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| Kutchi | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| કચ્છી / کچھی Kachhi | ||||
| Spoken in | India, Pakistan. Also UK, USA, Kenya and others. | |||
| Region | South Asia | |||
| Total speakers | 866,000[1] | |||
| Language family | Indo-European
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| Writing system | Arabic script, Gujarati script | |||
| Official status | ||||
| Official language in | No official status. | |||
| Regulated by | No official regulation | |||
| Language codes | ||||
| ISO 639-1 | None | |||
| ISO 639-2 | – | |||
| ISO 639-3 | kfr | |||
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Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi) (Urdu: کچھی) is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat, with approximately 866,000 speakers. Often improperly referred to as a dialect of Gujarati, it is in fact a clear dialect of Sindhi, and behaves much like Sindhi in almost all its grammar and some vocabulary.
It is as such also spoken in the Sindh province of Pakistan, and notably in large areas of eastern Africa by Muslims from the Indian subcontinent. It is spoken by the Kutchi people; specifically, these are the Rajputs Jadeja, Bhanushalis (Bhunsari in Kutchi), Bhatias, Brahmins (Rajgor Ganyathy - Bhuj) Megvals,
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Kachhi is related to Sindhi, spoken in neighboring Sindh, Pakistan and parts of India, and Gujarati, being as Kutchh is in between Sindh and Gujarat.
Kachhi is often thought to be a mixture of Sindhi, Gujarati and Rajasthani. Its lexical content shows the very large extent to which the language is a complex combination of Sindhi and Gujarati.
It is likely that such linguistic similarities are the result of migrations over the centuries across the desert stretching from present-day Sindh to Saurashtra and Kutchh to the east, and Rajasthan.
Most Kachhis living in India are bilingual or trilingual, due to exposure to closely-related neighbouring languages such as Gujarati. While those in Pakistan are also bilingual or trilingual, due to exposure to closely-related neighbouring languages such as Sindhi. Kutchi can not be written in Urdu script but Kutchi can be written in Sindhi or Gujrati. It is mostly spoken in parts of Karachi.
Most common words
There are distinct regional accents and variations in grammar. As in many languages spoken along Asian trade routes, there is substantial borrowing from Persian and Arabic -- words like "duniya" (world), "jahannum" (hell), and "naseeb" (fate), are routinely used by many speakers of Kachhi. Many Kachhi speakers also speak Gujarati as a separate language, especially as it is the language in which Kachhi-speakers customarily write. Kachhi speakers' Gujarati accent and usage tends towards the standardly accepted forms that any Gujarati speaker would be able to understand.
Some sample Kachchhi phrases:
Kuro nihaareto - what are you looking at?
Kuro thiyoh - what happen?
Achija - bye bye (lit. do come again)
Aain achota - અંઇ અચોતા - are you coming? (polite)
Kuro kareto - what are you doing?
Kuro karota - કોરો કયો તા - what are you doing?(polite)
Kada vanota - કતે વનો તા - where are you going? (polite)
Ki ainyo - કીં અયો - how are you? (polite)
Ain - You (polite)
Tu - You (informal)
Ganni acho (Bring it)
aaon gaddo - I have taken.
Vanaato - I am going.
halo - come (with me/together)
ve - sit down
vyo - sit down (polite)
What - Kuro
Who - Ker
Where - Kadaa (contrast with Sindhi "Kithe") and Gujarati (Kyan)
Why - Kurelai/Kulai
When - Kaday
How - Keen (n silent)
To give an indication of dialects and regional variations, the Sindhi question "Kithe vino ta?" (where are you going?) would be posed in Kutchhi as "Kadaa vano ta?"
The following words are commonly used by Hindu individuals of descending from the Kutch rural area of Gujarat, India, who, especially if in east Africa, reject Kutchhi.
These are colloquial forms of general Gujarati phrases that are often used in daily conversation in villages, particularly of the Kutchi predominance and are Gujaratisized versions of Kutchi words. An example of such follows:
-hayo/chhadyo hane (Gujarati "bas chhodo have" now drop it)
-Avero/Javero ( Gujarati - Aawun' chhun' / Jaaun' chhun' - I am coming / going)
-Kichri Khaay to? (Gujarati - Kichri khaao chho? - Are you eating Kichri?)
Writing system
Kachhi is normally written using a modified version of the Gujarāti script. Many books and magazines are published the language using the modified Gujarāti script, including Vadhod ("Inquiry"). Kachhi is also written in the Devanagari script by some speakers. In earlier times it used to be written in Khojki script, which is now extinct.
kuto-Dog Kuro - કોરો - What
Burr-a-buur - ભરોભર - Ok
Laat - લાટ - Nice
Khapey - ખપે - Want
Munke dE - મુકે ડે - Give (it to) me
Jaga - જગા - Place
BhOOkh -ભોખ - Hunger
KIdaa - કડા - where
HalyaN- હલ્યા - welcome
Maadu - માડુ - Man
Chhoro - છોરો - Boy
Naalo - નાલો - Name
KUtoo - કોત્તો- Dog
Bilaadee - મન્ની - Cat
Undar - કો - Rat
Undhurr - અંદર - In
Achija - અચીજા - Bye
As-an-jo - Our
Pann-jo - પાંજો - Our
Gal-yu - ગાલ્યું - Talk (as in 'Talk is cheap')
Dill - ધીલ - Heart
Be-suddho - Fool
Viyadhi - Problem
Sho wari - Beautiful
Kin ni/no - Ugly
Ae aa - Oh shit
Choviaar - ચોવિયાર - Dinner before sunset
Jaman - Meal
kii ai - કિં અહિયે - How are you
korocheto - What do you say?
Raandh - Sports
Mithoo - Parrot
Baaie - Women
Choo kri - Girl
Machhi - Fish
Urdo - Boat
Chumi - Kiss
Ghodo - Horse
Hidan Acho - Come Here
Famous Kutchi speakers
- Fahmida Mirza, first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
- Sant shree Odhavraamji Maharaj(Guruji);Sant shree Valraam Maharaj(GUruji);Pandit Shyamji Krishna Verma, prominent freedom fighter and founder of India House in London
- Freedom Fighter Gopaldas M.Purecha Als, prominent freedom fighter-Kakubhai Bhatia
See also
External links
- Kutchchhi And Halai Family Members
- Ethnologue report on Kutchi
- Gujarāti script, used to write Kutchi
- Cutchi Memons
- Kachchh Portal
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