East Indian language

The East Indian language or East Indian dialect, also known as Mobai Mahratti and East Indian Marathi, is the form of Marathi-Konkani languages spoken in Bombay (Mumbai),[2] it has a significant amount is Indo-Portuguese loanwords.[1] It does not have a unique script of its own: Devanagari and the Roman script are used by most of its speakers, who are the native Christians of the northern Konkan division.[2] Though the dialect is losing popular usage due to immigration, depopulation & Anglo-Americanisation among the younger generation. However, it is still used for songs and dramas, as well as in Christian worship since the Novus Ordo was approved in the 1960s.

This article is about the East Indian language, the native language of the people of Bombay (Mumbai). For information on other topics, see East India (disambiguation).

East Indian language
पूर्व भारत
PronunciationPurv Bharat
RegionGreater Bombay in Konkan and also Maharashtra
EthnicityBombay East Indians
Native speakers
600,000 (2013)[1]
Devanagari, Roman Script
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
GlottologNone

Differences from standard Marathi

All pronouns have a change from yah to te. Words in Marathi for yes, where, here, there, have different East Indian counterparts. Other grammatical nuances differ from standard-spoken Marathi.[3]

Historical references
Main articles: Portuguese Bombay and Bassein, Bombay Presidency, and Bombay East Indians

From the early days of the East India Company, there were no other Indian Christians in the North Konkan except the East Indian Catholics. Employments that were intended for Christians, were the monopoly of the Bombay East Indians. With development, came in railways and steamship, a boon for the travelling public. And with that came a number of immigrants from Goa who were also known as Portuguese Christians. The British found it expedient to adopt a designation which would distinguish the Christians of North Konkan who were British subjects and the Goan, who were Portuguese subjects (Mangalorean Catholics were not Portuguese subjects at this point any more). Accordingly, on the occasion of The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the Christians of North Konkan, who were known as "Portuguese Christians" discarded that name and adopted the designation "East Indian". By the adoption of the name "East Indian" they wanted to impress upon the British Government of Bombay that they were the earliest Roman Catholic Subjects of the British Crown in this part of India, in as much as parts of Bombay, by its cession in 1661, were the first foothold the British acquired in India, after Surat. As the children of the soil, they urged on the Government, that they were entitled to certain natural rights and privileges as against the immigrants.[4]

See also

References
  1. Kumar, Raksha. "The original East Indians". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  2. "The East Indian Dialect". Sahapedia. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  3. "East Indian dictionary to preserve local Marathi dialect - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site". m.timesofindia.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. Baptista, Elsie Wilhelmina (1967). The East Indians: Catholic Community of Bombay, Salsette and Bassein. Bombay East Indian Association.
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: East Indian Marathi
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