Balbodh
Balbodh (Marathi: बाळबोध, bāḷabōdha, IPA: [baːɭboːd̪ʱ], Translation: Understood by Children[1]) is a slightly modified style of the Devanagari script used to write the Marathi language [2][3][4][5][6] and the Korku language.[7] What sets Balbodh apart from the Devananagari script used for other languages is the more frequent and regular use of both ळ /ɭ/ (retroflex lateral approximant) and र् (called the eyelash reph/raphar).[8]
Contents
Etymology
The word Balbodh is a combination of the words ‘बाळ’ /baːɭ/ and ‘बोध’ /boːd̪ʱ/. ‘बाळ’ is a neuter noun derived from the Sanskrit word bāla "child".[9] ‘बोध’ is a male noun and a tatsama meaning "perception".[9]
Features
Retroflex lateral approximant
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North Indian languages
Historically, the retroflex lateral approximant (ळ /ɭ/ ) existed in Vedic Sanskrit and was lost in Classical Sanskrit. Today the North Indian languages in which it exists are Oriya (ଳ), Marathi, Konkani, Gujarati (ળ), most varieties of Rajasthani, Bhili, some dialects of Lahnda (ਲ਼), most dialects of Western Pahari, Kumaoni, Haryanavi, and the Saharanpur dialect of Northwestern Kauravi. Of these, Konkani, Rajasthani, Bhili, and Kumaoni, Haryanavi, and the Saharanpur dialect of Northwestern Kauravi use the Devanagari script. The retroflex lateral approximant does not exist in most North Indian languages such as most Hindi dialects, Nepali, Garhwali, Bengali, Assamese, Kashmiri and most other Dardic languages, Sindhi, Kutchi, and Saraiki.[8]
South Indian languages
The retroflex lateral approximant (ळ /ɭ/ ) exists in many south Indian languages such as Telugu (ళ), Malayalam (ള), Kannada (ಳ), and Tamil (ள). It was once present in Sinhala (as ළ).[8] This suggests that Dravidian languages have influenced north Indian languages such as Marathi, with the retroflex lateral approximant.[10]
Eyelash reph/raphar
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The eyelash reph/raphar (रेफ/ रफार) (र्) exists in Marathi as well as Nepali. The eyelash reph/raphar (र्) is produced in Unicode by the sequence [ra र ] + [virāma ्] + [ZWJ] and [rra ऱ ]+ [virāma ्] + [ZWJ].[11] In Marathi, when ‘र’ is the first consonant of a consonant cluster and occurs at the beginning of a syllable, it is written as an eyelash reph/raphar.[12]
| Examples |
|---|
| तर्हा |
| वाऱ्याचा |
| ऱ्हास |
| ऱ्हस्व |
| सुऱ्या |
| दोऱ्या |
Minimal pairs[13]
| Using the (Simple) Reph/Raphar | Using the Eyelash Reph/Raphar |
|---|---|
| आचार्यास (to the teacher) | आचार्यास (to the cook) |
| दर्या (ocean) | दर्या (valleys) |
Printing
Before printing in Marathi was possible, the Modi script was used for writing prose, and Balbodh was used for writing poetry. When printing in Marathi became possible, choosing between Modi and Balbodh was a problem. William Carey published the first book on Marathi grammar in 1805 using Balbodh since printing in the Modi script was not available to him in Serampore, Bengal. At the time, Marathi books were generally written in Balbodh. However, in subsequent editions of William Carey's book on Marathi grammar, starting in 1810, were written in the Modi script.[14][15]
As primary style
On 25 July 1917, the Bombay Presidency decided to replace the Modi script with Balbodh as the primary script of administration, for convenience and uniformity with the other areas of the presidency. The Modi script continued to be taught schools until several decades later and continued to be used as an alternate script to Balbodh. The script was still widely used, until the 1940s, by the people of older generations for personal and financial uses.
However, the use of Modi diminished since then and now Balbodh is the primary script used to write Marathi (other than Modi script revival efforts).[16][17]
Korku language
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In addition to Marathi, Balbodh is also used to write the Korku language of the Munda subdivision Austroasiatic language family, which is spoken by the Korku people who live in parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.[7]
See also
- Modi script, the other Marathi script
References
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