Bengali ( Bāṅglā) is one of the Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, which evolved from Magadhi Prakrit, native to the eastern Indian subcontinent. The core of the Bengali vocabulary is thus etymologically of Magadhi Prakrit and Abahattha origin, with significant ancient borrowings from the older substrate language(s) of the region. However, in medieval times, more borrowings have occurred, from Sanskrit, Arabic, Classical Persian, Turkic (particularly Chagatai) and other languages leading to the adoption of a wide range of words with foreign origins; thus making the origins of borrowed words in the Bengali vocabulary numerous and diverse, due to centuries of contact with various languages.
Origins of words in Bengali Bengali is typically thought to have around 100,000 separate words, of which 16,000 (16%) are considered to be তদ্ভব tôdbhôbô, or tadbhava (inherited Indo-Aryan vocabulary), 40,000 (40%) are তৎসম tôtśômô or tatsama (words directly borrowed from Sanskrit), and borrowings from দেশী deśi, or "indigenous" words, which are at around 16,000 (16%) of the Bengali vocabulary. The rest are বিদেশী bideśi or "foreign" sources, including Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and English, among others, accounting for around 28,000 (28%) of all Bengali words, highlighting the significant influence that foreign languages and cultures have had on the Bengali language throughout Bengal's long history of contact with different peoples and the cultural exchanges that came with such interactions.
Persian had one of the most significant influences in terms of foreign loanwords, and numerous sources put this figure at around 10,000 words at a minimum, which includes words that were borrowed directly from Persian and words influenced by it. However, these figures do not reflect the average Bengali speaker's vocabulary, as this will vary greatly by dialect. For example, Muslims and Bangladeshis typically lean on more Persian and Arabic words in their Bengali than their Hindu and Indian Bengali counterparts. Persian influence was so significant throughout Bengal's history, and was the official language of the region for 600 years, until the British arrived and changed it to English in 1836. Persian influence was so extensive that during the medieval Bengal period, a register of highly Persianized Bengali formed, known as Dobhashi, which was used by administrative officials and for literary purposes.
Differences in vocabulary
This table below compares the differences of spoken and used Bengali vocabularies in Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Shantipur (West Bengal, India).
WordDhakaiya dialectDhakaiya transcriptionShantipuri dialectShantipuri transcriptionWaterপানিpaniজলjôlSaltলবণlôbônনুনnunInvitationদাওয়াতdawatআমন্ত্রণ/নিমন্ত্রণ/নেমন্তন্নamôntrôn/nimôntrôn/nemôntônnôChiliমরিচmôricলঙ্কাlaṅkāMaternal auntখালাkhalaমাসিmasiPaternal auntফুফুphuphuপিসিpisiBathগোসলgosôlস্নান/চানsnān/chānWindহাওয়াhāoāবাতাসbatas
Examples of borrowed words
Due to centuries of contact with Mughals, Arabs, Persians, Central Asians, and Europeans, the Bengali language has absorbed countless words from foreign languages, often totally integrating these borrowings into the core vocabulary. The most common borrowings from foreign languages come from three different kinds of contact. After centuries of contact from Persia and the Middle East, followed by the invasions of the Mughal Empire, numerous Turkic, Arabic, and Persian words were absorbed and fully integrated into the lexicon. Later, European colonialism brought words from Portuguese, French, Dutch, and most significantly English. Bengali's relationship with Sanskrit is unique because Bengali descends from Middle Indo-Aryan languages (like Magadhi Prakrit), which themselves evolved from Sanskrit. Some very common borrowings are shown below.
