Bengalis- Don’t get offended by this article, for, I am a half Bengali myself.
Bengalis, as a rule rather then exception, have a tendency of converting alphabet ‘A’ into ‘0’ and ‘V’ into ‘BHI’ while speaking a word, among other peculiarities. But for the time being, let us talk about these two. I can sight innumerable examples of this trait in Bengalis, but, for the time being, two will suffice.
Once, our family went to Ahmedabad to visit my elder brother’s family. We reached Bombay by train and from there to Ahmedabad by car. The two families were having good time and gossip after elaborate lunch when my brother asked my wife by which train we reached Bombay.
‘Frontier Mail’: replied my wife, pronouncing ‘Fro’ more broadly then Bengalis usually do. My brother didn’t catch. So he asked again ‘which’?
Again my wife replied: ‘Frontier Mail’, putting even more stress on ‘Fro’, sounding like FRAU.
The reply went above my brother’s head. But, his sixth sense probably told him not to venture the question for the third time. Usually my brother understands and speaks Bengali very well, but this Indianised or rather Bengalinised ‘Frontier’ was beyond him. Or he had bear one too many before lunch to grasp this stylish vocabulary. Anyway, he looked at me helplessly.
‘Frontier Mail’: I said as it should be told. ‘Oh’: He said. Ever a gentleman, my brother tried to contain his mirth and succeeded. Others could not.
My wife is Bengali and we are married for a little over forty years. It is said that after prolonged togetherness some of your spouse’s habits rub on you. I have not picked up this trait from her in all these years-YET. I thank God for small mercies.
As for ‘BHI’, another article.
Bengalis, as a rule rather then exception, have a tendency of converting alphabet ‘A’ into ‘0’ and ‘V’ into ‘BHI’ while speaking a word, among other peculiarities. But for the time being, let us talk about these two. I can sight innumerable examples of this trait in Bengalis, but, for the time being, two will suffice.
Once, our family went to Ahmedabad to visit my elder brother’s family. We reached Bombay by train and from there to Ahmedabad by car. The two families were having good time and gossip after elaborate lunch when my brother asked my wife by which train we reached Bombay.
‘Frontier Mail’: replied my wife, pronouncing ‘Fro’ more broadly then Bengalis usually do. My brother didn’t catch. So he asked again ‘which’?
Again my wife replied: ‘Frontier Mail’, putting even more stress on ‘Fro’, sounding like FRAU.
The reply went above my brother’s head. But, his sixth sense probably told him not to venture the question for the third time. Usually my brother understands and speaks Bengali very well, but this Indianised or rather Bengalinised ‘Frontier’ was beyond him. Or he had bear one too many before lunch to grasp this stylish vocabulary. Anyway, he looked at me helplessly.
‘Frontier Mail’: I said as it should be told. ‘Oh’: He said. Ever a gentleman, my brother tried to contain his mirth and succeeded. Others could not.
My wife is Bengali and we are married for a little over forty years. It is said that after prolonged togetherness some of your spouse’s habits rub on you. I have not picked up this trait from her in all these years-YET. I thank God for small mercies.
As for ‘BHI’, another article.
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