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Bhojpuri grammar

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Bhojpuri grammar (Bhojpuri: भोजपुरी व्याकरण) is the grammar of the Bhojpuri language. In many aspects, it is quite similar to other Eastern Indo-Aryan languages. Modern Bhojpuri grammer was written in 1915 by Pt. Shivadas Ojha.

Nouns

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Nouns in Bhojpuri have three forms, viz. short, long and redundant. Thus, for ghōṛā (Horse), the forms will be ghōṛā, ghoṛwā and ghoṛawā respectively. In some cases, the long form ends with /ē/, ghoṛwē.[1] The redundant form has two more variants, /-ā/ and /-yā/. Thus for kukur (a dog), it can take the form kukurā and for māli (a gardener) maliyā. /-ā/ is used with nouns which have a disyllabic structure like bhatār, bhatarā ("husband") or sonār, sonarā ("goldsmith"). The suffix /-yā/ is added to nouns ending in /-i/, including feminine forms derived by adding /-i/, like bētī, betiyā ("daughter") and aurat, auratiyā ("women").[2] The oblique forms of nouns are identical to the nominative with the exception of verbal nouns.[1]

Definitness

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The redundant form, as it is called by Greirson, actually does the grammatical task of coding definiteness in the noun morphology. It is same as the definite articles the and la of English and French respectively. Thus, ghorawā is "the horse" and maliyā is "the gardener".[2]

Morphology

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To characterize nouns the suffixes -wala and -iya are extensively used. -wala is also used in Hindustani but its use is more extensive in Bhojpuri where it can replace the adjective-forming suffixes of borrowed words, e.g. /-dār/. For instance, Hindi: इज़्ज़तदार, romanizedizzatdār becomes ijjatwalā in Bhojpuri. The suffix /-iyā/ (also /-aiyā/, /-vaiyā/ variations) is also used extensively as characterizing suffix, as in kalkatiyā, characteristic or belonging to Kolkata, and puraniyā, characterized by old age.[3]

Gender

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The Animate nouns in Bhojpuri are gendered. Those referring to females are feminine and rest are masculine. The feminine is formed by adding /-i/, /-in/ and /-ni/ to masculine nouns, e.g. /ājā/ ("grandfather") → /ājī/ ("grandmother") or /māli - mālin/ and /babuā - babunī/ (boy - girl).[3]

Number

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To form the plural in Bhojpuri, the final long vowel is shortened and -n, -nh or -ni is added. In some cases, nouns of multitude like sabh (all) or lōg (people) are added to nouns to make plurals.[1]

Definition Singular Form (Short) Singular Form (long) Plural Form
House ghar gharwā gharan/gharwan/ ghar sabh
Horse ghoṛā ghoṛwā ghoṛan/ghoṛwan/ghōṛā sabh
Boy laïkā laïkwā laïkan/laïka sabh
King rājā rajwā rājā lōg

Cases

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Cases are generally formed by adding prepositions to the Nominative case or the oblique form (if exists) of the nouns. Sometimes true cases are also found, such as an Instrumental and Locative formed by adding , as in Bengali. Thus, the locative and Instrumental case of ghar ("house") is ghare ("in/by the house"). These case forms are only found in the singular, however.[1]

Noun Inflection
Short Long
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative

𑂐𑂩

ghar

𑂐𑂩

ghar

the house

𑂐𑂩𑂢

gharana

𑂐𑂩𑂢

gharana

the Houses

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰

gharvā

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰

gharvā

the House

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢

gharvana

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢

gharvana

the Houses

Accusative

𑂐𑂩

ghar

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka'

𑂐𑂩 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ghar ke/ka'

(to) the House

𑂐𑂩𑂢

gharan

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka

𑂐𑂩𑂢 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

gharan ke/ka

(to) the houses

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰

gharvā

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka'

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

gharvā ke/ka'

(to) the House

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢

gharvana

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka'

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

gharvana ke/ka'

(to) the House

Genitive

𑂐𑂩

ghar

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka'

𑂐𑂩 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ghar ke/ka'

(of) the House

𑂐𑂩𑂢

gharan

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka

𑂐𑂩𑂢 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

gharan ke/ka

(of) the houses

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰

gharvā

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka'

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

gharvā ke/ka'

(of) the House

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢

gharvana

𑂍𑂵/𑂍

ke/ka'

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢 𑂍𑂵/𑂍

gharvana ke/ka'