Sanskrit (সংস্কৃত Sôṅskritô)
WordIPAMeaningবিশ্বbiʃ.ʃoworldধন্যবাদd̪ʱon.no.bad̪thanksআশীর্বাদaʃiɾ.badblessingস্বাগতsa.ɡo.t̪owelcomeনির্বাণniɾ.banNirvanaযোগা/ইয়োগাd͡ʑo.ga/jo.gaYogaআর্যaɾ.d͡ʒoAryanআসনa.sonseatআশ্রমaʃ.ɾomhermitage or monasteryঅবতারɔbo.t̪aɾAvatarআয়ুর্বেদajuɾ.bed̪Ayurvedaবন্ধুbon.dʱufriendবাসমতীbas.mot̪iBasmati riceভাংbʱaŋBhangধুতিd̪ʱu.t̪iDhotiলুঠlutʱLootingমায়াma.jaMayaসখাsɔ.kʰafriendস্বামীsa.miHusbandলাখlakʰLakhলক্ষ্মীlok.kʰiLakshmi
Substrate languages (দেশী Deśi "Native")
Word Meaningকুড়ি ku.ɽitwentyখোঁচা khõ.t͡ɕapokeঝিনুক d͡ʑʱi.nu.kshellঢং dʱɔŋ guile, dissimulation; fashionমাঠ matʰfield, open landমুড়ি mu.ɽipuffed rice
Foreign (বিদেশী Bideśi) Classical Persian (ফারসি Farsi)
WordPronunciation Meaning Original formআবহাওয়া abohawaa.bo.ɦa.waweatherآب و هوا āb-o-hawāচাকরি cakrit͡ɕak.rijobچاکری čakriআয়না aynaaj.namirrorآینه āynahআরাম arama.ɾamcomfortآرام ārāmবকশিশ bôkśiśbok.ʃiʃtipبخشش baxšišমুসলমান musôlmanmusol.manMuslimمسلمان musalmānআস্তে asteas.t̪eslowly, softly آهسته āhistah "slowly"কম kômkɔmless, fewكم kamকাগজ kagôjka.ɡod͡ɕpaperكاغذ kāğazখোদা khodakʰo.d̪agodخدا xodaখুব khubkʰubvery, greatlyخوب xūb "good"গরম gôrômɡɔ.ɾomhotگرم garmচশম côśômt͡ɕɔʃomeyeچشم čašmচাকর cakôrt͡ɕɐ.koɾemployee, servantچاکر čākarচাদর cadôrt͡ɕa.d̪oɾblanketچادر čādarজান jand͡ʑɐndearجان jānজায়গা jaygad͡ʑɐj.ɡaplaceجايگاه jāegāhডেগচি ḍegcideɡ.t͡ɕipotديگچه dēgčahদম dômd̪ɔmbreathدم damদের derd̪e.rlateدير dērদোকান dokand̪o.kanstore, shopدكان dukānপর্দা pôrdapɔr.d̪acurtainپرده pardahবদ bôdbɔˑd̪badبد badবাগান baganba.ɡangardenباغوان bāğwānরাস্তা rastaras.t̪aroad, wayراسته rāstahরোজ rojroˑd͡ʑeverydayروز rōz "day"হিন্দু Hinduhin.d̪uHinduهندو Hindūপছন্দ pôchôndôpɔ.t͡ɕʰon.d̪olike, appreciate پسند pasandটেক্কা ṭekkatek.kaaceتيكه tika "contract"খুন khunkʰuˑnkillخون xūn "blood"আঙ্গুর āṅguraŋ.guɾgrapeانگور angūrআওয়াজ aoaja.wad͡ʑsoundآواز āwāz
Arabic (আরবি Arbi) WordBangla transliterationEnglish meaning Original formIPAআসলaśôlrealأصلaṣlআহাদahadoneأحدahadএলাকাelakaareaعلاقة ("relationship")ʕalāqaওজনojônweightوزنwaznকলমkôlômpenقلمqalamকিসমতkismôtluckقسمةqisma(t)খবরkhôbôrnewsخبرxabrখারাপkharapbadخرابxarābখালাসkhalasconclusionخلاصxalāṣখালিkhaliemptyخاليxālīখেয়ালkheyalconsiderationخيالxayālগরিবgôribpoorغريبğarībজমাjômacollectجمعةjamʿahতারিখtarikhdateتاريخtārīxদুনিয়াduniyaworldدﻧﯿـاdunyaনকলnôkôlfakeنقلnaqlফকিরphôkirpoor personفقيرfaqīrবদলbodolexchangeبدلbadlবাকিbakiremainingباقيbāqīশয়তানśôytandevil, Satanشَيْطَانšayṭanসাহেবśahebsir, Sahibصاحبṣāḥibসনদśônôdcertificateسَنْدsandসনśônyearسَنَةsanahহেকিমhekimphysicianحكيمḥakīmহিসাবhiśabcalculationحسابḥisāb
