In a message dated 7/22/03 11:19:08 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> >Dear Snatosh, >On this point I could not agree with you. If you are interested in >the correct usage the prize should be called 'Goemcho inaam'. Prize >is hardly the word a 71 year old in Goa would use ,except if speaking >to an NRI or the good old afrikaander. If the word 'inaam' is not >used the alternate term is the portuguese >adaptation,'prem'(pronounced as in the English word 'pram').A prize >is masculine in Konkani...just like our Chimbelcho cheddo. > Dear Miguel: I really appreciate this input from you and Joachim. I would have loved to follow your suggestion and use a pure Konknni name for this prize. I would choose "Fottingponna Ugodkeaar Haadpak ani Pois Korpak Puroskar" above all else. But the original purpose in choosing "Goenchem Prize" was two-fold. First, I wanted the name to reflect a certain sense of simplicity, defiance and irreverence, considering the nature of this prize. Second, I thought the word prize would be better, compared to puroskar, inaam, bokxish or prem because: a) non-Konkani speaking Goans are eligible to receive this prize, and b) this word has already become part of the conversational Konknni lexicon in Goa. Regarding the gender of the word prize, I am sorry I have to disagree with you on your contention that common Konknni usage refers to prize exclusively as a masculine noun. The people I know and converse in Konknni with in Goa as well as in the U.S. find nothing unusual with the term Goenchem Prize. They insist that prize is feminine. Mind you, these people are not Afrikaanders or second and third generation NRIs. As a matter of fact, I phoned my 71 year old father in Chimbel to check. I even checked with my mother, because after all Konknni is my avoi bhaas. Of course, we could all be speaking wrong Konknni. But there would be an awfully large contingent of people doing that. Cheers, Santosh ########################################################################## # 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 # ##########################################################################
