# Urdu: Clown



## Todd The Bod

Are there clowns in the traditions of Urdu speaking cultures, and if so what is the word for "clown" in Urdu?


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## Faylasoof

Well, we do have traditions involving clowns of sorts but it depends on what one means. 

clown = buffoon, then we have:  مسخرہ_ masxarah / _بھنڈیلا_ bhandelaa /_
بھانڈ _bhaand / _نقّال_ naqqaal _(= imitator – originally from court jesters of the bygone era). 

But we can also have:                                                                                                         بہلول_  bahluul / _ ابلہ_ ablah_ (= fool / simpleton, but also one who clowns ), اجڈ _ujaD _/ اكّھڑ _akkhaR_ ( = boorish / ill-bred / clownish) etc.

Does really depend on what you mean.


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## Todd The Bod

Thank you, sir.  I was curious about all of these meanings, but in particular I know a guy who uses the English term for any joker who's rude or oblivious to normal courtesy, so that got me thinking as to whether that term was used in Urdu as well.


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## Faylasoof

Todd The Bod said:


> Thank you, sir.  I was curious about all of these meanings, but in particular I know a guy who uses the English term for any joker who's rude or oblivious to normal courtesy, so that got me thinking as to whether that term was used in Urdu as well.



In that case, the terms _ujaD_ and _akkhaR_ (= boorish) would be most suitable here, but there is also _mu.nh phaT  _منہ پھٹ = blunt / oblivious to manners.


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## lcfatima

I have heard the above mentioned _maskharah_ used as an insult, meaning a fool as well. Just to confirm, this word doesn't change forms for gender, right? Also, is _maskharay_ the plural in Urdu? (I asked some native speakers of Arabic and they can't think of the Arabic plural either for some reason and say the word is not used as a plural, will have to ask in the Arabic forums to confirm, I guess)


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## Faylasoof

lcfatima said:


> I have heard the above mentioned _maskharah_ used as an insult, meaning a fool as well. Just to confirm, this word doesn't change forms for gender, right?


 
Fatima, in Urdu _masxarah / maskharah_ has come to mean <funny, amusing> and not just a <clown>, so it isn't an insult. We use it regularly for anything funny / amusing, whether it be a person, a book, a film etc. ... and yes it is gender specific! So it is _masxarah_ for a male and _masxarii_ for a female!! We also use _mizaahiyah_ (humorous / amusing) to mean the same and this is gender independent.



lcfatima said:


> Also, is _maskharay_ the plural in Urdu? (I asked some native speakers of Arabic and they can't think of the Arabic plural either for some reason and say the word is not used as a plural, will have to ask in the Arabic forums to confirm, I guess)


 
Yes, _masxare _is the plural in Urdu for masculie plural nouns only – follows the Prakrit pluralisation rule!!

_masxarah laRkaa_ (sing.) / _masxare laRke_ (pl.)
[Funny boy (sing.) / funny boys (pl.)]

But, 

_masxarii laRkii_ (sing.) / _masxarii laRkiyaa.n_ (pl.) 
[Funny girl (sing.) / funny girls (pl.)]

For the second, we are again following Prakrit pluralisation rules for the feminine noun but not the adjective.

The Arabic plurals are _masxaraat _or _masaaxir_ but neither is used in Urdu!
.


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## panjabigator

Just thought of اناڑی.  Do you think that's a good fit?


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## lcfatima

Okay, thanks.


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## Faylasoof

panjabigator said:


> Just thought of اناڑی. Do you think that's a good fit?


 PG, this would work if you mean to say that someone is, say, inexperienced / unskilled / incapable of doing anything properly and is therefore just a clown. In this sense we do use it.


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## Todd The Bod

panjabigator said:


> Just thought of اناڑی.  Do you think that's a good fit?


 
Does that say "anri"?


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## Cilquiestsuens

It reads *anaaRii*, and its meaning is neatly explained in the above post by Faylas. Not fit for clown.


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## Todd The Bod

Thank you Mr Cilqui!