(of) the House

Locative

𑂐𑂩

ghar

𑂧𑂵,

me,

𑂐𑂩𑂵

gharē

𑂐𑂩 𑂧𑂵, 𑂐𑂩𑂵

ghar me, gharē

(in/on) the House

𑂐𑂩𑂢

gharan

𑂧𑂵

me

𑂐𑂩𑂢 𑂧𑂵

gharan me

(in/on) the houses

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰

gharvā

𑂧𑂵

me'

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂰 𑂧𑂵

gharvā me'

(in/on) the House

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢

gharvana

𑂧𑂵

me'

𑂐𑂩𑂫𑂢 𑂧𑂵

gharvana me'

(in/on) the House

  • To form the instrumental case; , , santē and kartē are also added to the noun forms, hence ghar se is to the house.
  • To form the dative, , lag, khātir are added, ex:- ghar la (for the house)
  • For the ablative case, , are added.

Noun Phrases

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Nouns can be preceded by quantifiers. The quantifiers -gō, -ṭhō and -ṭhē are used with numeral to emphasize countability as opposed to totality. The limiter expression in Bhojpuri are marked morphologically by using the suffixes and , to show inclusiveness and exclusiveness respectively, as in ham āmē khāïb (I will eat only mangoes) and ham āmō khāïb (I will eat mango, too).[4]

Pronouns

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Personal Pronouns

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The first-person pronoun has two forms viz. inferior () and superior (ham). The inferior form was used in Old Bhojpuri but is obsolete in Modern Bhojpuri and is mostly found in poetry. Ham is used as the first-person singular pronoun; the oblique form is Hamrā, however sometimes ham (ham-kē) also serves as oblique form. In the Sadri dialect, mōe is used instead of ham.[5]

Number Form First Person Second Person Third Person
Inferior Superior Inf. Formal Honorific Inf. Formal Honorific
Singular Nom. मे (mē) हम (ham) तें (tēṃ) तूँ (tūṃ) रउवा (raüvā) / रवा (ravā) / रउरा (raürā) / अपने (apnē) ई (ī), ऊ (ū) इहाँ के (ihāṁ kē), उहाँ के (uhāṁ kē)
Obl. मोहि (mohi) / मो (mō) हमरा (hamrā) तो (tō) / तोहि (tōhi) / तोरा (tōrā) तोहरा (tohrā) रउवा (raüvā) / रवा (ravā) / रउरा (raürā) / अपना (apnā) ए (ē), एह (ēh), एकरा (ekrā), ओ (ō), ओह (ōh), ओकरा (okrā) इन (in), इनका (inkā), इनकरा (inkarā), उन (un), उनका (unkā), उनकरा (unkarā) इहाँ (ihāṁ), उहाँ (uhāṁ)
Gen. मोर (mōr), मोरे (mōrē) हमार (hamār) / हमरे (hamarē) तोर (tōr) / तोरे (tōre) तोहार (tohār) / तोहरे (tohrē) राउर (rāür) / रउरे (raürē) / अपने के (apnē kē) एकर (ekar), ओकर (okar) इनकर (inkar), उनकर (unkar) इहाँ के (ihāṁ kē), उहाँ के (uhāṁ kē)
Plural Nom. हमनी के (hamnī kē) हमहन (hamhan) तोहनी के (tohnī ke) तूँ लोग (tuṃ lōg) रउरा सभ/लोग, अपने सभ/लोग (raürā sabh/lōg, apnē sabh/log) एकनी के (ekanī kē), ओकनी के (okanī kē) इ लोग (I Iōg), उ लोग (u lōg) इहाँ सभ (ihāṁ sabh), उहाँ सभ (uhāṁ sabh)
Obl. हमनी (hamnī) हमहन (hamhan) तोहनी (tohnī) तूँ लोग (tūṃ lōg) एकनी (ekanī), ओकनी (okanī)

In the second person, is the most non-honorific form, used toward people younger than the speaker, to servants, and also while speaking disrespectfully. It can also show deep affection, informality and intimacy in a relationship.[6] For instance, a son always uses for his mother. is ordinarily respectful term and can be used to address anyone, whether younger or older. To show extreme respect or honour, raüwā or apnē is used.[7] The demonstrative pronouns ī and ū are used as third-person pronouns in Modern Bhojpuri; the and of Old Bhojpuri survive but are not used frequently or mostly only in a proverbial sense. For instance, jē jaïsan karī tē taïsan pāï (lit. "Who as he does, he so obtains").[8]

