A secret language of Boatmen of Prayag (Allahabad, India)
Interesting to learn about this argot of boatmen of Prayag, which they use to communicate among themselves for the purpose of excluding their clients.
Interesting to learn about this argot of boatmen of Prayag, which they use to communicate among themselves for the purpose of excluding their clients.
For example - the numbers are spelled differently -
1 = sang संग; 2 = jōṛ जोड़, 3 = rakh रख; 5 = hāthū हाथू; 10 = salāī सलाई; 50 = tālī ताली; sunna सुन्न = 100 and so on. In this way rupees 500 = hāthū sunn हाथू सुन्न. And this would be conveyed to the next boatmen in no time.
1 = sang संग; 2 = jōṛ जोड़, 3 = rakh रख; 5 = hāthū हाथू; 10 = salāī सलाई; 50 = tālī ताली; sunna सुन्न = 100 and so on. In this way rupees 500 = hāthū sunn हाथू सुन्न. And this would be conveyed to the next boatmen in no time.
Similarly caukaṛ चौकड़ = wealthy; lihāṛā लिहाड़ा= Poor, is used before manipulating prices. Or dhanī nā bījō धनी ना बीजो = don't spoil the case. More research needs to be done on this unique argot which developed on the banks of Ganga and Yamuna in Allahabad.
Being a big fan of Byomkesh Bakshi (satyānvēṣī), I have been writing on some secret languages of India for some time. Here is a mega-thread of threads on secret languages. Enjoy !!
A secret languages of Thugs in India
A secret languages of Thugs in India
The language of the underworld in West Bengal
A secret language of Prisoners in North India
A secret Script of Sindhi Merchants
How Chapatis became the carriers of Secret Message among Indian Freedom fighters in 1857
A secret language spoken by homosexuals of Delhi
