GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY

Aap ki nazro ne samja pyaar ke kabil mujhe (Hindi): Your eyes have considered me worthy of love; song from Bollywood film Anpadh; covered by Lata Mangeshkar.

achari (Swahili): any type of relish

Aga Khan: religious leader of the Shi'i Imami Ismaili Muslims; presently the forty-ninth direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad.

Apsara: a supernatural female being, Hindu mythology who is able to take you to your doom if she desires.

Arabi (Kutchi): Arab woman

Attars (Urdu): perfumes.

au toke hero laafo mar-ni (Kutchi): literally I will give you such a slap/beating

bankra (Kutchi): benches.

bapa (Kutchi): grandpa.

bechari (Hindi): poor thing.

be-sharam (Hindi): shameless.

beta (Hindi): son.

bhagat (Kutchi): devotee.

bhajias: potato fritters.

bhashan (Hindi): lecture.

bhuri-bhuri (Kutchi): used to describe someone with light colored eyes; like saying someone is fair.

Bohora: Muslim Shi'i sect.

booblas (Kutchi): slang, boobs.

bwana (Swahili): sir.

chadar (Hindi): blanket.

chai: Indian spiced tea.

chapati: Indian flat wheat bread, similar to a tortilla.

char (Kutchi): to itch.

chodu (Kutchi): fucker.

chokdi (Gujerati): girl.

chattur kagro goo upar bese (Gujerati adage): literally, a picky crow ends up perching on shit in the end.

dhanni (Kutchi): husband.

dhorias (Kutchi): whites.

dhorio (Kutchi): white male.

dhorki (Kutchi): white female.

Diwali: Hindu celebration; the festival of lights for Ram's return to Ayodhya after years of exile.

doodh-malai: dessert made with milk and cream.

D'ua (Urdu): prayer.

fagia (Swahili): broomstick.

gandu (Hindi): faggot.

gangha (Swahili): witchcraft

gand (Kutchi): ass

geli-danda: a game involving a piece of wood sharpened at both ends and propelled by the use of a wooden bat; played to rules resembling cricket.

golo (Swahili): black.

goras (Hindi): whites.

Gujerati: language of Gujarat, India.

ghungroos: ankle bells.

ginans: religious hymns.

halwa: sweetmeat invented in 1750 by the ruler of Multan after whom it was named.

han, han: yes, yes.

haram zade (Hindi): bastard.

haya: okay

Hazar Imam: the present Imam or spiritual leader of the Ismailis.

hushyar (Kutchi): clever.

Ismailis: Shi'i Muslim sect that believes the Prophet Muhammad was succeeded by an uninterrupted chain of Imams.

Jaise Radha ne mala japi Shyam ki: Just as Radha wove Shyam's garland; based on Hindu mythology's love legend of Radha and Krishna; song from Bollywood film Tere Mere Sapne; covered by Lata Mangeshkar

Jamat Khanna (Kutchi): mosque or prayer house for the Ismailis.

Kala-Singhi (Punjabi): a Sikh woman.

Kaunda suits: a two-piece men's suit named after Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's former president.

khabar ayi neh (Kutchi): you know, right?

keemat (Hindi): to value.

khatar-naakh (Hindi): dangerous.

khima chapatis: pan-fried bread stuffed with eggs and ground beef.

khoji (Kutchi): female Ismaili.

khudda (Kutchi/Urdu): God.

kitenges: traditional and colorful African clothing made of cotton.

Kutchi: language from Kutch region in Gujarat state of India.

kutri-sali (Kutchi): damn bitch.

Lonchamos (Spanish): slang; Let's lunch.

mabuyus: morsels of baobab fruit that are cooked in sugar and died red.

machar-dani (Kutchi): mosquito net.

maghenis (Kutchi): guests.

maghrab/maghrib (Urdu): dusk.

Makonde: an African people who lived in the Savannah highlands of East Africa.

malayas (Swahili): prostitutes.

mama kuba: the matriarch or grandmother.

manzil (Hindi): destination.

marungi: An African plant eaten raw; is a stimulant and used to keep awake.

mataji (Hindi): mother addressed respectfully.

matha-kuti (Kutchi): headache.

mein azaad hoon (Hindi): I am free.

meri beti kitni akalmand hai (Hindi): my daughter is so intelligent.

mi culo esta ardiendo (Spanish): my ass is burning.

mishkake (Swahili): barbecued meat.

mithais: Indian desert.

monthar: Indian sweetmeat.

Mowla (Urdu): lord.

mujrah: traditional Indian dance popularized by the courtesans.

Mukhi (Kutchi): one of the male religious priests in the Ismaili community.

mungu (Swahili): God.

mzungus (Swahili): whites

Na jaane kya hua jo tune chu liya (Hindi): I don't what happened now that you've touched me; song from Bollywood film Dard; covered by Lata Mangeshkar.

Nah: no

Nandhi: food auction after evening prayers, the proceeds of which go to the Ismaili community.

Nankhatais (Kutchi): butter cookies.

Paisa (Hindi): money.

Pakeezah (Urdu): a specific Bollywood film; pure.

paki (Kutchi): complete or firm.

panchaat (Kutchi): gossip

parorie: prayer from 3:30 to 5:30AM for Ismailis.

pata nahin kahan se ajate hain (Hindi): I don't know where they come from.

Piya tu aab to aaja (Hindi): Lover, please come to me now; song from Bollywood film Caravan; covered by Asha Bhosle.

pumbafus (Swahili): idiot or stupid.

rani Mata (Hindi): queen mother.

Rasra: traditional Gujarati folk dance.

sadhris (Kutchi): mats.

satado: an Ismaili ceremony dedicating a week's worth of prayers to a specific calamity or cause.

Sati (Hindi): traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre.

shairis (Hindi): poems

Sheesha ho ya dil ho, akhir toot jata hai (Hindi): Whether it's a heart or a glass, eventually it breaks; song from Bollywood film Ashaa; covered by Lata Mangeshkar.

shogas (Kutchi): faggots.

taqat (Urdu): stately seat.

tasbih (Urdu): rosary.

taturi (Kutchi): penis.

thapar (Hindi): slap.

tun mari waat sambhar (Gujerati): listen to what I'm saying.

uhuru (Swahili): independence.

umbwas (Swahili): dogs.

utsav (Sanskrit): festival.

vashiah (Hindi): prostitute.

wah-wah (Hindi): praise; equivalent to 'bravo.'

yaar (Hindi): friend.

Yeh duniya, yeh mehfil, mere kaam ki nahin: this world, this gathering is of no use to me; song from Bollywood film Heer Ranjha; covered by Mohammed Rafi.

Many of the words in this glossary belong to more than one dialect or language, as is typical in circumstances of assimilation with another culture resulting from the South Asian Diaspora. Some words, although attributed to a specific language may only be used regionally and remain largely unrecognized in the official directory of the language. In some cases, entirely new words or phrases are developed by regional peoples and these have been left unattributed to a specific background.