Demonstrative Pronouns

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The proximate demonstrative pronouns ("this" or "those") of Modern Bhojpuri are given in the following table.[9][10]

Forms Singular Plural
Nominative Non Honorific ī, haï eknī kē, inhan kē, hekni kē, hinhan kē
Formal ī lōg
Honorific

इहाँ

ihāṁ

के

इहाँ के

ihāṁ kē

इहाँ

ihaṁ

सभ

sabh

/

/

सभन

sabhan

/

/

सभनी

sabhani

के

ke

इहाँ सभ / सभन / सभनी के

ihaṁ sabh / sabhan / sabhani ke

Oblique Non Honorific

ए,

ē,

एह,

eh,

हे

ए, एह, हे

ē, eh, hē

एकनी,

eknī,

इनहन,

inhan,

हेकनी,

hekni,

हिनहन

hinhan

एकनी, इनहन, हेकनी, हिनहन

eknī, inhan, hekni, hinhan

Formal

इनका,

inakā,

इनकरा

inakarā

इनका, इनकरा

inakā, inakarā

ī

लोग

lōg

ई लोग

ī lōg

Honorific

इहाँ

ihāṁ

इहाँ

ihāṁ

इहाँ

ihaṁ

सभ

sabh

/

/

सभन

sabham

/

/

सभनी

sabhani

के

ke

इहाँ सभ / सभन / सभनी के

ihaṁ sabh / sabham / sabhani ke

The genitive form is ēkar, hēkar, inkar, hinkar. Sometimes the suffix -i is added to them and used a feminine.[9] The remote form of demonstrative adjectives can be made by replacing i with u and e with o in the proximate form. Thus, eknī will becomes oknī and so on.

Relative Pronouns

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Forms Singular Plural
Direct jē, jawan, jaün, jinhī or sabh Same as Singular along with जिन्हनि (jinhani) and जिन्हनि लोग (jinhani log)
Oblique जे (jē), जवना (javanā), जउना (jaünā), जेह (jeh), जिन्हि (jinhi), जेकरा (jekrā), जिनकरा (jinkarā), जेहकरा (jehkarā)
Genitive जेकर (jēkar), जेहकर (jehkar), जिनकर (jinkar)

The relative pronoun in Bhojpuri is the same as other Eastern Indo-Aryan languages.[11]

Case Demonstrative Relative Interrogative
3rd person
Proximal Non-proximal sg. pl. sg. pl.
sg. pl. sg. pl.
Nominative Informal ī, haï eknī ke, hēknī ke, inhan ke, hinhan ke, ī log (logan/sabh) ū, haü oknī ke, hoknī ke, unban ke, hunhan ke, ū log (logan/sabh) jē, jawan, jaün jeknī kē, jinhan kē, kē, kewan, kawan, kaün kē, kewan, kawan lōg, kaün
Formal ī, inhī, hinhī ū, unhī, hunhī ū log (logan, sabh) jē lōg, jinhan lōg
Honorific ihāṃ kē ihāṃ sabh (sabhan/sabhani ke) uhāṃ kē uhāṃ sabh (sabhan/sabhani ke) jihāṃ kē jihāṃ sabh (sabhani)
Oblique Informal ē, eh, hē, ekrā, hekrā eknī, heknī, inhani, hinhanī ō, oh, ho, okrā, hokrā okanī, hoknī, unhani jē, jekrā, jeh, jawanā, jaünā jeknī, jinhan kē, keh, kawanā, kaünā, kewanā, kekrā, kehakarā kē, keknī, kinhan
Formal in, inkarā, inkā, inhani ka i log (logan) un, unkā, unkarā,. hunkā, hunkarā u log (logan) jē, jeh, jawanā, jaünā, jin, jinkā, jinkarā jē lōg, jawan lōg kinkarā, kinkā kinhan, kawan log
Honorific ihāṃ ihāṃ (sabh/sabhan/sabhani) uhāṃ uhāṃ (sabh/sabhan/sabhani) jihāṃ jihāṃ sabh (sabhan/sabhani) kihāṃ
Genitive Informal ēkar, hēkar eknī ke, heknī ke ōkar, hōkar oknī kē, hokni kē jēkar, jehakar jeknī ke kēkar keknī ke
Formal inkar, hinkar i log (logan) unkar, hunkar u log (logan) jinkar je/jawan/jaün log ke kinkar kawan log
Honorific ihaṃ ke ihāṃ sabh ke (sabhan/logan/log) uhāṃ kē uhāṃ sabh ke (sabhan/logan/log) jihaṃ jihāṃ sabh ke (sabhan/logan/log)

