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Badagas of the Blue Mountains

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Pa - Ha [ப - ஹ] change in Badaga

Exclusive from Dr.R.K.Haldorai

The initial ha- ஹ - sound of the Badaga words confused its speakers many a time. Of course, there is a phonological point to be noted. The present Badaga has a tendency to drop the initial ha-ஹ -sound altogether. Due to this, the words once pronounced with h - sound are without that now. Hence those words which had initial ha- sound are now vowel initial sounds. ha sound is totally foreign to Dravidian languages. Therefore its use is equivalent to dropping the initial consonants altogether (Father Henry Heras 1936). Example 

• hallu - allu -ஹல்லு - அல்லு tooth haalu - aalu
• ஹாலு - ஆலு milk
• hiTTu - iTTu - ஹிட்டு இட்டு - food
• hiiru - iiru - ஹிரு இரு- to split
• hullu - ullu - ஹல்லு உல்லு grass
• huuyi - uuyi - ஹுய் ஊய் - tamarind
• heTTe - eTTe - ஹெட்டே எட்டே - hen
• heegu - eegu - ஹேகு ஏகு -to tell
• hoge - oge - ஹொகே ஒகெ - smoke
• Hogu - Ogu - ஹோகு ஓகு - to go

As a special feature among Dravidian Languages Kannada language attested p - > h- change; a change which occurred quite early (Kulli 1976:304). This change is found in Badaga language too.

This aspect has been adduced as an argument for settling Badaga language’s relationship with Kannada and even for deeming it a dialect of Kannada. Since pa-> ha - change is common to Kannada and Badaga, scholars tried to fix the date of separation of Badaga language. On the basis that Badaga diverged from Kannada only after the old Kannada initial pa - , changed to middle and modern Kannada initial h - (Emeneau 1965 :18,19).

They ignored the fact that in spite of attested p -> h - change , Badaga still has many words in use with initial p - ,many in basic in nature.

( E.g. paTTu -பட்டு towel , payilu -பயிலு sprout, paTTe - பட்டேbark, paame - பாமே story, payere - பேரே buttermilk, paaTTa koDe - பாட்டே கொடே umbrella of palmyra leaves)

The Kannada Encyclopaedia (KE) analyses this Badaga feature in brief and points out that all initial p - words are not changed into initial h - words in Badaga. Many initial p - words are in daily use in Badaga. In Kannada p - > h - change began after 10th century. Hence Badaga might have diverged from Kannada prior to 10th century A.D.

The Kannada Encyclopaedia [KE] therefore assigns Badaga the status of an autonomous language (Nayak 1983 :412). Differing from Emeneau and others KE holds that Badaga might have diverged from Kannada even earlier than 10th century. Kannada dictionary (Butcher 1983) recorded many initial p - and h - words, including some which are mere variants of the same words. Among these, Badaga language retained initial p - instead of initial h -.

Example

Kannada> puccu - huccu [puchchu huchchu] - புச்சு ஹுச்சு (foolishness) :Badaga. puccu [puchchu] Ka. paLi, haLi - பளி ஹளி (blame,rebuke ) : Ba. paLi Ka. pusi, husi புசி ஹுசி (falsehood,lie ) : Ba. poy, puyyi -பொய் Ka. pooTe, hooTe போட்டே ஹோட்டே (hollow of a tree) : Ba. pooTe போட்டே(hollow) Ka. pisuku, hisuku பிசுக்கு ஹிசுக்கு (to squeeze ) :Ba. பிசுக்கு -pisuku.

In some cases Badaga substitutes s - for the h - found in Kannada words.

