ethnosemantics (hindi phrases and idioms)

1. HINDI PHRASES
AND THEIR
CULTURAL SYMBOLISM .
BY:
SAJIDA SHAHNUM
II - C
ETHONOSEMANTICS

2. CULTURE SYMBOLISM THROUGH THE ELEMENT USED IN PHRASE:
• Namaste is a common spoken valediction or salutation originating in the Indian
Subcontinent.
• It is a customary greeting when individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting. A
non-contact formof salutation is traditionally preferred in India
• Namaste is the most common form of such a salutation.
• When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with
hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers upwards, in front of the chest.
• In india ,we used to join our hands in front of god…similarly this practice is also
continued in front of guests too.
अतिथि देवो भव
English: 'The guest is God' or 'Guest become God’
IT is a Sanskrit verse , taken from an ancient Hindu scripture which became part of the
"code of conduct" for Hindu society.
It regards a procedure of the Host-Guest relationship.
CULTURE SYMBOLISM THROUGH THE MEANING:
The mantras are from the Taittiriya Upanishad, Shikshavalli that says be one for whom the
Mother is God, be one for whom the Father is God, be one for whom the Teacher is God, be
one for whom the guest is God.

3. करि करि अभ्यास के , जड़मति होि सुजान रसरी
आवि जाि िे, ससल पर परि तनसान
English: PRACTICE MAKES A MAN PERFECT
IT is a hindi verse (Khadi Boli ),taken from an ancient Hindu scripture
MEANING:
 karat karat abhyaas ke: abhyaas (practice) kar kar ke = on doing lots of practice.
 jadmati hot sujaan : mati refers to buddhi = intelligence. So it means that even a thick-
brained fool can become intelligent. ·
The second part of the PHRASE is:
 rasari aawat jaat te, sil par parat nisaan : rasari = rassi = rope. sil = stone.
 aawat jaat te = aane jaane se.
 parat nisaan = nishaan pad jaata hai.
So, the whole thing together means:
Persistence makes even a dumb man intelligent, just like (even) a soft rope, when
rubbed continuously on stone or with the reciprocating motion of the rope, makes a
mark on it and the rim of the well gets impressioned.

4. • A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging,
driving, boring, or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers.
• In many parts of the world, water form the well is drawn mechanically, with
the help of motors or pumps.
• In India, water is drawn using containers, such as buckets, that are raised by
hand using pulleys and ropes.
• Ropes are tied to buckets and these buckets were lowered into the well. After
the bucket got filled with water, the buckets were pulled up using the other
end of rope
• This process is facilated by a pulley as the buckets used to be heavy.
• In ancient India, this pulley was actually a stone wheel around an axis.
• Frequent use of ropes on the pulley used to leave marks on the stone wheel.
CULTURE SYMBOLISM:

5. डेढ़ ईंट कक मस्जजद बनाना
Meaning : BREAKING DOWN OF FAMILY UNIT
CULTURAL SYMBOLISM THROUGH THE MEANING
• A happy family is the basic unit of a healthy society.
• However , today everyone is caught in the rat-race.
• This has brought the principles and values of living to a halt. Breaking down of families is
equivalent to corruption of the traditions, values and ideals of a strong and well fabricated
social structure.
• India used to be a land of large, prosperous and close-knit joint families which had sturdy
ethics bound by warm regards and genuine affection.
• This was crucial for effective running of a society.
• However, since everybody is getting tangled in the webs of complacency leading their fast
paced lives, we are catastrophically losing out on our fundamental morals, standards and
human compassion.
THROUGH THE ELEMENTS OF PHRASE:
• A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam.
• There are stringent restrictions on the uses of the area formally demarcated as the
mosque (which is often a small portion of the larger complex), and, in the Islamic Sharia
law, after an area is formally designated as a mosque, it remains so until the Last Day.
• The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for salat (prayer) as well
as a center for information, education, and dispute settlement.

6. घर का चिराग होना
Meaning : THE ONLY SON OF THE HOUSE
CULTURE SYMBOLISM THROUGH THE MEANING
• Patriarchy is a Greek word in which PATRI meaning FATHER and
ARCH meaning RULE.
• It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails
female subordination.
• Many patriarchal societies are also patrilineal, meaning that property
and title are inherited by the male lineage.
• In gender politics ,it is referred as a social structure of “ MALE
DOMINATION OVER WOMEN “
• Patriarchy literally means "the rule of the father“ father of a race" or
"chief of a race, patriarch.
• Historically, the term patriarchy was used to refer to autocratic rule by
the male head of a family.

7. .
LAMP (CHIRAG)
• Simple contemporary Indian clay oil lamp during
diwali.
• An oil lamp is an object used to produce light
continuously for a period of time using an oil-based
fuel source.
• The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago
and is continued to this day, although not
commonly anymore
• Often associated with stories about genies, fictional
creatures who live in oil lamps.
• As such, oil lamps of today are primarily used for
the particular ambience they produce, or in rituals
and religious ceremonies.
• It is an integral part of Indian culture as it is more
than a source of light in electricity deprived homes.
• It symbolises joy, sorrow, peace and mourning. Also
it is used in a lot of dark rites used for superstitious
purposes which thrives secretly but widely in the
subcontinent.
CULTURAL SYMBOLISM THROUGH THE ELEMENT

8. TIBETAN CULTURE V/S BALINESE CULTURE
Goodness speaks in a
whisper , evil shouts
Goodness shouts ,
evil whispers
COMPARISION
TIBETAN PROVERB SHOWS THAT
THEY BELIEVE THAT A PERSON
RECOGNISES ONLY THE FLAWS OF A
FELLOW HUMAN AND FAILS TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE POSITIVE AND
GOOD QUALITIES IN OTHERS. ALSO
NOBLE DEEDS ARE COMMITED
QUIETLY AS SUCH PEOPLE NEITHER
CARE FOR NOR CRAVE ATTTENTION
AND PRAISES.
BALINESE PROVERB
DEPICTS THAT
CONSTRUCTIVE AND
VIRTUOUS ACTIONS
ALWAYS PREVAIL OVER
DESTRUCTIVE AND
DELETERIOUS ONES. IN
SIMPLER WORDS, IT REFERS
TO THE DOMINANCE OF
GOOD OVER EVIL.
**IRONICALLY, BOTH THE PROVERBS CONVEY THE SAME MESSAGE DEPICTING
THE TRUTH BEHIND HUMAN PERCPTIONS, PHILOSOPHICAL VIRTUES AND LAWS
OF NATURE.**

9. Thank you!!!
BY:
SAJIDA SHAHNUM
II - C