Madras Bashai
Encyclopedia
Madras Bashai or Madras Tamil, is a colloquial slang of Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 spoken in the city of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 (previously known as Madras).The word bashai derives from the Sanskrit bhasha (language). Like Bambaiya Hindi
Bambaiya Hindi
Mumbai Hindi or simply Mumbaiyya is a Hindi pidgin spoken in and around the city of Mumbai, India. It incorporates words and pronunciations from Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani and English...

 used in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, Madras Bashai is a loose polyglot
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...

 blend of Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 with Indian English
Indian English
Indian English is an umbrella term used to describe dialects of the English language spoken primarily in the Republic of India.As a result of British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 English is an official language of India and is widely used in both spoken and literary contexts...

, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...

 and Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...

. Madras bashai has been largely popularized by autorickshaw drivers and fishermen from the northern parts of the city.

Madras Bashai evolved largely during the past three centuries. It grew in parallel with the growth of cosmpolitan Madras. After Madras Bashai became somewhat common in Madras, it became a source of satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...

 for early Kollywood
Kollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...

 movies from the 1950s, in the form of pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...

s and double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....

s. Subsequent generations in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

 identified with it and absorbed English constructs into the dialect, making it what it is today.

Due to immigration and cultural exchange, terms from Madras Bashai are also used sometimes in other cities and towns of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

.

Evolution

Madras Bashai evolved largely during the past three centuries. When the city of Madras was founded in 1640 by the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

, it had sizable populations of both Tamil
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:* Tamil language, one of the Dravidian languages primarily spoken in India, Tamil Eelam and Southeast Asia* Tamil script, primarily used to write the Tamil language* Tamil people -See also:...

 and Telugu speakers. As the city gradually expanded to include the predominantly Tamil-speaking areas to its south, a cosmopolitan culture evolved. The Tamil spoken by Telugu settlers was heavily-laced with Telugu words. Gradually, with the emergence of Madras as an important city in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 and as the capital of Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...

, contact with the western world increased and a number of English words crept into the idiom. Due to the presence of a considerable population of Hindusthani-speakers, especially, the Gujarathis, Marwaris
Marwaris
Marwari or Marwadi or Rajasthani people are Indian ethnic group, that inhabit the Rajasthan region of India. Their language Rajasthani is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages....

 and some Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 communities, some Hindi words, too, became a part of Madras Bashai.

Vocabulary

A few words unique to Madras Bashai are given below:

{| class="wikitable" width="75%" width="75%"
!Standard Tamil
!Madras bashai
!Meaning
|- ---
| Appuram (அப்புறம்)
| Appālikā,appāllē,appa (அப்பாலிகா, அப்பாலே,அப்ப)
| Then
|- ---
| Ankae (அங்கே)
| Annana (அந்தாண்ட)
| There
|- ---
| Kōpam (கோபம்)
| Kāndu (காண்டு)
| Anger
|- ---
| Bhayam (பயம்), Achcham (அச்சம்)
| Mersu (மெர்ச)
| Fear
|- ---
J
| Izhuththukkondu (இழுத்துக்கொண்டு)
| isthukinu (இஸ்துகிணு)
| pulling ( as in 'Come pulling the cart)
|- ---

| Iravu (இரவு)
| Raavu (ராவு)
| night
|- ---

| Verumane (வெறுமனே)
| Summangattiyum (சும்மாங்காட்டியும்)
| just like that (Telling a thing without meaning it)
|- ---

| Azhaithhukkondu va (அழைத்துக்கொண்டு வா)
| ittukinu va (இட்டுகினுவா)
| Bring (him)
|- ---

| Azhukkuppidiththavan' (அழுக்குபிடித்தவன்)
| Kasamalam (கசமாலம்)
| Dirty/filthy man (used to scold a person)
|- ---

| amma, oru vaai unavu kodu (தாயே, ஒரு வாய் உணவு கொடு)
| mathakolam (மாதாகோலம்)
| Mother, give a mouthful of food (Phrase used by beggars)
|- ---

| veettirku/veettil (வீட்டிற்கு, வீட்டில்)
| vuttande/vutle (வூட்டாண்டெ, வூட்லே)
| To the house, in the house
|- ---

