A pilgrim?s progress in a foreign language

Many Hindi-Urdu words bear resemblance to Portuguese or vice versa, writes Annie Datta in From the Varsity.

I began studying the Portuguese language some years back in Delhi for the romance of it. As a beginner, my teacher persisted that the best way to pronounce the Portuguese words correctly was to read them as one reads Hindi. Once in Portugal, this advice came in handy especially vis-à-vis my other university friends who didn't have the advantage of my native language. The other way to quickly merge in the Portuguese society, where language is the key to success, is to learn the Brazilian pronunciation. It's more musical and rhythmic though slow and less faithful grammatically to the mother language.

One often discovers echoes of the familiar within the unfamiliar. Many Hindi-Urdu words bear resemblance to Portuguese or vice versa. And these words are the ones that are easy to memorise for this very reason. It is fun to discover for example the words 'pipa' and 'canastra' in Portuguese have the same denotation in Hindi meaning a container. Other words like 'chaves' referring to keys and 'toalha' referring to a towel, 'camisa' (shirt) and 'mesa' (table) have parallel meaning and pronunciation in the Hindi language. It's quite possible that it is a two way process. Each has given something to the other. Latin, from where Portuguese originated, has similarities with Sanskrit and both share a structural commonness.

The Portuguese outward expansion to the Orient left a smattering of Portuguese terms like 'pao' and 'batata' very much in use today in the dialect of Mumbai. 'Pagar' (to pay) a verb here becomes a noun in the Indian context. Needless to mention that Bombay (Portuguese Bom-baia) means good bay. One may recall that Bombay was given as part of the dowry, alongside Tangiers, to the English when Charles II married the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza I.

But long before Portugal turned into an imperialist power and much before it turned an independent country with a national language, Portugal was invaded by the Moors who contributed around 700 words to the everyday Portuguese vocabulary still in use today. It is interesting to note that most of these Arabic words refer to agricultural and irrigation terminology. Some common ones are 'azeite' (olive oil), azenha (watermill), 'arroz'(rice) and 'laranja' (orange) to name a few.

The importance of olive in Portuguese gastronomy needs no emphasis. The same is true for the cultivation of orange in the Algarve region. The word orange itself is derived from our Sanskrit 'naranga' which means 'orange tree'. The Hindus used the same word for orange, which evolved into the Persian word 'naranj'. Vasco de Gama is said to have carried cultivars (plants for cultivation) from India in the 15th century to Portugal, which gave birth to the sweet Portuguese orange.

More Moorish origin words persist in the Portuguese language. Most of these begin with the definite article al. We have for example words like the naval 'almirante', 'alface' for lettuce, algodão (cotton), alguidar (a recipient), and 'alfaiate' (tailor). Besides the language Moorish influence can be traced to the different commercial industries and the scientific knowledge of navigation and astronomy left behind by them and which helped the Portuguese discoveries and outward expansion to Africa and the Orient. Al-Garab is a familiar name to the English tourists. Yes, I am referring to the Algarve known for its beaches and white houses with terraces and adorned by laced chimneys. A place most sought after by the holiday makers. It has the unmistakable ambience of history and is favoured by Mediterranean climate as a consequence of the hot winds originating in the Sahara Desert.

A pilgrim's progress in a foreign language comes with hard work and many years of linguistic discipline. For Coimbra University students it means going up and down the stairs of knowledge. The University is built on a high platform and the part facing the founder's statue is approached by the monumental 125 stairs. The other access from the downtown is by using the 'back breaking' (quebra costa) steps to the university. After four years of graduation, a student might feel relieved while going down these stairs but definitely there is stronger nostalgia to memorize. Language is the door to the experience gathered among students, and gains made by being part of their traditions, sitting with them in the canteens, dressed alike in black and carrying like them loads of books daily to the centre of knowledge. A truly sublime experience!