Contribution to Freedom movement" as an item in accounting statements. Most often accounting statements would not tally because management funneled money out. "Contribution to Gandhi's freedom movement" provided an excellent means to account for the "missing" money. Hence the term "Gandhi Kanakku". |
| Gapsaa | Disinformation, lies. | Etymology unknown. Connotes deliberate disinformation, as opposed to genuine misinformation. Usually refers to fundamental falsehoods, as opposed to lame excuses. Compare "reel", "peela". |
| Gelichan | He won. | Telugu gelupu (victory). |
| Gilfans | A person with a shady background | (This word is of recent origin) Gilfans, Silfans etc have their etymological roots in comedian Chinni Jayanth's repository of words. |
| Gilli | Talented Person. | Also called Ghilli, but actually means a game played in the streets. |
| Golti | Telugu speaker. Can be derogatory. | By reversing the consonants in "te-lu-gu" to give "gulti" or "golti" |
| Goodhal | Trickery, fraud | Tamil goodhal (error, mistake). Usually derogatory, as in "He resorted to trickery to win that business deal". |
| GumbalOda gOvinda | Insignificant individual contribution to the group. | Tamil gumbal (crowd), Sanskrit gOvinda (name of Vishnu). Derived from the large crowds of pilgrims at Tirupati. |
| Gujjaals | Petting, making out. | Tamil konjal (petting, excess affection). |
| Inglipeesu | The language 'English' | Also called Ingleesu or Engleesu. |
| Jagaa vaangaradhu | To escape from the scene. | Hindi jagah (space, room) and Tamil vaangaradhu (to buy, to get). Literally means "to get room [to escape]". |
| Jalpu | To catch cold. | Tamil jaladosham (N,common cold) |
| Jalsa | Illicit sexual gratification. | (This world is of recent origin) |
| Jatkaa | Hindi-speaker, North Indian person. Derogatory. | Hindi jhatkaa (cart, also sudden shock). |
| Joadreppai | Cobbler. | Possibly from Hindi joota (shoe) and English repair or from Tamil jodi (pair[of slippers]) and English repair. |
| Jollu Vidurathu | To ogle at a girl. | Literally means to drool. To look at a girl with open mouth that one does not realise the saliva dripping. |
| Kabodhi | blind. used in a derogative sense | |
| KD | 1. Petty crook. 2. An unusually intelligent criminal. | English. Old Chennai police abbreviation for either "known delinquent", "known depredator" or "known defaulter". |
| Kacheri | Drinking party. | Tamil kutcheri. A traditional Tamil music concert. |
| Kadalai | Verbal flirting. | Tamil kadalai, verkadalai (nut, groundnut). Possibly from the consumption of groundnuts on Chennai suburban trains, known as "timepass". Connotes flirting without serious intentions. |
| Kalakaradhu | To impress with one's performance. | Tamil, (to mix, to stir). |
| Kamnatti | A clown or a jerk. | Tamil, (possibly from naughty). |
| Kasmaalam | Synonymous with "idiot". | Possibly from Sanskrit kash malam (black hair) or kash mailam (black dirt). Comparing someone with hair is considered rude in Tamil culture. |
| Kayidhe | Donkey. | Derogatory word and derived from Kazhudai in chaste tamil |
| Kenai | Fool. | Malayalam kenai (mad). |
| Keyivi | An old Woman. | Refers to an old woman. Derived from "Kizhavi" in chaste tamil. Mostly used in a derogatory sense. |
| Kozha adi sandai | Major catfight. | Tamil kozha adi sandai (water pump fight). Connotes fighting over who gets how much water and in what order. |
| Krisnayilu | Kerosene oil. | English Kerosene. |
| Kultaradhu | To eat shamelessly, especially if the food is free (OC food). | Etymology unknown. Usually conjugated like a verb in English, as in kulting, kulted etc. |
| Kundhu | "Sit down!" | This is actually an old Tamil word. Related to Kannada kuthkoldri (sit down), ,Telugu kuchondi |
| Kuthu | Dance Tamil | Tamil kuthu paattu (song used in dappaankuthu). |
| Kutti | Synonymous with "figaru". | Possibly from Malayalam kutti (young girl). |
| Leevu | Holiday. | From English "leave", as in "leave of absence". |
| Lollu | Bantering. | Tamil for the sound made by a dog (analogous to "bow wow" in English). Probably a neologism from the Tamil movie Perusu, starring Sathyaraj and Bhagyaraj. |
