Mumbai is a mix of so many different cultures, that it has now formed a culture of its own. One of the many manifestations of this ‘Bambaiya’ culture is the ‘Bambaiya bhasha’ which can be heard from the mouth of any true Mumbaikar. Like any other culture, the language of Mumbai is a very important aspect of its culture. It is seen as an additional to any other language, be it English, Hindi, Marathi, or even the new and rising Hinglish. So welcome to this amazing language, let me take you through some of its (broken) rules.
1. The first rule is that any rule of the original language can be modified. This means that you’re not allowed to correct someone if they say “Tum bachcha log idhar kayko khelta?”, even though it may break loads of rules of Hindi. Especially if it breaks loads of rules of Hindi.
2. Here “yaar”, “bhaiya” or “boss” are the most common and universal pronouns, and can appear in any language and any sentence, whichever language they may actually originate from. So “It’s so hot, yaar!” becomes the most common conversation starter, and can lead to anything ranging from how the heat makes travel so difficult to how it ruins their hair.
3. I’m sure all of you will agree that there are certain words in every language that can’t really be translated into another language, for example the Marathi “kantal” or the Hindi “lajja” or even something like “blushing” in English. These words represent a meaning which can never be completely expressed through a translation.
Well, not here. In Mumbai, you can freely use a word like “kantal” in a Hindi or English sentence, for example something like, “kantal aa raha hai”, and I assure you the person will understand. Moreover, you can even mix two words of different languages or add a prefix/suffix of another language to a word to make it usable, like “pakaofy” which roughly means to bore someone or irritate someone.
4. Emphasis on any important word can be laid by using a special form of Pig Latin wherein the first syllable is changed to a rhyming syllable starting with ‘V’ or ‘B’. Didn’t get it? Let me demonstrate: English Vinglish,
Shaadi Vaadi, and such similar phrases.
5. Everything describable can be described as “awesome” or “shitty” which are the two most common adjectives. Anything you like is awesome and anything not so great becomes shit. “Meh”, or a shrug, is the description for anything which you’re indifferent to, or don’t care about. The body language of a person is also a quite significant way to express their opinion about something, like a polite nod or a condescending look.
6. The gender of a person doesn’t seem to have much importance, a girl can always be called a “bro” or “dude”.
7. “Y’know” can be inserted anywhere in a sentence to gain some time for thinking of something to say.
8. The biggest advantage is that you don’t need to consciously learn this language, you learn it through context, and you usually understand it and start using it unknowingly.
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Yes, it is a very quaint language but it’s one of the best, for sure. And yes, it is a befitting example of a representation of Mumbai’s culture. It accommodates every other culture in itself, and is casual in general. Anyone will love it once they get to know it. Well folks, that’s all for now, I guess. Stay tuned for more on life in Mumbai in the next article as me and Maitri take y’all through different sides of this diamond.
- RT
1. The first rule is that any rule of the original language can be modified. This means that you’re not allowed to correct someone if they say “Tum bachcha log idhar kayko khelta?”, even though it may break loads of rules of Hindi. Especially if it breaks loads of rules of Hindi.
2. Here “yaar”, “bhaiya” or “boss” are the most common and universal pronouns, and can appear in any language and any sentence, whichever language they may actually originate from. So “It’s so hot, yaar!” becomes the most common conversation starter, and can lead to anything ranging from how the heat makes travel so difficult to how it ruins their hair.
3. I’m sure all of you will agree that there are certain words in every language that can’t really be translated into another language, for example the Marathi “kantal” or the Hindi “lajja” or even something like “blushing” in English. These words represent a meaning which can never be completely expressed through a translation.
Well, not here. In Mumbai, you can freely use a word like “kantal” in a Hindi or English sentence, for example something like, “kantal aa raha hai”, and I assure you the person will understand. Moreover, you can even mix two words of different languages or add a prefix/suffix of another language to a word to make it usable, like “pakaofy” which roughly means to bore someone or irritate someone.
4. Emphasis on any important word can be laid by using a special form of Pig Latin wherein the first syllable is changed to a rhyming syllable starting with ‘V’ or ‘B’. Didn’t get it? Let me demonstrate: English Vinglish,
Shaadi Vaadi, and such similar phrases.
5. Everything describable can be described as “awesome” or “shitty” which are the two most common adjectives. Anything you like is awesome and anything not so great becomes shit. “Meh”, or a shrug, is the description for anything which you’re indifferent to, or don’t care about. The body language of a person is also a quite significant way to express their opinion about something, like a polite nod or a condescending look.
6. The gender of a person doesn’t seem to have much importance, a girl can always be called a “bro” or “dude”.
7. “Y’know” can be inserted anywhere in a sentence to gain some time for thinking of something to say.
8. The biggest advantage is that you don’t need to consciously learn this language, you learn it through context, and you usually understand it and start using it unknowingly.
--
Yes, it is a very quaint language but it’s one of the best, for sure. And yes, it is a befitting example of a representation of Mumbai’s culture. It accommodates every other culture in itself, and is casual in general. Anyone will love it once they get to know it. Well folks, that’s all for now, I guess. Stay tuned for more on life in Mumbai in the next article as me and Maitri take y’all through different sides of this diamond.
- RT