E.g. Ka. heDe (the expanded hood of a snake ) : Ba. seDe Ka. huLi (sour ) : Ba. suLLe Ka. hiju (to rend ) : Ba. suli Ka. hore (neighbourhood, vicinity ) : Ba. saare In few words PDr.(Proto Dravidian) p - changes into b - in Badaga. E.g. Ka. pakkaLe (a kind of vessel) : Ba. baggare Ka. paNi (stick, bat) : Ba. baNe Ta. pambaram (top) : Ba. bombare Ta. pakkam (shelter) : Ba. bakka

In a few places the initial p - and h - forms of the same word are use in Badaga but with different meaning. E.g. pace (green) : hacce (half-boiled, unripe, tender etc.,) piri (to separate ) : hiri (to demolish) piccu (to scatter) : hiccu ( to squirt ) poru (to endure ) : hour (to bear, carry or the head) poTTu (simpleton ) : hoTTu (chaff, husk)

p - h - is a share innovation found in Kannada and Badaga languages but with the following special features in Badaga.
1. Many initial p - words are in use in Badaga language and they are basic in nature
2. Unlike Kannada, all initial p- words are not changed into initial h - words in Badaga.
3. In a few places s - replaces h - in Badaga.
4. In a few places p - and h - form the same words are in different meanings in Badaga.

It is not correct, therefore to hold p - > h - change as a major criterion in settling the relationship of the Badaga language with Kannada.

Posted by Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash No comments: Links to this post

Sutta Gassu Sandage…Badaga Recipes…

 •03/11/2012 • Leave a Comment

Gourmets’ worry over vanishing traditional foods, tastes

Article by Arun P Mathew, Times Of India | Nov 3, 2012

COIMBATORE: Ever heard of Sutta Gassu Sandage? It is one of the vanishing food items of badaga community of the Nilgiris. Taking part in a national seminar on ‘Heritage Foods of India’ at AJK College of Arts and Science here, senior chef H N Vijivan of Taj Vivanta Hotel in Coimbatore said the delicious badaga food item is made out of potato. Potatoes with skin are cooked over live charcoal, cleaned and salt and spices applied on it to make sutta gassu sandage.

According to him, there are over 20 exceptional varieties of food items of badagas and they need to be introduced to the gourmets across the world. Mouth-watering delicacies include ganjikke (boiled wheat pearls in an earthenware pot mixed with jaggery and coconut), eragi hittu (finger-millet balls made out of raggi flour, hot water and salt), badagaru koi uthakka (badaga chicken curry) and belle boungue sandage (roasted garlic chutney). Read the complete article here

Seen below on the left is ‘Thuppadittu – Ennayhittu’ and on the right is Eragi Hittu with Avaray Udakka and soppu’

Have you visited the page on Badaga Recipes ?

BADAGA WORDS AND WRITINGS

 •14/10/2012 • Leave a Comment

BADAGA WORDS AND WRITINGS

Exclusive article by Dr. R.K.Haldorai

Family of languages is known as cognate languages, which means languages descended from common ancestor (origin). Because of the family relation, most of the words are formed in similar construction in cognate languages. Similarity is seen in grammar too.

The renowned Dravidian Etymological Dictionary, compiled by T.Burrow and M.B.Emeneau (available in internet too) gives the similar (cognate) words of Dravidian languages in one group. If we go through that we can notice the similarities of words within the family of languages. On etymological basis it grouped Dravidian words into 4572 entries. In that dictionary, to our dismay only thirteen Badaga words are included. Some twenty years back, I brought this to the notice of one of the editors, M.B.Emeneau. It is apparent that Badaga words are available for most of these entries. It is our ardent duty to collect words for these entries and make available with them. By this way one can find out the common origin of Badaga words. So, linguistically it is correct to uphold the common origin. The innovations and borrowings are to be dealt separately. Innovations are special features and in Badaga’s case the distinct language status is marked with its many such things. Usually language borrows vocabularies, mostly nouns; grammatical borrowing is near nil; verbs are borrowed very rarely.

The influence of neighboring languages on Badaga is to be seen with this background. And it is not right to conclude that a word or feature belongs to a dominant language when it is common in minor and dominant languages.