| yaravathu/ evarenum (யாராவது/எவரேனும்)
| yarachchum (யாராச்சும்)
| anyone/ anybody
|- ---

| payanatra vaichchol manithan (பயனற்ற, வாய்ச்சொல் மனிதன்)
| dubakkoru (டுபாக்கோரு)
| useless, talkative man
|- ---

| Thurnatram (துர்நாற்றம்)
| gabbu (கப்பு)
| Bad smell (From Telugu)
|- ---

| miga chiriya (மிகச் சிறிய)
miga kuraintha alavu (மிகக் குறைந்த அளவு)
| dammathoondu (தம்மாதூண்டு)
| very little, very little quantity
|- ---

| Thiraippadam (திரைப்படம்)
| bayaskopu (பயாஸ்கோப்பு)
| Movie, cinema (From English- Bioscope meant
a projector of yesteryear)
|- ---

| Kannadi thundu (கண்ணாடித் துண்டு)
| vatlodu (வாட்லோடு)
| glass pieces
|- ---

| chappidu (சாப்பிடு)
| tunnu (துன்னு)
| eat
|- ---

| achchamoottu, bayamuruththu (அச்சமூட்டு, பயமுறுத்து)
| payangattu (பயங்காட்டு)
| creat fear in one's mind
|- ---

| thiruman seithukol, kalyanam seithukol (திருமணம் செய்துகொள், கல்யாணம் செய்துக் கொள்)
| kannalam kattikko (கன்னாலம் கட்டிக்கோ)
| get married
|- ---

| paruvap pen (பருவப் பெண்)
| samanja ponnu சமஞ்ச பொண்ணு
| marriageable girl
|- ---

| thimir pidiththavan (திமிர் பிடித்தவன்)
| gandu pudchavan (காண்டு புட்சவன்)
| egoistic man
|- --

| kama veriyan (காம வெறியன்)
| kaji pudchavan (காஜி புட்சவன்)
| A man of lust
|- ---

| valadhu kai (வலது கை)
| soththu kayyi (சோத்து கய்யி)
| right hand
|- ---

| idadhu kai (இடது கை)
| peechchangayyi, lottaangai.( பீச்சாங்கய்யி)
| left hand
|- ---

| mariyadaikkuriyavar, asiriyar (மரியாதைக்குரியவர், ஆசிரியர்)
| Vaththiyar (வாத்தியார்)
| respectable man, teacher
|- ---

| Ilaneer (இளநீர்)
| thengathanni (தேங்காதண்ணி)
| coconut water
|- ---

| puliyorai, puliyodarai, pulisadam (புளியோரை, புளியோதரை, புளிசாதம்)
| puliyanchoru (புளியான்சோறு)
| tamarind bath
|- --

| avan poyvittan (அவன் போய்விட்டான்)
| avan poottan (அவன் பூட்டான்)
| He has gone
|- ---
name="inspiration_thehindu">
|- ---
| Appaa (அப்பா)
| Naināh (நைனா)
| Dude
Dude
A dude is an individual, typically male. The female equivalent, which is used less often, is "dudette" or "dudess". However, "dude" has evolved to become more unisex to encompass all genders, and this was true even in the 1950s....

From the Telugu word Nāyanāh meaning "Father"
|- ---
| மானம் கெட்டவன்
| Bēmānī (பேமானி)
| Swearword; meaning unclear Derived from the Hindusthani word Bē Imāni meaning "a dishonest person"
|- ---
| siriyavan (சிறியவன்)
| Bīscōthū (பிஸ்கோத்து)
| Derived from the English word "biscuit
Biscuit
A biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....

