On Thu, 29 May 2003 10:29:01 +0200, "Magno <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>" wrote:
KONKANI - NOT A DIALECT OF MARATHI by Basilio Magno (Spain) The long article in the Navhind Times early in May, titled: "Future of Konkani is Not Very Bright" has caught the Goan community overseas by surprise and a sense of rage that Shri Subash Bhende had the audacity to say that Konkani is a dialect of Marathi. I guess, he is only exercising His Master's Voice, having been elected in Maharashtra as the President of All India Marathi Sahitya Samelan. Maharashtra's expansionistic designs on Goa is no secret and perhaps Shri Bhende's interview is an attempt to furthe their cause. After sixteen years since Konkani was recognized as State language, the Marathiwallas have now resurrected the language polemics in order to claim Marathi to be Goa's State language branding Konkani as a dialect of Marathi. But how dare Shri Bhende say that "Konkani is a dialect of Marathi," when there are all the testimonies to prove that Konkani is an independent Indo-Aryan language, derived from Prakrits and Sanskrit. The fact that Bhende himself says he speaks at home Konkani and has been teaching his seven-year-old grandson, is enough proof that Konkani is also the Mothertongue of the Hindus in Goa and they have been respecting it till now. The Konkani language problem, Shri Bhende must be reminded, has been resolved and sealed in 1987, and the double seal was placed on it on 20 August 1992, when it entered the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. That the Konkani language is not a dialect of Marathi and that it is an independent language has been shown by many prominent philologists, notably among them the renowned Konkani lexicographer Mgr. Sebastian Rudolpho Dalgado. In the Introduction to his book Konkani-Portuguese Dictionary - first published in 1893 in Portugal, Mgr. Dalgado writes: "...From that I conclude briefly that (1) the Konkani language is Aryan and inflexive and not dravidian or agglutinative. (2) it assimilates much to Balabasha. (3) It distances less from Sanskrit in grammar and vocabulary than of Marathi. (4) It is not a dialect or corruption of Marathi....etc. Another philologist - Gerson da Cunha (1884-1900) in a book "Konkani a Language" by Dr. Jose Pereira, says: " It is said that the Marathi language is the nearest to Sanskrit of all the vernacular languages of India, but as far as ordinary expressions in use are concerned, Konkani may perhaps claim to be not only the Southernmost, but also the North India or Aryan family of languages. Although Konkani has many words in common with Marathi....still there are words current among the Konkanas which cannot have been derived from Marathi. In evidence da Cunha gives the following table:" I - Konkani: ahum, Sanskrit: aham, Marathi: mi; Parrot: kir-kira-popat; Crane: bokem-baka-bagala; Dog: sunnem-svan-kutra; Thigh: zang-janga-mandi; Cheek: polo-kapola-gal; Bracelet: kankonn-kankana-bangadi; Cord: razu-rajju-dori. In all these words the Konkani words are based on the Sanskrit, the Marathi ones not. The same is true of words like polleum, uloum, apoum, votsum, etc." Dr. Jose Pereira in his Foreword to the book: "Konkani Self Taught" by Deorai, writes: "Besides, Konkani was the first of modern Indo-Aryan languages to be standardized. It is usually grammar and prose, and not verse, that fix a language. The first grammar on any modern Indian tongue was one on Konkani composed by an unknown Goan lay brother of the College of St. Paul in Old Goa in 1560." Dr. Pereira further in the same Foreword mentions the great prose-work in Konkani, saying: "Our effort of this age survives a large tome containing tales from the 'Mahabharata' and 'Ramayana' preserved in MS form in the Public Library at Braga, in Portugal." Those who are interested to know the true status of the Konkani language would do well to read Dr. Jose Pereira's book: "KONKANI A LANGUAGE" - History of the Konkan-Marathi Controversy, published in 1971 by the Karnatak University, Darwar, India. Dr. Pereira is a post-graduate in Sanskrit and has specialized in ancient Indian Culture. He is presently a Professor at the Fordham University in New York, USA. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
