PARBHANI

Parbhani is a district located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Like many regions across India, it is home to a diverse range of speech communities, each practicing and preserving their own unique linguistic traditions. While Marathi is the predominant language, Urdu and Hindi also have a strong presence, spoken by sizable populations across the district.

In addition to these widely spoken languages, lesser-known varieties such as Ghisadi and Kolhati also add to the region’s linguistic diversity. These varieties, though spoken by smaller communities, possess distinct phonetic and grammatical features that set them apart.

Remarkably, the 2011 Census of India data reveals that several languages are spoken as mother tongues in Parbhani district. At the time of the Census (2011), Parbhani district had a total population of approximately 18 lakh (18,36,086). Of this population, 78.35% reported Marathi as their first language. Urdu was spoken by 11.97%, followed by Hindi (5.04%), Banjari (1.95%), and Lamani/Lambadi (1.01%). Other languages spoken as mother tongues included Marwari (0.47%), Vadari (0.30%), Telugu (0.30%), Gujarati (0.12%), and Paradhi (0.11%).

Besides major languages, several indigenous and occupational communities speak distinct language varieties in Parbhani, each shaped by their unique historical and social contexts.

Ghisadi is a language variety spoken by the Ghisadi community, a group traditionally known for their work as blacksmiths and metalworkers. According to Deenanath Fulwadkar (2017), the community can predominantly be found in the Parbhani and Nanded districts of Maharashtra.

Historical records trace the origins of the Ghisadi community to Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. According to oral traditions, during the reign of Maharana Pratap, they were skilled metalworkers who forged iron tools for warfare and remained deeply loyal to him. Their migration from Rajasthan is linked to a significant historical event. Fulwadkar mentions in the volume Languages of Maharashtra (2017) that “when Akbar defeated Maharana Pratap, they vowed to return to the fort only when Chittorgarh was freed from Mughal rule.”

This pledge led them to migrate southward, eventually settling in Maharashtra. Over time, their linguistic identity, in many ways, evolved, adapting to regional linguistic influences while still maintaining elements of their historical heritage.

Like many language varieties, Ghisadi exhibits distinctive features in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical structure that differentiates it from others. It has developed its own system of pronouns, verb endings, and kinship terms, while also borrowing words from other languages due to historical and cultural interactions.

Ghisadi also has a set of pronouns that refer to people in different contexts. These pronouns are different from those in neighboring languages and dialects, giving Ghisadi a distinct identity.

A distinctive feature of Ghisadi is the consistent use of the suffix व (va) at the end of verbs. This pattern applies across different actions and is a key characteristic of the language's verb system.

Kinship terms in Ghisadi reflect the community’s social structures and relationships. Some terms show distinct phonetic developments within the variety:

Languages often borrow words from each other when different communities interact, and Ghisadi demonstrates this linguistic phenomenon clearly. Perhaps through sustained contact with Marathi-speaking populations, Ghisadi has incorporated numerous Marathi terms into its vocabulary, particularly for everyday objects and descriptive terms. These borrowed words, known in linguistics as loanwords, noticeably undergo a process of adaptation to fit Ghisadi’s pronunciation and word formation patterns. This process creates subtle but significant differences between the original Marathi terms and their Ghisadi counterparts. For example:

A pattern, which linguists refer to as vowel substitution, can be observed in the Ghisadi adaptation of Marathi words. In cases like पांढरा (pāṇḍhrā) → पांढरो (pāṇḍhro), the final vowel 'ā' (आ) in Marathi is replaced with 'o' (ओ) in Ghisadi.

Such systematic vowel changes are a common feature in language contact and borrowing. When words are adopted from one language into another, they often undergo slight modifications to better fit the phonological rules of the borrowing language. In Ghisadi, this 'ā' → 'o' shift helps integrate Marathi loanwords into its natural speech patterns.

The Kolhati language is spoken by the Kolhati community, a group historically associated with performance arts such as acting, dancing, singing, and gymnastics. Their language, like their traditions, has evolved through generations, reflecting both their unique cultural identity and social history.

There is a very interesting legend which is tied to the origins of this community. According to this story, when Bhagwaan Shiv narrated the origins of mankind to Devi Parvati, he described eighty-four different yonis (species) on Earth, with humans being one of them. Curious about the origins of different castes, Parvati inquired further, to which Shiv explained that every caste descended from a rishi. One particular verse, “Kumbhak Rushi prasidha jagati, Kolhati garbhaj,” (transliterated as ‘Kumbhak Rishi is renowned in the world; the Kolhati community is born from him) he says suggests that Kumbhak Rishi is regarded as the progenitor of the Kolhati community. This legend is one of the reasons why many perceive the Kolhatis to be an ancient community. This perception, in many ways, adds to the richness and history of their linguistic traditions.

The Kolhati community is spread across various parts of Maharashtra. According to Arun Gajanan Musle in Languages of Maharashtra (2017), members of this community can also be found in Parbhani district.

Every language evolves uniquely, influenced by its speakers’ history, environment, and social interactions. The Kolhati language, like many others, has a vocabulary enriched by indigenous words as well as borrowings from surrounding languages.

Kinship terms, or words used to describe family relationships, vary widely across languages and cultures. In Kolhati, these terms carry distinct phonetic features and reflect cultural nuances in how family relationships are expressed.

They demonstrate the phonetic distinctiveness of Kolhati, particularly through aspirated consonants like /pʰ/ and vowel variations, which shape the rhythm and articulation of the language.

The way seasons are named in Kolhati offers insight into the community’s deep-rooted connection with nature. These seasonal terms, while distinct, exhibit similarities to those in Marathi and Hindi. This suggests a process linguists refer to as ‘borrowing’, which occurs when one language adopts words or structures from another.

The phrase “पाणी के दिन” (Paani ke Din) literally translates to “Days of Water,” capturing the essence of the monsoon season in a way that is unique to Kolhati culture. This construction is likely influenced by Hindi, yet it reflects how Kolhati speakers conceptualize and express their environmental cycles. Such expressions, in many ways, show how language carries cultural meaning, shaping the way a community experiences and articulates its world.