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India’s Republic Day, January 26 Posted by Nitya on Jan 30, 2018
This past weekend, friends and family in India enjoyed a long weekend in observance of India’s Republic Day (Bharatiya GaNatantra Divas), which is celebrated on January 26 each year. It marks the day that the Constitution of India came into effect (January 26, 1950), thus cementing India’s transition into an independent republic after it’s independence from British…
Uttarayan and the Kite Festival Posted by Nitya on Jan 22, 2018
Indians are celebrating a festival (tyauhaar) pretty much every month in the year. January is the the time of the harvest festival Pongal in South India. In Maharashtra and parts of Western India, the same day heralds Makar Sankranti , while different parts of North India welcomes this festival as Lohri and Baisakhi , among other harvest…
More Idiomatic Phrases Posted by Nitya on Jan 15, 2018
Let’s learn some more figurative language today. In a previous blog we explored a few idiomatic phrases or (Hindi muhaavre). Let’s see if you remember them and their usage. Match Column A with the correct usage according to the context described in Column B. Post your answers in the comments section below. Column A Column B a1)…
New Year’s Wishes and Resolutions Posted by Nitya on Dec 31, 2017
It’s that time of the year … to bid goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year. साल का वह वक़्त आ गया है — पुराने साल को बिदा करने का और नये साल का स्वागत करने का। (Saal ka vah waqt aa gaya hai — puraane saal ko bida karne ka aur naye saal…
Hindi words in the Oxford English Dictionary Posted by Nitya on Dec 24, 2017
At the latest count 70 words from Indian languages were included in the Oxford English dictionary (OED). These add to the already whopping number of 900 words of Indian origin, that have earned a permanent place in the OED, the first word being क़िला qila which was adopted in 1761. Note that क़िला is borrowed from Urdu. The history of…
Idiomatic Phrases Posted by Nitya on Dec 12, 2017
मुहावरे Every language has idiomatic expressions that are derived from cultural traditions, the geographical region, as well as fables and stories. English has no dearth of idioms that, when read literally, make absolutely no sense. However, as the metaphors or the origins are unraveled, the usage (prayog) and meaning (arth) become clear, thus adding to…
Suffixes Posted by Nitya on Dec 1, 2017
In the past we discussed some prefixes and how they are applied in Hindi. In this blog, we will take a look at suffixes. While prefixes are attached in front of a word, suffixes are appended to the end of a word. Like prefixes, suffixes also change or modify the meaning of the original word…