Dear Ingrid,
Thanks for the response. However, I do recommend that you learn the Konkani
terms for various family members to get the flavour of our wonderful native
language and state. I am retaining a few of the terms from DOMNIC'S GOA, a book
every Goa needs to read ... after buying a copy for self and at least one
friend, to know more about Goa and to encourage Goan authors to publish. It is
a shame that publications by Goans do not easily sell a thousand copies unless
they are targeting the tourists as potential readers. "How to be an Instant
Goan" by Valentino Fernandes has sold thousands of copies!
Being in the publication business, you will understand how Cecil Pinto,
Frederick Noronha and, of course, Domnic Fernandes feel about publishing,
editing and writing[respectively] a good book for Goans ... who want a free
copy and, even then, unwilling to read the book! ;-( We got quite a few school
students to read the book DOMNIC'S GOA by making it the recommended reference
material for a GK Quiz focussed on Goa. A gift by an alumnus to teachers in our
school, in the memory of his father [who was also our teacher]has become a
treasure for the retired teachers to read. For those still younger, and with
hormones [not from HRT] revving in the body, the book is still useful as can be
seen below:
"Baiko-la firaila aila re kanttalla
Mevnni paije mhalla!" in Marathi
or
"Bhaillek bonvddavpacho aila re vaz,
Mevnni zai mhakam re az"
is a song one can sing along with one's Mevnno [wife's brother] if, like me,one
is married to an "only daughter". If the wife has a sister, it is dangerous to
sing it with the Mevnno. One can sing the song with one's Saddu [mevnni's
husband], only if one's wife has two or more sisters. Otherwise, the Mevnni one
sings about will be the Saddu's wife ...... and he will not take kindly to a
suggestion that one wants to flirt with his wife. ;-(
There is a growing awareness and understanding of promiscuity in the present
day Goa,which is on the verge of a becoming a major "Rest & Recreation" hub
like Pattaya-Thailand or Subic Bay-Philippines for the US Seventh fleet, now
stationed in the Arabian Sea because of the Iraq & Afganistan conflict instead
of the South China Sea during the Vietnam war. The so-called "offshore" casino
ships are jostling for space in the River Mandovi and Porvorim's Majestic Hotel
has recently started "Casino Paradise" bringing the home truth closer home.
Prostitution is also keeping pace with the rising affluence and libido of the
"domestic" tourists and the "Gorah Babu". Dr. Rajesh Dhume, Senior Psychiatrist
and Secretary of Psychaitrists Society of Goa, spoke about "patholigical
gamblers" among ladies from the so-called "elite families" of Goa. He was
speaking at a panel discussion on "Tourism in Goa" organised by the Rotary Club
of Mapuca with Ralph deSouza of the
deSouza Group and TTAG and Adv. Albertina Almeida as the other panelists.
Domnic wrote that ancient truth that is going to come home to roost:
"Ghoran nokllo maim-manv, bhair zanna sogllo ganv."
(The in-laws are in the dark, but the whole village knows.)
Read the context in his post below ....or in DOMNIC'S GOA. [Abbe Faria
Publications, Price Rs.350/- available at Broadway Book Centre and Varsha Book
Stall, Panaji]
Mog asundi.
Miguel
From: Ingrid Valles Po <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: [Goanet] Kuttombachem Zhadd ... what does one call one's
sister-in-law's husband?
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Goan NRI" <goan-Date: Sunday, 28 September, 2008, 3:09
PM
My head is spinning.... ......... ..I'll stick to uncle and aunt and grandma
and grandpa and niece and nephew......
Ingrid Valles Pó
-----Original Message-----
From:Miguel Braganza <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 10:20 PM
Goan relatives: a who's who
from the book DOMNIC'S GOA
by Domnic Fernandes, Gaumvaddy-Anjuna, Goa.
When a man and woman get married, they become ghov (husband)
and bhail (wife). As children, whenever friends called out
our names as we played, we would answer: "Ov," (Yes!) They
would often immediately say: "Tuje maincho ghov." (Your
mother's husband). This was a way of rhyming with our reply
but not just that.
In Goa, each marriage comes with a package of new
relationships. While a sun and sasupai usually share a good relationship,
the same cannot be said about a sun and sasumaim.
Sometimes, when a sun got involved in extra-marital affairs
and the in-laws were unaware of it, the villagers would
gossip: "Ghoran nokllo maim-manv, bhair zanna sogllo ganv."
(The in-laws are in the dark, but the whole village knows.)
There are other relatives too.
A dher (husband's brother) plays a vital role in a family,
especially an elder one. So does an elder voni (brother's
wife), who is always required to perform family rights and
give the lead at functions.
Often, a dher and a voni share very close relationship which
is why they say: "Dher-ak sodanch mog voniecho" (the
husband's brother always has a soft corner for his brother's
wife).
A nonondd (husband's sister) mostly plays a mild role in a
family, and usually serves as a good partner to her voni. But
sometimes their relationship too turns out to be thorny,
especially if the nononnd is a spinster, because she finds it
tough to accept her voni as the new commander of the house.
A mevnni (wife's sister) is very much liked by her cunhad vo
bhavoji (sister's husband). Here again, these two new family
members mostly share a close relationship, which sometimes
results in a tension to the elder or younger sister.
A mevnno (wife's brother) always maintains good relationship
with his cunhad and all of his relatives.
The saddu (wife's sister's husband) relationship is usually
neutral, unless there is a tug of war between the two due to
wealth, status, or some such factor. If the public knows
of the rift between the two, they comment: "Dogui saddu atam
zaleat koddu." (Brother-in- laws have now turned embittered.)
2008/9/24 Miguel Braganza <miguelbraganza@ yahoo.co. in>:
> Dears,
>
> One can pick up a few words of Konkani by reading the English language book
> DOMNIC'S GOA authored by Domnic Fernandes, edited by Frederick Noronha and
> published by Cecil Pinto's Abbe Faria Publications ...a rare collective
> effort by Goans in Goa.
>
> A good book to pick up is KONKANI COURSE IN ROMAN SCRIPT available at
> Broadway Book Centre, Varsha Book Stall or St. Paul's Book Store, all in
> Panaji-Goa. There is a Devanagri version, also from TSKK, Porvorim. Script
> is not an issue, learning the language with ease is! Pick your script.
>
> The publications are an affirmative action. No other response is necessary
> for those who predicted in 1987 that Konkani in Roman script would last a
> maximum of 20 years. that year came and passed .... in 2006! If 12 and 14
> year-old children are reading and writing Konkani in Roman script ...inspite
> of Konkani in Devanagri script being forced upon them by unthinking
> "educational" societies like the DSE and ABE [who manage most of the primary
> schools in Antruzi Konkani medium of instruction in Goa] .... it just goes to
> prove how good the so-called pedagogy was!
> It is time to wake up and smell the coffee. Even the Vatican has accepted the
> fact that the Earth goes round the sun ..... in spite of the apparent sun
> rise and sun set! Coppernicus and Galileo stand vindicated.
>
> Mog asundi.
>
> Miguel
-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-. -.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-. -.-.-.
Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts,
Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa
Ph 9822982676 miguelbraganza@ yahoo.co. in
-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-. -.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-. -.-.-.
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