Chagatai Turkic (তুর্কি Turki) Word Meaning Original formআপা apaelder sister, any unknown adult ladyapaচকমক cokmoklighterçakmakবেগম begômladybegüm
Portuguese (পর্তুগিজ Pôrtugij) Word Meaning Original formআলমারি almaricloset, cupboardarmárioআয়া ayanurseaiaইস্ত্রি istri ইস্তিরি istirito ironestirarইস্পাত iśpatsteelespada "sword"গামলা gamlabasketgamela "wooden trough"চাবি cabikeychaveজানালা janalawindowjanelaতামাক tamaktobaccotabacoপেরেক pereknailpregoফিতা phitalace, ribbonfitaবারান্দা barandaverandahvarandaবালতি baltiBucketbaldeবেহালা behalaviolaviolaবোতাম botambuttonbotãoসাবান śabansoapsabãoকেদারা kedarachaircadeiraআতা atacustard appleataআনারস anarôśpineappleananásকাজু kajucashewcajúকপি kôpicabbage, cauliflowercouveপাঁউ pãuEuropean-style breadpãoপেঁপে pẽpepapayapapaiaনিলাম nilamauctionleilãoপেয়ারা peyaraguavapera "pear"সালাদ saladsaladsaladaক্রুশ krushcrosscruzগির্জা girjachurchigrejaযিশু JiśuJesusJesusপাদ্রি padriCatholic priestpadreইংরেজ iṅgrejEnglishinglês
Dutch (ওলন্দাজ Olôndaj) Word Meaning Original formইস্কাবন iskabôn ইশকাপন iśkapônspadesschoppenরুইতন ruitôndiamondsruiten (lit. "rhombi")হরতন hôrotônheartshartenতুরুপ turuptrumptroefইস্ক্রুপ iskrupscrewschroef
English (ইংরেজি Iṅreji) Word Original formঅফিস ôfiśofficeজেল jeljailডাক্তার ḍaktardoctorপুলিশ puliśpoliceব্যাংক baṅkbankভোট bhoṭvoteইস্কুল iśkul স্কুল skulschoolহাসপাতাল haśpatalhospitalকাপ kapcupগ্লাস glasglassচেয়ার ceyarchairটেবিল ṭebiltableবাক্স bakśôboxলণ্ঠন lônṭhônlanternপ্লাস্টিক plasṭikplasticকলেজ kôlejcollegeসাইকেল saikelbicycleটাউট ṭauṭtoutইঞ্জিন injinengineক্যাঙারু kæṅgarukangarooবুমেরাং bumeraṅboomerang
French (ফরাসি Phôrasi) Word Meaning Original formওলন্দাজ olôndajDutchhollandaiseকার্তুজ kartujcartridgecartoucheরেস্তোরাঁ restorãrestaurantrestaurantশেমিজ śemijchemisechemise "shirt"
Chinese (চীনা Cīna) Word Meaning Original formসাম্পান sampanflat-bottomed wooden boat舢舨 sampan
Japanese (জাপানি Japani) Word Meaning Original formমাঙ্গা maṅgaMangaマンガ mangaসুনামি sunamiTsunamiつなみ tsunamiরিকশা rikśāRickshaw力車 rikisha "(man-) driven vehicle"
Burmese (বর্মী Bôrmī) Word Meaning Original formলুঙ্গি luṅgi longyi လုံချည် lum hkyanyঘুঘনি ghughni
German (জার্মান Jarman) Word Meaning Original formকিন্ডারগার্টেন kindargartenkindergartenনাৎসি NatsiNazi
Italian (ইতালীয় Italīẏô) Word Meaning Original formফ্যাসিস্ট PhasistFascistfascioম্যালেরিয়া malariamalariaমাফিয়া maphiyamafiaস্টুডিও studiostudio
References