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## Sheikh_14

Faylasoof said:


> Fatima, in Urdu _masxarah / maskharah_ has come to mean <funny, amusing> and not just a <clown>, so it isn't an insult. We use it regularly for anything funny / amusing, whether it be a person, a book, a film etc. ... and yes it is gender specific! So it is _masxarah_ for a male and _masxarii_ for a female!! We also use _mizaahiyah_ (humorous / amusing) to mean the same and this is gender independent.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, _masxare _is the plural in Urdu for masculie plural nouns only – follows the Prakrit pluralisation rule!!
> 
> _masxarah laRkaa_ (sing.) / _masxare laRke_ (pl.)
> [Funny boy (sing.) / funny boys (pl.)]
> 
> But,
> 
> _masxarii laRkii_ (sing.) / _masxarii laRkiyaa.n_ (pl.)
> [Funny girl (sing.) / funny girls (pl.)]
> 
> For the second, we are again following Prakrit pluralisation rules for the feminine noun but not the adjective.
> 
> The Arabic plurals are _masxaraat _or _masaaxir_ but neither is used in Urdu!
> .



Though the usages of masxarah do vary, the word is commonly used for a buffoon. I.e. Band karo apna masxarahpan - bring your buffoonery to a halt! Yeh kyaan Masxarah hain?- This man is an annoying buffon and the implication being for goodness sake keep him away. As far as the plural forms are concerned I doubt that either the indic or arabic variants are unusable in urdu as the precedent for both forms of pluralisations are rooted in the Urdu language. Thence the one you use is a matter of choice and convenience.

The arabic direct synonym for a clown is muharaj, however I am not sure if that is in use at all in the Urdu language (even as an exotic alternative), ever-growing though it may be. For joker I have heard phapluu in both urdu and hindi but I am not aware of its connotations since I have rarely come across it. Similarly Masxarah is more of a joker than a clown not that theres much of a difference tbh, just a matter of nit-picking semantics. 

Nevertheless,  I would also like to know if there is at all a non english alternative to Circus in Urdu?


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## marrish

You are right, buffoon is how it is used most of the times and I suppose Faylasoof SaaHib's "funny" points out to this very aspect of "funny". Thanks for this post. There's no need to pluralise it in the Arabic ways, you are right again. For the rest, all examples and nuances given by F. SaaHib in his previous posts (_masxarah_ too) are in accordance with what I've experienced. 

"Circus" is another matter not related to this thread.


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## Sheikh_14

Firstly, it seems you misunderstood the post since I wrote in favour of both patterns of pluralisation for that is the de facto modus operandi in the Urdu language with regards to arabic derived words. For instance tarkib is pluralised via tarkibe, tarakiib and tarkiibat. This happens to be very much in line with Urdu's appreciation of the diverse linguistic cultures it adopts and thence why it was once called rekhta. Both forms of pluralisations are deeply rooted in the Urdu language with one being vernacular and the other formal.
Secondly, Faylasoof sahib was pointing out that masxarah can have a much lighter note than it does so commonly today for someone who is mazahiyah and mazaaki than a bufoon. I on the other hand was pinpointing its common usage in todays language. A bufoon distinctly being different to a comic. One being derogatory the other singing praises.
Thirdly it seems there isnt a direct synonym to the word clown in Urdu, if in fact Moharaj has no currency.
Fourthly, a clown's abode of grace is after all a circus. And thus the place where he performs his/her shenanigans isnt entirely impertinent. Nevertheless, if you feel its going off the tangent you may ignore this particular segment. However, how would you differentiate a joker from a clown and a clown from a comic in Urdu now thats the question. Similarly it seems the OP was interested in Urdu alternatives to clowning around, fooling around, horsing around etc. Besides Maxarahpan, do we have more ways of expressing that sentiment.

Fifthly, I mentioned the word phapluu what denotations does that word hold as I have only rare acquaintance to it.

Shukriya Janaab e hazira.


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## littlepond

Sheikh jii, if you meant "papluu", which is used in Hindi at least (I cannot vouch for Urdu), that means a "dummy" in the senses 1, 2 and 4 here.


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