Basically language is spoken. Written language is nothing but the reflection of speech. Out of seven thousand languages spoken throughout the world only few hundred have scripts. On other hand, we cannot say that all the speakers of a language know its letters, which has written character. Among Dravidian languages only four are having their own scripts and Tulu and Kodagu adopted Kannada scripts. Anyhow script was vogue in Dravidian languages in their proto stage. That letter is called braami or tamizhi, from which letters of Indian languages, including Tamil and Kannada are derived. When we say Badaga is descended from Proto – Dravidian or Proto – South Dravidian, it is obvious that once it had letters. But because of long isolation in the Nilgiri plateau that had forgotten. Anyhow the words like bare (to write, letter, written document), baregaara (writer),  bareyagaara  (writer of our fate, god) , haNayal bare,nettiya bare (fate, written on ones fore – head), baretoDe (literacy), oodu (read), kallu (to study),ooleyakaara (messenger who brings documents written on palmyra leaf),etc., imply that writing was known to Badagas. Above all Badaga word muniya signifies as noble teacher and this is attested in one of the Badaga ballads. So, it is understood that teaching activities were also there and the word kallusu (make one to study, teach) makes known it.

Badaga and Tamil

 •19/08/2012 • 1 Comment

Badaga and Tamil

by   Dr.R.K.Haldorai

‘Even people with considerable education are often wholly unable to answer certain quite simple questions about their language. For most people language is primarily a tool to be used, rather than a subject for close and critical attention’ (Gleason 1974:1).Actually in a society which has unlettered language like Badaga, the study of language plays a major role to understand its ethnology, tradition, ethos, culture, tribal character etc., Other than language the society has very little records to show its antiquity etc., In many places we have to deduce certain things through language only. So it is inevitable to study the Badaga language at least to some extent when we try to say something about Badaga society.

Badaga is one among the 26 languages of the Dravidian family. Badaga, a tribal language of the Dravidian family preserved more of its archaic features. Its prolonged isolation might be the cause for this. However to understand these features we have to compare them with the ancient forms found in any other Dravidian language. Among Dravidian languages Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam are literary languages. They have recorded history. And also these languages were studied thoroughly by experts. Being that is the case; there is no doubt that we can have a clear picture of the Badaga terms when we compare them with the corresponding terms of the languages of the Dravidian family.

‘Tamil language being probably earliest cultivated of all the Dravidian idioms, the most copious and that which contains the largest portion and the richest variety of indubitably ancient forms, it is deservedly placed at the head of the list’ (Caldwell 1856:6).‘Tamil has usually been considered to be the Dravidian language which has preserved most traces of the original forms of speech from which all other Dravidian dialects are derived. It seems certain that no other Dravidian language has developed the common Dravidian principles with so great consistency as Tamil’ (Linguistic Survey of India, vol.iv. p.283).

‘Words of Dravidian origin occurring in all the languages are without any great difference of form. The original Dravidian speech seems to have split up in to these languages. Tamil is probably nearer to the original tongue than any other member of the group and it has preserved the older forms of the Dravidian roots knowledge of it is essential to the proper study of the South Indian languages’ (Brown, Telugu-English Dictionary,Int.).

Of course there are hundreds of common words in Badaga and Kannada. On the other part Kannada adopted Sanskrit words enormously. Whereas Sanskrit borrowing is less in Badaga and Tamil.Anyhow there are few borrowed items in Tamil too. In that case, we have to compare Badaga with indigenous things of Tamil and not with borrowed ones. I hope, then, we shall have a clear idea about Badaga when compare with Tamil. E.g. the word habba (festival) is found in Kannada and Badaga. But the prior form paruvam (season, the festival celebrated in a particular season) is found only in Tamil. In the same way the word maduve (marriage) is in Kannada and Badaga. But its older form vaduvai is attested in Tolkaappiam, the earliest available grammar of Tamil. Badaga ganige (finger-ring, signet-ring) is nothing but Tamil kanaiyaazhi. Badaga oppottuis nothing but Tamil orupozhudu. Badaga korali batta (small millet,setaria italica) is Tamil kuraal tinai.  Badaga baambullu (andropogon schananthus) is Tamil vizhalpul. Badaga sarangana(orderly,nicely) is nothing but Tamil siiraaga. Badaga ugilu (finger nail) is in literary Tamil ugir

