Influence of Pashto on the language of Awadh

[Sarbani]

It sounds like you are using mental gymnastics to try to connect Pashto to Awadhi when the two are nothing alike. The q->k thing occurs in all non-Arabic regions for example. The stuff you are talking about is probably something that exists in Nepali and other neighboring dialects that weren't affected by Pashto. Any similarity (excluding loanwords) you keep showing is very weak, and most likely a coincidence and developed independently.

[زده کوونکی]

It sounds like you are using mental gymnastics to try to connect Pashto to Awadhi when the two are nothing alike. The q->k thing occurs in all non-Arabic regions for example. The stuff you are talking about is probably something that exists in Nepali and other neighboring dialects that weren't affected by Pashto. Any similarity (excluding loanwords) you keep showing is very weak, and most likely a coincidence and developed independently.

While you do make a good point of Awadhi having developed these sounds independently - possibly due to being close to Nepali and others, I feel that there are actually some aspects of the language (yes mainly loanwords - but also some expressions and speech patterns) that were directly influenced by Pashto (particularly among families of Pashtun ancestry).

[Sarbani]

While you do make a good point of Awadhi having developed these sounds independently - possibly due to being close to Nepali and others, I feel that there are actually some aspects of the language (yes mainly loanwords - but also some expressions and speech patterns) that were directly influenced by Pashto (particularly among families of Pashtun ancestry).

Among the examples you gave, the word "khosar" likely came from Pashto. The rest don't seem remotely convincing.

[زده کوونکی]

Among the examples you gave, the word "khosar" likely came from Pashto. The rest don't seem remotely convincing.

A few Pashto words are in use in Awadhi - "balakht" or "balasht" (pillow) is another, also Pashto "kaat" (Awadhi - "khaat", English "cot") for bed - though this word also occurs in other languages.

The other words I said in that post like "khundor" - those are not in Awadhi but rather examples of Eastern Bengali/Assamese/Sylheti and of course it would be ludicrous to claim that Pashto had even a remote influence on those.

[زده کوونکی]

The language known in India as "Bhojpuri" is distinct from Awadhi but they are similar enough that most people mix them up.

Bhaiya Arab Gaile Na (Full Bhojpuri Song) - Sajan Chale Sasuraal - YouTube

A line from this Bhojpuri song:

“tu sedz por kekara sange laRabu, bhaiya Arab gaile na”

(With whom will you fight on the bedspread? Brother has gone to Arabia)

Forgive my bad Pashto but I think it would translate as:

“ta pa bestar* bandi la chaa sara wu-jangezhe? Wrora Arab ta tlaly dey ka na”

*What should I say instead of "bestar"?

[Pakthun345]

Pashto words

Assalamu alaykum and hello,

"Balish" and "balisht" is a pillow in Persian.
Balisht is used in Pashto and balikht is used in Pakhto.

"Khusur" is father-in-law in Persian.

Manana

[jama0112]

Man, your family sounds multi-ethnical as **** when you read it and don't think about it. I assume it's average though. Do you have any social connections in your average day with your cousins and aunt?

[Pakthun345]

Pashto words

Assalamu alaykum and hello,


"Khatva" is a "bedstead" in Vedic, ie Atharva-Veda.
It is "khatta" in Prakrit, "khatt" in Lahnda, Punjabi, and "khaat" in Hindi.

"Katt" in Pashto which also means "bed, bedstead" is most likely derived from Indo-Aryan languages, possibly Punjabi.

Manana

[زده کوونکی]

Assalamu alaykum and hello,

"Balish" and "balisht" is a pillow in Persian.
Balisht is used in Pashto and balikht is used in Pakhto.

"Khusur" is father-in-law in Persian.