| Lookku vudaradhu | To check someone out, especially if it's an attractive person. | English "look" and Tamil vudaradhu (to let off, to flash). Implies a much shorter duration than jollu vittufication or sight adichification. |
| Loosu | Crazy. | English "loose". Also see "arai-loosu". |
| Machi | Synonymous with "dude", used in a positive sense. | Tamil machinan, colloquial machan (wife's brother). Implies familiarity, cannot be used with strangers. See also maams. |
| Meyaaluma | Really? (Interrogative) | Tamil Mey. Truth. |
| Munimmaa | Refers to a woman belonging to the lower economic strata - usually a slum dweller in urban Chennai. | Antonym of Mary |
| Military hotel | Restaurant that serves non-vegetarian food. | The armed forces are thought to have fewer vegetarians than the general population. |
| Naina | A secondary version of "dude", used to imply criticism. | Probably a corrupted version of Telugu nana (father). Some Tamilians with Telegu ancestry use this term in their homes to address the father. |
| Nashta | "Breakfast". | Urdu nashta (light snacks). Also referred as 'Tiffin'. However tiffin could also mean evening snacks or a light meal. |
| OB adikaradhu | To waste time. | OB is pronounced as the individual letters O and B. Etymology not known for certain. Possibly from "Off Beat", old British military term meaning "off duty". Also possibly from "Out of Business" or from "O'l Bhajanai" (local slang for "doing nothing"). |
| OC | Free, at no cost. | From OCS, Indian Railways abbreviation meaning "On Company Service". Parcels marked OCS travel free. |
| Outte | Same as "Gaali". | English "out", used in the context of cricket or other sports. |
| Ozhappu Edukkaradhu | An act of sexual harassment perpetrated against female co-passengers in a crowded bus or train. | The act is usually performed by college going male students and involves rubbing one's groins against the buttocks of a female co-passenger. The act is a criminal offence under the anti eve-teasing laws. |
| Paal mararadhu | To switch camps, to betray a confidence. | Tamil, paal (milk) and mararadhu (to change). Implies a cow unexpectedly changing to a bull as one is milking it, with unwanted consequences. |
| Paruppu | Someone who thinks he's a big-shot. | Tamil Paruppu (Grams). Often used sarcastically. See also 'Pista'. |
| Peter, Mary | Persons of Tamil origin who speaks English in preference to the Tamil language even with other Tamil speakers, especially if his intention is to impress. | Also Peter party. Also used to label those who consider Tamil infra dig, or those who speak it with a fake Western accent. |
| porambokku | Unoccupied. person without identity | Tamil, (possibly from unoccupied Waste Land). |
| Porul | Thing of importance. Sometimes alluded to a minor weapon(eg:pen knife) | Origin: Tamil. Porul, which in a pure sense, refers to the content or inner meaning of a phrase or word. |
| Pista | Local tycoon. | Synonymous to Minor/Zamin(Zamindar) and Durai(White-man) |
| Raseedhu | Receipt of sale | English Receipt |
| Reel | Pitifully lame excuses. | English reel of film from the era of 16 mm projectors. Sometimes an improperly mounted film reel would fall off the projector and run away, causing a garbled or distorted picture to be projected on screen while the operator chased the reel across the room and mounted it back. "Reel" therefore refers to an obviously implausible story. See also: "gapsaa", "peela", "philim" |
| Rowdy | Ruffian. | Means the same in English, but used much more commonly in India. |
| Rowdy-sheet, Rowdy-sheeter | The rap sheet of a rowdy known to the police, and a rowdy who has a rowdy-sheet respectively. | |
| Sarakku | Refers to Liquor. | Meaning: 'goods' in English, but commonly used by all people to refer to liquor. Sometimes it can also refer to a prostitute. |
| Saavugraaki | Verbal abuse against bad drivers. | Possibly from Tamil saavu (death) and graaki (buyer) giving "customer of Death". |
| Semma | Very (adj.) | Origins unknown |
| Sound udaradhu' | Synonymous with Koral udaradhu | English 'Sound' + Tamil udaradhu (release). |
| Sole | Prostitute. | |
| Super Star | This refers to the famous Tamil Actor Rajnikanth(a)Shivaji Rao.site:rajinifans | Eventhough many Thalai's have tried to become a one,this guy outwitted everyone with his style and superb acting.