              Badaga                                           Tamil 

• korambu (a last rite)               karumaandiram ;
• beggaayi (wind alone)            verum kaatru ;
• sutrigaayi (whirl wind)           suzhal kaarru       
• sere mee (drizzle rain)             saaralmazhai ;         
• hola (field)                                  pulam ;
• gudu,guttu (plough share)     kozhu ;                       
• kirugaayi (eastern wind)       kiizhkaarru ;
• karambe (curry leaf)               kariveeppu ;              
• netturu   (blood)                      neyttoor ;                 
• manaarna(heartful)               manamaara ;          
• maggilu (side)                          marungil ;                
• koolu (flute)                              kuzhal ;                     
• orage (equal age)                    oor agavai                     
• paame (story)                           pazhamai ;                
• hemmakka (women)              penmakkal
• heroodayya (Lord Siva)        peruvudaiyaar
• haayola (fertile land)             pazhanam
• neegilu (plough)                      naanjil
• angay (palm)                            agangai (agam+kai)
• pottuguude(small basket)      puttukkuudai
• emmehatty(buffalo camp)     erumaippatti
• koomekallu(sharp stone)        kuurmaikkal
• taave (fern)                               taagai ;                     
• batte (cloth)                              vattudai
• monakaalu (knee)                    muzhangaal
• darsepetti(granary box)           davasappetti

Like these many single and compound words are better known by comparing with Tamil. Other than word level, to our wonder, the glimpse of Badaga culture, tradition etc., are seen in Tamil literature. The thing is, we have to study it in depth to get the relevant points. For example, the good old marriage system of the Badagas was depicted in Sangam (aganaanuuru 86 and136) literature. Kannagi worship is similar to Badagas’ Hethe worship. The Tamil word peyaran orpeeran (grand’son) indicates the usage of christening grandfather’s name to grandson. In the same way peyartti or peetti indicates the usage of naming grandmother’s name to granddaughter. To our astonishment, this practice is still vogue in Badaga. In Badaga society a new born male child gets first his grandfathers’ names(father’s father and mother’s father).In the same way a new born female child gets first her grandmothers’ names (father’s mother and mother’s mother).

In ancient Tamil society there was no caste system. The concept of karma was not there. It advocated neither vegetarianism nor sobriety (absent from toddy consumption). In the same way the society didn’t encourage renunciation. These are all relevant to Badaga society even today. The ancestor worship is common to both Badagas and ancient Tamils. More or less the religious activities are same for both Badagas and ancient Tamils. However the Badagas preserved and maintained the good old systems in every sphere of their life due their prolonged isolation. In this background, I hope the study of Tamil literature, grammar etc., will help us to describe Badaga thoroughly.

Badaga Food Habits

 •18/07/2012 • Leave a Comment

Badagas usually grow vegetables in their small patch(es) of land called ‘HOLA’ (see photo) for their regular use apart from other commercial crops like potato, cabbage, carrot and cauliflower etc. These would also include many varities of beans, peas, greens, corn etc. Every variety of avere(bean) has a specific (sometimes unique) badaga name. No Badaga wedding meal is complete without ‘Avare & Gaasu udakka’ [beans & potato curry]. Incidentally, Badagas do not serve non-vegetarian (meat) dishes on the wedding day , main meal is called – ‘maduve hittu‘. Another great trait among these simple peasant people is called ‘nattu‘ – a sort of gift (again mainly the home grown vegetables & grains) given to relatives, friends and guests.

Tea Leaves… the crop on which Badaga ‘economy’ depends so much..

The agricultural produce, food, dishes, eating habits and some interesting recipes of Badagas.

Apart from badaga.org, I am thankful to N.Bellie, R.Ramachandran (Kekkatty) and others for their imputs. A lot of info is from Prof.Paul Hockings’s books.

I have tried to discuss and describe, not only of authentic recipes on Badaga dishes but also on their agricultural produce, known in Badaga language as BAE - like for example Badagas used to grow wheat, barley, millet – GHODUME, GANJE, ERAGI, BATHA -etc but have almost completely stopped now.

