Learn Konkani online

The facebook page of the Konkani Dictionary Project (KDP) (see last post) is one of the best resources online to learn the konkani language.

The facebook page now incorporates pictures, konkani words and their english meanings. The best way to learn a language is by using pictures and to match them to their equivalent words in the konkani language. If anyone wants to find the meaning of a specific word, just post a request there and the others will reply with the answers.

The page is updated quite a few times in a day and is highly active. The key members include BVB – Bantval Venkataraya Baliga & MJB – Jayadeva Bhat.

Hope this helps you learn konkani. Click on the link below to go to the page.

Learn Konkani Online

Best Konkani facebook page ever

The GSB Konkani dictionary project has its own facebook page.

The page helps all Konkani lovers to interact with each other and share new and unique words on the page.

The ‘word of the day’ feature is great with a word being published on the page with its corresponding english meaning. This should be very helpful for anyone wishing to learn the Konkani language.

The page also has various discussions on varying topics.

Overall a great page to like. To add the facebook page just go to the below link and click ‘like’.

Konkani Facebook Page

Konkani film wins accolade world over

The Konkani movie ‘Paltadacho Munis’, which literally translated from Konkani means ‘The Man Beyond the Bridge’ has been creating a buzz for a long time now.

The film by Goan Laxmikant Shetagaonkar was made with the financial help from the National Film Development Corporation.

The film had won the FIPRESCI prize in 2009 during the Toronto International Film festival.

The story revolves around the protagonist Vinayak, a forest ranger who falls in love with a mentall ill woman, leading to loads of social problems that come with such a relationship.

A must see movie for any Konkani language lover.

Eminent writer and thinker Chandrakant Keni is no more

It is the end of an era, with the passing away of the eminent writer and thinker Shri Chandrakant Keni. Born before independence in 1934 has spent a lifetime supporting the Konkani movement in Goa. It was his contribution that helped form Goa into a separate federal state in the Indian republic and also define its own identity, culture and language.

A well know journalist during his time, he was known for his direct and fearless attack on the existing system, which he thought were deeply unfair. Thus exposing their faults.

His death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our wishes are with his family.

Konkani language is a fundamental element of Goan Identity

Shri Eduardo Faleiro the commissioner of Non Resident Indian Affairs has said that the Konkani language si fundamental element that defines Goan identity. Spanning across religions, class and lifestyle Konkani is one language that unites the peoples.

These words were spoken at a Official Language Day function organised by the Goa Konkani Academy.

Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad says youth is the real force of Konkani

The 27th meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad has stressed the importance as the youth being at the forefront of uplifting the Konkani language. Its long been belived that the older generation has always led the way, this is the first time there has been acknowledgement of the youth’s role.

With the advent of the internet and the way languages intermingle on the web, it has become really important that the youth who define the future path of a language is given equal importance.

Also discussed was how the internet and latest technologies could be used for the upliftment of the konkani language and culture.

Konkani – Goa Government pushes use of language

If thing work the way the Goan Government wants to, the Konkani language could soon be used by the State Government in its day to day functioning.

Starting off with Konkani being used to file FIRs (First Information Reports) in Goan police stations. Presently these are being filled in English and to some extent in Marathi. The ultimate aim is obviously to start using Konkani in all other structures of the government.

This move was long seen to be coming, as the implementation of the Konkani language in schools has ensured that Konkani is now read and written by the vast majority in Goa.

However it should be noted that steps like these have to be taken with caution and a detailed study done on the impact of such a move. Official documentation is not something that should be played around with and enforcing people to use a certain language can cause long term consequences. Imagine an FIR filed in Konkani by a person who might not have the relevant knowledge of the language, either because he/she is well versed in an other language or does not know the Konkani language in the first place. This document is afterall an important one and will be used all the way up to the enforcement of law by the Judicial system.

Though the step is a move in the right direction (and well supported by the author), the ‘convenience to the common man’ debate might end up causing him the most inconvenience.

Konkani To German Translation

There are quite a few sites that do konkani to english translations online (and viceversa). Here is the first attempt to do that with the German language.
Having Konkani to German translation would open up the language to a whole new set of countries that use German as their primary/secondary language. These would include Germany, Switzerland and Austria among others.

A small step for the language in making it available to locations henceforth it was not accessible, due to linguistic barriers.

Well if you are a fan of the German language, I bet you will thoroughly enjoy this one (this is the best you can get till Google adds Konkani to its translate program, which I assume would be a few decades away, at the least):

Konkani To German Word Lists

Mr Mallya to the rescue again – This time its Gandhi’s Personal Belongings

Gandhi’s personal belongings slowly disappear from India over a period of few decades. No one cares or tracks their movements. The Gandhi family themselves are believed to have given away these things to loads of people over the decades.

Then the auction happens, and all of a sudden the whole country is jumping up and down. All sorts of accusations on why the auction is illegal etc spring up. Obviously the legal process in the States did not seem to think so. Just talk and no actions are at best what the national government was upto.

The whole controversy meant that the items were now more in demand then they would have been without the governments involvement. Everyone now wanted a piece of the cake. In a few days, the items value had shot 4-5 times over their reserve price.

Enter Vijay Mallya. Silently enters the auction via an agent. Secret till the last day. Wins the auction. Gets the belongings back to India. Problem found, problem solved.

What Mallya is good at, is play the game on the opponents turf, with the opponents rules and then excel at it. Instead of all this all-talk-no-actual-result, he gets what was needed at the moment. Get the job done, and done well. Congratulations Sir. The country owes you one for this.

Baby Talk in Konkani Language – A wonderful insight

What we dont realise sometimes is that each language has it own ‘baby talk’ so to speak. When a baby grows up, it encounters not only adults talking to it in a certain language, but also tends to be bombarded with a type of slang that people tend to throw at kids, that they would not normally use in normal circumstances. Quite confusing it must be for the baby to understand the subtle difference among the two.

Things like ‘abbu jalle’, which in baby konkani means ‘get hurt’ is one such example. Various such examples can be found. Infact it would be interesting if one could document all such ‘baby slangs’ that are in vogue. In all probabilities these words are in usage for hunderds of years and never really make it into a formal dictionary. But know the words, we all do.

One such beautiful attempt to document the same has been done at the below location. Hope you really enjoy it, and use it with your kids.

Konkani Baby Slang