Other Pronouns

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  • Keu, Kēhu and Kawano are used as animate forms of indefinite pronouns and kichu, kuchu, kichuo, kuchuo as inanimate forms.[12]
  • apanā and apne are used to show relative sense, nija is used in instrumental case.[13]

Adjectives

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Like the nouns, adjectives also have short, long and redundant forms, e.g. baṛ, baṛkā, baṛkawā. Sometimes, the suffixes -han and -har are also used with adjectives, e.g. lām - lamhar and baṛ - baṛhan.[14]

Adjectives don't agree in gender with the noun. Hence the adjective baṛ (big) is same for laïkā ("boy") and laïki ("girl"), just as in other Magadhan languages. In Bhojpuri, however, the long form with suffix /-ka/ and /-kī/ is gendered, thus baṛkā and baṛkī are used for masculine and feminine respectively.[15]

Degree of Comparison

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There are no inflexions for comparative and superlative forms. The words equivalent to "more" like besi, jiādā, dhēr and "less" like kam are used before the adjectives while comparing:[16]

ī

लइक

laïkā

ओकरा

okarā

से

se

ढेर

ḍhera

सुन्नर

sunnara

बाटे

bāṭe

ई लइक ओकरा से ढेर सुन्नर बाटे

ī laïkā okarā se ḍhera sunnara bāṭe

This boy is fairer than that.

Sometime comparison is done using the numerals unaïs (nineteen) and bīs (twenty), where former is used for less and later for more.[17]

ū

लइका

laīkā

एकरा

ekarā

से

se

उमिर

umira

मे

me

तनि

tani

उनइस

unaïsa

हवे

hawe

ऊ लइका एकरा से उमिर मे तनि उनइस हवे

ū laīkā ekarā se umira me tani unaïsa hawe

The boy is a bit younger in age. (lit. That boy is slightly nineteen than this in age.

The superlative is expressed by adding sabh mē or sabh sē or sabh mē baṛhi kē or sabh se baṛhi kē (best of all) before the adjective, for example u laïka sabh mē nīk hawe (the boy is best of all).[17]

Verbs

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Chaterji has classified Bhojpuri verbs into two categories viz. primary root and secondary root. The former one are those which are inherited from Old Indo-Aryan while the latter are causitive, denominative or compounded.[18] Like Bengali, Bhojpuri has two moods, indicative and imperative.[19]

History of Bhojpuri Grammars

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The earliest mentions of some grammatical features of Bhojpuri can he found in Buchanan's report on Shahabad in 1812. A detailed grammatical sketch of Bhojpuri was first published by Beames in 1868.[20] In 1877, J.R. Reid tried to give a picture of the Bhojpuri spoken in Azamgarh district.[20] Greirson's Linguistic Survey of India Vol. V, Part II, published in 1903, contained a skeleton grammar of Bhojpuri with specimens.[20]

Current Bhojpuri grammer is which is widely used is Bhojpuri Bayakaran, written by Pt. Shivdas Ojha in 1915. He was a Bhojpuri scholar from Shahabad district of Bihar. It was later published by Bhojpuri Akademi, Patna.[21]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Greirson 1903, p. 50.
  2. ^ a b Jain & Cardona 2007, p. 524.
  3. ^ a b Jain & Cardona 2007, p. 525.
  4. ^ Jain & Cardona 2007, p. 528.
  5. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 127-128.
  6. ^ Anupriya, Anupriya (2020). "The Hierarchy of Honorifics in Bhojpuri". International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences. 5 (5): 1468–1483. doi:10.22161/ijels.55.21. S2CID 226495186.
  7. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 130.
  8. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 131-132.
  9. ^ a b Tiwari 1960, p. 132.
  10. ^ Greirson 1903, p. 51.
  11. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 138.
  12. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 144.
  13. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 145-146.
  14. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 116.
  15. ^ Jain & Cardona 2007, p. 527.
  16. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 116-117.
  17. ^ a b Tiwari 1960, p. 117.
  18. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 151.
  19. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 161.
  20. ^ a b c Tiwari 1960, p. xxxiii.
  21. ^ Adrikshit (2024-09-01). "Did you know Bhojpuri grammer book was written before Hindi grammer book?". r/Bhojpuriyas. Retrieved 2024-10-13.

References

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