Kalkatiya Urdu
| Kalkatiya Urdu | |
|---|---|
| Urdu dialect of Calcutta | |
| Region | Kolkata |
| Ethnicity | Calcuttans |
| Perso-Arabic script (Urdu alphabet) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
Kalkatiyā Urdu (Urdu: کلکتیا اردو) is a variety of Urdu spoken in the city of Kolkata. Due to the influence of the Bengali language, it possesses a distinct identity.[1] It is particularly prevalent in the city's Muslim neighborhoods and has a notable literary heritage. The features of Kalkatiya Urdu reflect clear traces of Bengali influence, which are evident in its phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary. For instance, certain phonemes and sentence structures exhibit a Bengali-style articulation.[2] From a literary perspective, Kalkatiya Urdu has produced several notable figures who contributed significantly to poetry and prose in this dialect. Ibrahim Hosh is a prominent example, who set a unique precedent through his poetry in Kalkatiya Urdu.[3]
According to linguist Naseer Ahmad, Kalkatiya Urdu is a distinct sociolect spoken primarily in the Muslim neighborhoods of Kolkata. It is especially prevalent among older and less formally educated residents, many of whom trace their ancestry to migrants from Bihar. The dialect exhibits influences from regional languages such as Magadhi, Bhojpuri, and Bengali particularly noticeable in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. It is commonly used among working-class Urdu speakers for everyday communication. While the dialect is largely confined to Kolkata, some speakers also attempt to adopt the standard form of Bengali Urdu used by the educated segments of the Urdu-speaking population. Literary samples of Kalkatiya Urdu have appeared in various writings.[4]
Apurbo Krishna Kunvar (d. 1867) used Kalkatiya Urdu in a few couplets of his Masnawi-e-Kunvar.[5]
References
- ^ Rauf, Abdur (1990). مغربی بنگال میں اردو کا لسانیاتی ارتقاء [Linguistic Development of Urdu in West Bengal] (in Urdu). Kolkata: West Bengal Urdu Academy. p. 174.
- ^ Bhattacharya, Shanti Ranjan (1989). بنگال کی زبانوں سے اردو کا رشتہ (ایک لسانی مطالعہ) [The Relationship of Urdu with the Languages of Bengal: A Linguistic Study] (in Urdu) (2nd ed.). Aminabad, Lucknow: Nusrat Publishers. p. 144.
- ^ Rahmani, Abul Kalam (2004). "مغربی بنگال میں اردو طنز و مزاح" [Urdu Satire and Humor in West Bengal]. آزادی کے بعد مغربی بنگال کا اردو ادب [Urdu Literature of West Bengal after Independence] (in Urdu). Ed. by Naeem Anees. Kolkata: The Muslim Institute. pp. 81–82.
- ^ Ahmad, Naseer (1979). اردو بولیاں اور کرخنداری کا عمرانی لسانیاتی مطالعہ [A Sociolinguistic Study of Urdu Dialects and the Karkhandari] (in Urdu). Delhi: Idara-e-Tasneef. p. 54.
- ^ Jilani, Abu Bakar (1989). بنگال کا ایک نامور اردو شاعر کنور (اپنی دو مثنویوں کی روشنی میں) [Kunvar: In the Light of His Two Masnavis – A Renowned Urdu Poet of Bengal] (in Urdu). Kolkata: Calligraph Offset Printers. p. 199.