The food, eating habits, preparations of some dishes as well as the ingredients used are covered. along with the methods used in cooking (like in a mud pot known as MADAKE in traditional fire place - OLE)

It must be mentioned that though many masala powders are available in the market, the Badagas use a specially prepared curry powder known as ‘ BADAGARU MAASU HUDI’ in their preparations.

I remember my childhood days when the dried GANJE / GHODUME (barley/wheat) used to be spread in the fore court of the houses called KERI (street) , between two groups of HattiHEMMAKKA (ladies) squatted opposite to each other with GANJE DHADIS (sticks of about four feet long and an inch thick) systematically & alternatively beating to remove the chaff. The rhythmic ‘tak tak’ noise would be accompanied by some folk lore Badaga songs. This is known asGANJE SACHODHU.

How can anyone forget the GANJE that would be HURUTHU - fied (fried) in a HURI MADDAKKE(mud pot with a hole on its side) through which a HURI KOL (a short stick with cloth tied at one end as a ball) would be inserted and the contents stirred constantly for uniform frying?

Huri Maddakke

The fried ganje called GANJIKKE would be taken with BELLA (jaggery) and THENKE (coconut). The taste of this would increase if hurutha keerai is added. Used to be a very common snack during the “kodai” season when no one can venture out on account of severe wind and rain.

This ganjikke would be powdered in a ‘ BEESA GALLU ‘ or ‘BEESARAN KALLU’ ( grinding stone ‘flour mill’) that was a permanent feature in the EDHA or NADU MANE and stored for furture use. People who go on long journeys (in olden days travel was by foot only) took this powder along with them, a very handy and healthy meal. This powder would be mixed with hot water to make a gruel. Salt and jaggery could be added to taste.

BADAGA KOLA [CLAN]

 •16/04/2012 • 3 Comments

Pratheepan Raju posted this info in FB [http://www.facebook.com/groups/badagas/doc/430310926984904/]

This is a work of Late Thyagi. K.P.Raju Gowder of KADASOLAI Village who was Author of the local Nilgiri magazine called “ARAAICH [Araachi?]” in which he had published 13 issues.

The Badaga community, like several communities of India is formed of different Clans(KOLA) affiliated to different Totems.

The various clans and their totems are as follows:

1. Forefathers of Solur Group – NAGA (COBRA)

2. Forefathers of Thoodagur Group – ANEY (ELEPHANT)

3. Forefathers of Doddur Group – MARI (GODDESS MARI)

4. Forefathers of Sinnakunnur – Kethi – Kundha Group – KASTURI (MUSK DEER)

5. Forefathers of Hebbanadu – Halhattane – Thangadu Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

Forefathers of Meekeri – Ithalar – Balakola Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

Forefathers of Horanally – Porthy Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

Forefathers of Bembatti – Belida Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

Forefathers of Kasoley-Mandhanai Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

Forefathers of Jakkanarai Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

Forefathers of Kateri Ajjur Group – MANIKKA (CARBUNCLE STONE)

6. Forefathers of Adhikari Group – KOVERU (WHITE HORSE)

7. Forefathers of Kagguchchi- Jagadala Group – BELLIE (SILVER)

8. Forefathers of Pannemanai-Kenduva Group – SELANDI (SPIDER)

9. Forefathers of Porangadu Group – MADHUVA (HONEY BEE).

Each clan is exogamous, i.e., man belonging to one clan cannot marry the girls of the same clans as they are the descendants from the same ancestors. Men of one clan can marry girls of different clans affiliated to different totem.

Direct words from from his piece -

“It is claimed that the main merkunadu group,viz, the Hebanad-Halatanai-Thangadu group and the Jakkanarai group are descended from the same forefather. The Late A.N. Kadagowder, former Moniagar of Merkunad, Denad Village and the Late.M.Doddayya Gowder of Halattanai informed the author (Late.Thyagi.K.P.Raju Gowder) that the forefather of the Jakkanarai group of the Badagas was uterine brother of Huliajja, Guruajja and Haraajja, the forefathers of the main group of the merkunad people. The Jakkanarai forefather Batti Hettappa joined the Porangadu forefathers at Thalaimalai and accompanied them to Betalada where he married Yelingi Amma, the sister of 7 forefathers of Porangadu people. The above informants asserted that they belong to the MANIKA CLAN.”