"
|- ---
| utkaar (உட்கார்)
| Kūnthū (குந்து), Kūchū (குச்சு)
| Sit down; Derived from Telugu
|- ---
| kaasu (காசு)
| Dhūddū (துட்டு) , Dappū (டப்பு)
| Money; Derived from Telugu
|- ---
| kuthi (குதி)
| Egīrī (எகிறி)
| To jump; Derived from Telugu
|- ---
| thollai (தொல்லை)
| Bējār (பேஜார்)
| Problem; Derived from Hindusthani
|- ----
| kazhuthai (கழுதை)
| " Kaida" (கைத)
| Donkey; delivered from Tamil
|- ---
| penn (பெண்)
| Figure (பிகரு)
| A beautiful girl; From English. Used by youngsters
|- ---
| Regend
| Decent
| Derived from English
|- ---
| Chumma iru (சும்மா இரு)
| Kamnu kida (கம்னு கிட)
| be silent
|- ---
| kaalai unavu (காலை உணவு)
| Naashtaa (நாஷ்டா)
| breakfast
|- ---
| cherikkada unavu (செரிமானமாகாத உணவு)
| Manchaa soru (மஞ்சா சோறு)
| undigested food ( This word is used to threaten opponents in a quarrel) This actually means undigested, yellow coloured, sour food in the stomach which often comes out in the mouth. The sentence in a verbal fight may sound as 'oru kuththu vitta nenjile keera manja choru velle vanthudum' ஒரு குத்துவிட்டா நெஞ்சுலெ கீர மாஞ்சா சோரு வெல்லே வந்துடும். English: If I give a kick the food in your stomach will come out.

|- ---
| saththam podaatha (சத்தம் போடாத)
| koovaatha (கூவாத)
| be quiet
|- ---
| Nalla irukka (நல்லா இருக்க)
| shokkaa keera (ஷோக்கா கீற)
| looking good
|- ---
| unmaiyakave (உண்மையாகவே)
| meyyalume (மெய்யாலுமே)
| really
|- ---
| pallikkoodam (பள்ளிக்கூடம்)
| ishkoolu (இஸ்கூலு)
| derived from English word 'School'
|- ---
| oru murai (ஒரு முறை)
| oru dhabaa (ஒரு தபா)
| once
|- ---
| paarthuttu (பார்த்துட்டு)
| kandukkinu (கண்டுக்கினு)
| meet

In popular culture

Madras Bashai is used in majority of the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 movies after 1950s. Though many have tried to use Madras bashai in their movies, very few like Chandrababu, Manorama, Loose Mohan, Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than...

, Kamal Hassan, Cho Ramaswamy have really managed to bring out the real flavor. The best movies to watch and feel the real Madras bashai are Maharasan
Maharasan
Maharasan is a 1993 Tamil language film starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role of the protagonist.-Cast:*Kamal Haasan*Bhanupriya*V. K. Ramaswamy*Ramesh Aravind*Vaigai Chandrasekhar*Jaiganesh*Goundamani...

, Aboorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Vasool Raja MBBS
Vasool Raja MBBS
Vasool Raja MBBS is a Tamil film starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Saran. This film is a remake of Hindi film Munnabhai MBBS. The rest of the cast includes Sneha, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, Sneha, Jayasurya, Nagesh, Malavika and Karunas...

, Pammal K. Sambandam
Pammal K. Sambandam
Pammal K. Sambandam is a 2002 Tamil comedy film directed by Moulee and scripted by Crazy Mohan. The film features Kamal Haasan in the title role alongside Simran with Abbas and Sneha in primary supporting roles. The film was produced by P. L. Thenappan under Media Dreams, while Deva composed the...

, Chennai 600028
Chennai 600028
Chennai 600028 is a 2007 Tamil sports comedy film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, making his directorial debut. The film stars Shiva, Jai, Premji Amaran, Aravind Akash, Nithin Sathya and newcomers Ajay Raj, Ranjith, Vijay Vasanth, Prasanna, Karthik and Arun in the lead along with...

 & Kasethan Kadavulada
Kasethan Kadavulada
Kasethan Kadavulada is a Tamil language comedy film starring Muthuraman, Thengai Srinivasan, Srikanth| and Lakshmi in the lead roles and Manorama and Venniradai Moorthy in supporting roles...

.

Madras Bashai has also been used in Tamil movie songs. To quote some examples, 'Vaa Vadhyare Voottanda' (வா வாத்தியாரே ஊட்டாண்ட) song by Manorama in the movie 'Bommalaatam' (பொம்மலாட்டம்), 'Elandha Payam' (எளந்த பயம்) song by L. R. Easwari for the movie 'Panamaa Paasama' (பணமா பாசமா) and a few Gaana songs by Deva, Sabesh & Murali, Gaana Ulaganadhan have used Madras bashai
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