The Metamorphosis of Vocabulary
In this blog, Rakesh Saraf talks about how meanings of some common English words have changed over time. “To think that only yesterday I was cheerful, bright and gay” These are lyrics from a song called “Alone Again (Naturally)” sung by Gilbert O’Sullivan as recently...
Why Zabaan
When I first enrolled as a student in Zabaan, the name suggested Urdu to me, all the way. I did not even think any other Indian languages were taught at Zabaan. I was astonished to find out much later that Urdu was only a small part of the offerings of this amazing school.
Haafiz–the one who protects
The trilateral root ‘ha-fi-za’ in Arabic means to protect, preserve, guard or sustain. Hifz is the noun form of the root and it means ‘preservation’ or ‘protection’. In Hindi/Urdu we also use hifaazat (protection, safety) which is a...
Kamaal–the State of Perfection
Ka-ma-la, the Arabic trilateral root for ‘perfection’. Most Hindi/Urdu speakers are familiar with this root from usages like kamaal ka meaning ‘excellent, wonderful’ and ‘kamaal hai!’ which means ‘Great!’ but more often...
Lockdown Diary Day 17: A New Lexicon
In this blog Rakesh Saraf talks about the new words that have been coined in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Much like most of humanity, I have spent pretty much the last 16 days at home. Today is Day 17 and, at the very least, I would suspect I have another 8...
The Remarkable Use of English in India
In this blog Rakesh Saraf talks about some interesting and amusing usages in Indian English. When I left India for the first time, I was in my late teens, freshly educated in a Scottish Baptist school, and taught English by Englishmen who were very intolerant...
Comprehending Shakespeare
In this blog Rakesh Saraf talks about reading Shakespeare and why he is still relevant today. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools ...
Urdu — The Maddening Language of Love
In this blog Rakesh Saraf talks about the challenges he faced while learning how to read and write Urdu. “Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning. And the Hebrews learn it backwards, which is absolutely frightening.” I remember these...
Learning — The Magic Potion
In this blog Rakesh Saraf talks about the benefits of continuing learning well into one’s silver years. I was 67 years old when I looked at my collection of old Urdu literature, with prints from the 1920s onwards, once again in despair. Was I going to the...
