Trilingual Dictionary of the Badaga language

Badaga – Tamil – English Dictionary

Having gone through this dictionary (priced at Rs.600, purchased from Mr Maathu, who was kind enough to have it delivered to me at Coonoor) and can say without any hesitation that this book must find a place in every Badaga household. – Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash

Badaga Maatterisi

(Published by Nelikolu Charitable Trust)

Trilingual Dictionary of the Badaga language
by Dr.Haldorai and others

(Dr.Haldorai Writes) The role of the dictionary in language development is significant. A dictionary gives all or most of the words of a language in alphabetical order with meaning. The richness or strength of a language is made up of its words. Thus, a dictionary which contains units of language (words) does fully show the richness or the strength of the language. That is why the Nelikolu Charitable Trust opts a dictionary that is ideal for displaying all of the Badaga language resources. It is said that knowledge of grammar, etymology, linguistic study and compilation of words are the core skills for a dictionary making.

The Nelikolu Charitable Trust has been actively pursuing the dictionary project by setting up a dictionary team which contains persons of these four skills. Our objective is that the new Dictionary, a fully Badaga initiative, would be more comprehensive, user-friendly and accessible even to those with limited or no knowledge of English.

Badagas have long been associated with the Blue Mountains. Thus Badagas’ knowledge related to Blue Mountains is enormous. Therefore, there is no doubt that the Badaga language will be very helpful to know the matters related to the Blue Mountains in full. This Badaga dictionary contains a lot of matters related to Badagas way of life besides news related to the Blue Mountains as well as.

This dictionary is a supplement to school and college textbooks; a repository of words that Badaga singers want; a rare treasury for those who want to know the wonderful nuances of the Badaga language; the crutch of levelling the ever-changing culture; above all, it is the life saving medicine that keeps the Badaga language on life from its present endangering path.

As a result of more than a decade of dedicated work on the Badaga dictionary, it has evolved into a 920 page dictionary volume with over 17,000 main entries and 5000 sub entries. In addition to this 24 pages of preface and 176 pages of appendixes, it became a big volume with 1120 pages.

The main author of the Badaga – Tamil _ English Dictionary is Dr.R.K.HALDORAI who is a founder member of Nelikolu Charitable Trust

(I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Haldorai, a few times, a very nice and humble gentleman. A few lines about him. – Wg Cdr JP)

After his schooling from Kil Cowhatty and Nanjanad, he did his graduation (in Tamil) from Govt. Arts College Ooty, did his M.O.L. (Master of Oriental Language, Tamil)- Annamalai University, B.Ed. & M.Ed. – Annamalai University and M.A. (Gandian Thought) – Madurai Kamaraj University, Ph.D. – Madras University.

Born in 1952, Dr.Haldorai, M.A., M.Ed., M.O.L.,Ph.D, a highly educated Badaga, is from Kiya Cowatty (Muthorai) and lives in Tambaram, Chennai .
He is married to M.Shanthi, B.Com. (Kunna Hubbathalai) and has a daughter Dr.H.Gayathri, (Siddha Medical Practicenor).

He was a Lecturer in Tamil, Govt. R.C College of commerce, Bangalore (1977 – 1979).And held the post of Special Grammar Compiler, Directorate of Tamil Etymological Dictionary Project, Govt. of Tamilnadu

Dr. Haldorai knows Kannada (speak, read and write), Malayalam and Telugu (read and write).
Done Certificate Courses in Hindi & Sanskrit.

Work done on Badaga

1. Ph.D. in comparative linguistics (Badaga-Tamil Linguistic study)
2. Editor : mandadamaattu, a quarterly magazine, twenty three issues published(1991 – 1997), on behalf of Badagar Welfare Association, Chennai
3. Introduced modified Tamil Letters to Badaga, conducted classes to students and others.
4. Revived the Good old Badaga Calendar system and printed Calendars for the past five years
   Minorities, New Delhi, thrice representing Badaga

Books Published on Badaga: Thirteen (9 in Tamil, 4 in English)

1. Badagumozhi Palamozhigal (Badaga Proverbs) (Tamil & English meanings), 2003
2. Hethe Deyvam( Mother goddess of the Badagas) (Tamil), 2004
3. Badagu oru diravida mozhi (Badaga a Dravidian Language) (Tamil), 2006
4. Badagar Thirumanam (Badaga Marriage) (Tamil), 2006
5. Badagar Theer Tirupatti (Badaga Funerals) (Tamil), 2007
6. Badagar Aruvadait Thirunaal (Harvest Festival of Badagas) (Tamil), 2008
7. Badagar Samaya Nambikkai (Religious Beliefs of Badagas) (Tamil), 2009
8. Badagar Panpaadu (Badaga culture) (Tamil), 2012
9. Badagar (Translation) (Tamil and English), 2016

1. Goddess Hethe of the Nilgiri Badagas, 2005

2.Marriage among the Nilgiri Badagas, 2006

3.Badaga –English Self Instructor, 2009

4. A Practical Key to the Badaga Language, 2011

Dr. Haldorai has published numerous articles in English and has presented many papers in Dravidian Linguists Association, Thiruvananthapuram