Marrying a person with no MORAY

 •07/03/2012 • 4 Comments

dharshani raj  (dharshani.ds@gmail.com) asks

‘I want to know if it is wrong in marrying a person with no moray’ 

This question, though appears to be simple, is an important one since many of us, including the self – appointed GOWDAS in every village or for that matter, many ‘old people like me’ are not clear and sure about this aspect.

There seems to be a ‘raging‘ discussion going on in  FB Badagas Group.

Let me answer dharshani’s question to the best of my knowledge.

What is Moray (relationship)?

In simple terms, Badagas, [being a very small community], have evolved, over the centuries, a system in which marriages are not ‘fixed’ – call it arranged if you want, between certain hattis (villages) since the ‘blood’ relationship  among them is considered to be very ‘close – anna thamma moray’.

How this could have happened is, like, in olden days, one brother deciding to move away from the hatti he was born in to establish a ‘new’ hatti for various reasons. For example, a brother from Hubbathalay could have moved to Eethoray. Hence, the male children of the elder bro X in Hubbathalay would/could not marry the female children of younger brother Y in Eethorai as they are considered brother and sister (being the children of two brothers).

Hence, Hubbathalay hatti has no moray for marriages with Eethoray.

This brings us to the grouping of various hattis into Ooru [communes] and Seemay.

So,where do we start to check about ‘Moray’?

Since, time immemorial, every Badaga belonged to a village, irrespective of his place of residence. For example, Kada [now, Srivasa Ramachandra] and Kangi [Lokeswari Renuka] are the son and daughter of Bhoja  and Laxmi , living in Ooty [this can be, Bangalore, London or Boston in USA]. Since Bhoja is the son of Rama Gowder of ‘Hannu Mora Hatti’ [ or Jakkadha, Dhavani or Ketchigatti for that matter], Kada and Kangi belong to HM Hatti for practical or rather, moray purposes. By the way, in olden days, all Badagas belonging to Gowda [group] were known as Bellie Gowder, Ari Gowder etc.

So all the youngsters of HM Hatti are brothers and sisters. Marrying among themselves is, thus prohibited.

Now, our ancestors, being wise men of yonder, grouped certain hattis into communes called OORU. These hattis need not be very close to each other. The number of hattis forming a ooru need not be of a specific number. The next grouping done by our forefathers is forming a SEEMAY. Hence, a Seemay contains a few Oorus [which in turn has many villages]. And our Muthe Muhappa [the first of the ancestors] divided the Nilgiris into Nakku Betta [Four Mountains/massifs] to where all the Badagas belong to. See the division of Seemays and hattis in my websites here – Hattis, Ooru & Seemay or here

To put simply, a cluster of closely built houses formed a street -thara, [the thatched and later country tiled houses have common walls).

A few tharas formed a hatti with well defined and demarcated areas like 'Dhodda Manay' [big house- literally], ‘suthu kallu’ [mostly with a bikka mora (olive tree), gudi [temple],hanay [grass ground] etc.

A few hattis to Ooru. A few oorus to Seemay.

Four seemays namely 1)Thodha Naadu 2)Porangaadu 3)Mekku Naadu 4) Kunde [Naadu],  to NAAKKUBETTA. see Hattis, Ooru & Seemay.

And now to specifics

As far as MORAY for marriages are concerned,

a) A girl/boy cannot marry a boy/girl from the same hatti  to which they both belong to .

b) A girl/boy cannot marry a boy/girl from the same Ooru to which they both belong to.

c) BUT A GIRL/BOY CAN  MARRY A BOY/GIRL FROM THE SAME SEEMAY TO WHICH THEY BOTH BELONG TO.

There is a wrong impression that you cannot marry from the same seemay.