Badaga In English Script – Qwerty key pad

Badaga In English Script – Qwerty key pad

It is fantastic that a lot of efforts are being made to develop a Badaga script by Kadasoley Yogesh, Anandha Raju, Saravana Kumar Raju and others. Each has a different script to offer.

Meanwhile, I feel, it may be possible to use English alphabet and special characters that are available in a standard ‘QWERTY key pad’ to ‘write Badagu’.

The special characters are used since we do not have equivalent English letters for some letters like La – ள, Na – ண ,  etc.

Special character like [colon] : is used to avoid writing ‘a’ twice in many words like ‘baalu – tail’.

See the examples below :-

a:du – ஆடு, Dance, sheep/Goat
[a:tta a:duva b:a – ஆட்ட ஆடுவ பா  – come, let us dance],

[kappu a:du dh:aradhu? -கப்பு ஆடு தாரது  whose black sheep is that?]

idhu adhu – இது அது – this and that

k:angi – காங்கி [Female] Name
[K:angi yu Gangi yu hola gelachcha ga hogi d:arey – காங்கி யு கங்கி யு ஹோல  கெல்ச்ச க ஹோகி தாரெ – Kaangi and Gangi have gone to work in the field]

g:ai – காய் -Wind
[baniyanu ikku, g:ai beesira – பனியனு இக்கு காய் பீசிர – wear (woolen) sweater, it is windy]

bal’l’ey – பள்ளே – flat footed woman
[ah bal’l’eya kan’n’u holla – அ பள்ளே ய கண்ணு ஹொல்ல – That flat footed woman’s eyes are full of evil]

k^oi – கோய் -chicken
[k^oi udhakka – கோய் உதக்க – chicken curry]

kodu –   கொடு -give
[S^omi, ee koosuga budhiya kodu – சோமி , ஈ கூசுக புத்தி ய கொடு – God, give this boy some wisdom]

k^odu – கோடு – line
[k^oda th:anda beda – கோட தாண்ட பேட – don’t cross the line]

ban’n’a – பண்ண – colour
[ban’n’a battey baekku – பண்ண  பட்டே பேக்கு – need colourful cloth]

hen’n’u – ஹெண்ணு – girl
[ah hen’n’u s^okka idhdhavey – அ ஹெண்ணு சோக்க இத்தவெ – that girl looks beautiful]

kan’n’u – கண்ணு – eye
k:an’u – காணு see
[kan’n’a tharadhu k:an’u  endhu haegu – கண்ண தரது காணு எந்து ஹேகு – ask (him/her) to open the eyes and see]

hal’l’a – ஹள்ள – river
[hal’l’adha neeru kammi – ஹள்ள த நீரு கம்மி – less water in the river]

halla – ஹல்ல – man with big teeth
[hallajja na namba koodadhu – ஹல்லஜ்ஜன நம்ப கூடாது – don’t believe that ‘toothy’ man]

a:lu – ஆலு – anger
[appa a:l endhundu edhdhaney – அப்ப ஆல் எந்துண்டு இத்தனெ – Father is very angry]

h:al’u – ஹாளு – cursed
[h:aluvadha h:alu k:arana innu k:an’ey – ஹாளுவாத ஹாலு காரன இன்னு காணே – that cursed milkman is not seen still]

bella – பெல்ல – jagiri [black sugar]
Bel’l’a – பெள்ள – male name
[Bel’l’a na m:aththu bella m:akkey – பெள்ளன மாத்து பெல்ல மாக்கே – Bella’s words are sweet like black sugar]

Bel’l’ie – பெள்ளி – silver, Male name
[Bel’l’ie j^odi bel’l’i ungara ikki dhaney – பெள்ளி ஜோடி பெள்ளி உங்கர இக்கிதனெ – Bellie is wearing a pair of silver rings]

[Bel’l’anu Bel’l’ie yu appara nattu k:araru – பெள்ளனு பெள்ளியு  அப்பர நட்டு காரரு – Bella and Bellie are very friendly]

What are your views? Please send them as comments.

                 Script for Badaga      by   Dr.R.K.Haldorai

  “We can easily invent a completely new script for any language in a couple of days” (THE HINDU, May 25, 2013)

       Badaga language has to get a script. Few Badaga enthusiasts tried for that. Over the years few scripts were postulated. But one thing is sure that popularise any new script seems impossible in the present social scenario.

      A language can potentially be written in any script of the world with some minor changes. Badaga language is studied by well known scholars. These linguistic scholars employed other languages’ scripts, especially Tamil and Roman (English) for Badaga language. They followed the internationally adopted methods. When we follow these things we are spared from two great hurdles. Tamil and English letters are known to the present educated Badagas. So, comparatively it is very easy to popularise the required letters. Next it will be in consonance with the international studies. In this background Linguists always favour to adopt the vernacular known scripts for unlettered languages.

    It is to be remembered that the Kodagu language is written in Kannada script. In the same way another south Indian Dravidian language Tulu adopted Kannada script long ago. It is not new that more than one language adopted a common script. It is a worldwide scenario. In India Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathy, and Nepali are written in Deva Nagari script. Of late Kongany which elevated to the eight schedule of our constitution too, adopted Deva Nagari. An unlettered Naaga language of the north east state adopted Roman letters.

     To make Badaga a lettered language, Tamil and Roman scripts are at our hand.