Manana

I had no idea these were Persian words - its plausible though because the Nawabs of Awadh were always Shia Iranians, so Persian is the foremost external influence on Awadhi. However, our people in the villages "Qasbati" were Sunni. Those from the city we called "Shahri" - they were Shia. The village people spoke Awadhi while the city folk spoke standard Urdu. Our elders always looked down on the "Shahri" people and their Dehalvi Urdu. While day-to-day relations were cordial, intermarriage was frowned upon. The village people, while the elite class of Muslims, had more in common with their Hindu neighbors than with other Muslims. Thakur/Zamindars (Qasbati landlords - my mother's family) looked down on the urban Muslims of Delhi (my father's family) although it was actually the urban folk who were most sophisticated in the eyes of others.

[زده کوونکی]

Man, your family sounds multi-ethnical as **** when you read it and don't think about it. I assume it's average though. Do you have any social connections in your average day with your cousins and aunt?

Yeah it confuses people who are used to families all looking the same.

With immigration, all kinds of crazy things happen.

Yeah we are connected via phone - only meet in person a couple times a year.

[Pakthun345]

Persian

I had no idea these were Persian words - its plausible though because the Nawabs of Awadh were always Shia Iranians, so Persian is the foremost external influence on Awadhi. However, our people in the villages "Qasbati" were Sunni. Those from the city we called "Shahri" - they were Shia. The village people spoke Awadhi while the city folk spoke standard Urdu. Our elders always looked down on the "Shahri" people and their Dehalvi Urdu. While day-to-day relations were cordial, intermarriage was frowned upon. The village people, while the elite class of Muslims, had more in common with their Hindu neighbors than with other Muslims. Thakur/Zamindars (Qasbati landlords - my mother's family) looked down on the urban Muslims of Delhi (my father's family) although it was actually the urban folk who were most sophisticated in the eyes of others.

Assalamu alaykum and hello,

Farsi/Persian has been the prestigious/posh language for the Persians.
There are similarities in Pashto and Persian.

Manana

[زده کوونکی]

I think its quite cool that people once spoke fluent Awadhi in places as far-flung as Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Fiji and Mauritius, as well as other countries. In Fiji and Suriname, local dialects of Awadhi/Bhojpuri are still the lingua franca.

A Trinidadian conversing with someone from Suriname in "Hindustani" language:

Caribbean Hindustani: Sarnami Variety - YouTube

Fijian creolized Awadhi, referred to as "Fiji Hindi" or "Fiji Baat"

Mia Biwi Hungama - Fiji Hindi Sitcom - YouTube

Surinamese national song

National Anthem of Suriname (in Sarnami) | Surinaams Volkslied in Sarnami (Hindi) - YouTube

Trinidadian/Guyanese Chutney music and Surinamese "Baithak gaana"

Ramdew Chaitoe Raat ke sapna (Raatein Sapna) - YouTube

Mauritian Bhojpuri song

KAMKARWA Official Clip - YouTube

[Pakthun345]

Zamindar

Assalamu alaykum and hello,

"Zamindar" is a landowner in Persian.
There is an equivalent term in English.

It is "yeoman". "Yeoman" is a farmer who cultivates his own land, especially a member of a former class of small freeholders in England.

"Yeoman" is from Middle English "yeman/yoman", from Old English "geeaman".
Let us place the terms together: zamin(dar), yeoman, yeman, yoman, geeaman.

Manana

[زده کوونکی]

English: what happened?
Pashto: tsa usho?
Awadhi: kaa bhail?
Urdu: kya huwa?

[زده کوونکی]

Assalamu alaykum and hello,

"Zamindar" is a landowner in Persian.
There is an equivalent term in English.

It is "yeoman". "Yeoman" is a farmer who cultivates his own land, especially a member of a former class of small freeholders in England.

"Yeoman" is from Middle English "yeman/yoman", from Old English "geeaman".
Let us place the terms together: zamin(dar), yeoman, yeman, yoman, geeaman.

Manana

Very interesting and enlightening post.

I have heard many times, suffix "man" - I think its from Sanskrit.

"shaktiman" - having power
"noorman" having "noor" (light)

These are used in Awadhi.