X-Ref : Super starru yarrunnu ketta ..song from tamil film Raja Chinna Roja Google-Ref : Super Star + Tamil Nadu search |
| Sulphata | Cheap, strong liquor that may contain methanol, formaldehyde or formic acid. Similar potions include 'chappi' and 'kalakkal.' | Pronounced "sulphate aa". Uncertain origins. Asking someone if they've had sulphata implies that you think that they are severely uncoordinated. |
| Suthi Vuttiya | A phrase commonly used by call centre employees who avoid taking calls by refreshing their positions in the list of people taking calls. | |
| Thamaashu | Funny,comical event | Hindi 'Thamaashaa' |
| Thala | this word refers to tamil actor Ajith Kumar. | this word become popular because of Ajith Kumar who is called affectionately by his fans as"thala".this word is now used by many others in tamil nadu. |
| Thodda | Used to belittle a person showing off. | |
| Udhaaru | To lie. Exaggerate. | Also see: reel, gapsaa |
| Ulaga Nayakan | This refers to the famous Tamil Actor Kamal Haasan | Eventhough many Actors in India try to his level but fail eventually due to Kamal's overall performance in Cinema as a whole. |
| Voodu kattrathu | act of creating a prelude to a fight. to build a house (literal) | Tamil 'veedu'(house) 'kattrathu'(to build). This procedure involves complex
body movements and ends with a complete or partial prostration at the feet of the guru seeking his blessings before the duel. |
Usage=
A large part of Madras bashai is dedicated to exhibiting road rage and starting street fights.
- Naina! Vootle solltiya? Saavugraaki!. By calling the other person "naina" and asking him whether he has taken leave of his loved ones, the speaker indicates that his interlocutor is driving in a very unsafe manner. The speaker uses "saavugraaki" to emphasise the point, thus asserting his superior driving skills in the situation.
- Yaru theaterla yaru padam ootra...keenjidum screenu....bemani!. It is used to indicate that other person is trying to show off at a place he does not belong to.
- Bazarla oozara illana nizara kalatidu vaanga. Have to be careful in public place or you will lose your underpants.
- Gilmaa,means matter not the literal matter but matter which also means making out in madras bashai.
- Sappa matter kotar biriyani,it simply means it is a simple matter...(matter here doesnot mean gilma)
Cultural references
Madras bashai is used in a particular genre of music in Kollywood movies, called the gaana paattu. The relation between gaana paattu and Madras bashai is analogous to that between hip hop and hip hop slang. The typical gaana paattu is characterised by rougher lyrics and a pulsing rhythm, usually without a discernible melody. Many instances have a strong theme of poverty in their lyrics, and are eminently suited as accompanying music for the traditional dappaankuthu dance, which is usually performed in economically backward urban areas in Chennai. Gaana paattu is also popular among city college students who use it to gain street cred among their peers, irrespective of their economic status.
Good examples
Many Tamil movies have one or more instances of a Gaana Paattu. Most of them are composed by the music director Deva and his brothers.
- Pettai Rap (பெட்டை ராப்) from Kadhalan (காதலன்) (1994)
- Laalaaku dol dappi ma (லாலாக்கு டொல் டபி மா) from Sooriyan (ஸூரியன்) (1993)
- Annanagaru Andalu Ayanavaram Gopalu (அண்ணாநகரு ஆண்டாளு அயநாவரம் கொபாலு) from Kaalam Ellam Kaadhal Vazhga (காலம் எல்லாம் காதல் வாழ்க) (1997)
- Alwarpetta Aaaluda (ஆல்வார்பெட்டை ஆளுடா) from VasoolRaja MBBS ( வஸூல் ராஜா MBBS) (2004)
- Kandasaaami Maadasaami (கந்தசாமி மாடசாமி) from Pammal K Sambantham ( பம்மல் K சம்பந்தம்) (2004)
- Siruchi Siruchi from VasoolRaja MBBS (2004)
- Velarikka Pinjhu Vellarikka from Kadhal Kottai (1997)
- vaa vaathiyaare (வா வாதியாரெ) from bommalaatam (பொம்மலாட்டம்) (1968)
- O Pyaari Paani Poori Bumbai Kaari Neethaan Enthaen from Poovae Unakkaga