# Hindi, Urdu: kal کَل कल



## marrish

Hi,

Let's discuss the word *kal کَل कल* in Urdu and Hindi, in the following sense (leaving out a couple of other "kals"):

H کل कल _kal_ [prob. S. कल्या; cf. _kalyāṇ_], s.f. Ease, tranquillity, peace, quiet, relief, rest, repose:—_kal ānā_, or _kal paṛnā_ (-_ko_), or _kal pānā_, To obtain ease or relief; to be at ease:—_kal-be-kal honā_, or _kal-se be-kal honā_, To be ill at ease, to be disturbed or disquieted, to lose all rest or peace:—_kal-ma-kal_, s.f. Uneasiness, perturbation, disquietude, distraction, trouble.

I am aware of it's usage in written Urdu of date but I didn't know the word at all till I checked a dictionary. Is it used/can it be found in speech or writing?

The other question comes naturally about its etymology. J.T. Platts wasn't sure; the discipline has strongly evolved since his times.

I believe "_bekal honaa_" is connected with Skt. _vyaakula_- for this matter, that is why I am questioning the etymology of "_*kal*_" in the above given sense.

To start off, here are two easy Urdu couplets where the feminine noun "kal" can be found and its meaning is expounded upon:

کون اُٹھ گیا ہے پاس سے کیا ہو گیا ہے جو
kaun uTh gayaa hae paas se kyaa ho gayaa hae jo
(پڑتی نہیں تجھ کو دلِ زار آج *کل* (جرأت
paRtii nahiiN tujh ko dil-e-zaar aaj *kal* (Jur'at)

کل اُس سے ہم نے ترکِ ملاقات کی تو کیا
kal us se ham ne tark-e-mulaaqaat kii to kyaa
(پھر اُس بغیر *کل* نہ پڑی دو گھڑی کے بعد (ذوق
phir us baGhair *kal* nah paRii do ghaRii ke ba3d (Zauq)​


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## Sheikh_14

In the first couplet isn't that merely aaj-kal as in, these days?


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## marrish

It's a word-play going on here and it has "both" meanings here although I strongly believe it is the meaning that I am inviting you all to discuss which dominates here.

Otherwise how would you explain the verb paRtii nahiiN (fem.)?


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## marrish

Autocorrection to post 1: the second couplet has obviously no izaafat!

کل اُس سے ہم نے *ترک ملاقات* کی تو کیا
kal us se ham ne *tark mulaaqaat* kii to kyaa
(پھر اُس بغیر *کل* نہ پڑی دو گھڑی کے بعد (ذوق
phir us baGhair *kal* nah paRii do ghaRii ke ba3d (Zauq)

I hope I'll make up for my mistake by adding another shi3r with "kal" and also "bekal".

شکل دو دن سے جو تم نے ہم کو دکھلائی نہیں
shakl do din se jo tum ne ham ko dikhlaa'ii nahiiN
(کل سے بیکل ہیں ہمیں کل آج تک آئی نہیں (جرأت
kal se bekal haiN hameN kal aaj tak aa'ii nahiiN (Jur'at)


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## littlepond

It's the first time in my life that I'm hearing such a meaning for "kal"!


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## Sheikh_14

Your OP is rather contradictory Marrish SaaHib for on the one hand you yourself show familiarity with the term so far as literary Urdu us concerned, yet you are asking whether it is an accepted term. It must be since both Fallon and Platt's feature it in the same regard. Whereas your poignant examples simply drive the nail into its snug tight hole. I guess what you actually wanted to ask is whether it is used in speech as well. In that regard it must be in literary circles but is unheard of otherwise. I too came across the word perhaps a year ago and only in online dictionaries. Do other dictionary behemoths such as farhang e asfiiyah feature the word?


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## marrish

Sheikh_14 said:


> Your OP is rather contradictory Marrish SaaHib for on the one hand you yourself show familiarity with the term so far as literary Urdu us concerned, yet you are asking whether it is an accepted term.


I'm sorry to hear that, it might be or might not be the case, but to me, there is no contradiction because...


			
				marrish said:
			
		

> I am aware of it's usage in written Urdu of date
> but I didn't know the word at all till I checked a dictionary.
> Is it used/can it be found in speech or writing?
> The other question comes naturally about its etymology.



...because I'm not at all familiar with it and have never heard it let alone know it! Not before I checked a dictionary around the time of the OP.

I just did my homework and checked my sources before initiating the thread to the effect that I shared all that is meaningful from what I could learn about it before asking the two questions to which I couldn't find any answer.


			
				Shekh_14 said:
			
		

> It must be since both Fallon and Platt's feature it in the same regard. Whereas your poignant examples simply drive the nail into its snug tight hole. I guess what you actually wanted to ask is whether it is used in speech as well. In that regard it must be in literary circles but is unheard of otherwise.


Thank you, I will keep your contribution in mind. 

I doubt about literary circles however. 

To be frank, I'm rather leaned to thinking of illiterates.



			
				Shekh_14 said:
			
		

> I too came across the word perhaps a year ago and only in online dictionaries. Do other dictionary behemoths such as farhang e asfiiyah feature the word?


I couldn't find the word in online dictionaries!!! That's also the point because it is perhaps discarded by them or not known to them?

Could you share any link please? Yes, naturally Farhang-e-Asafiyyah, Nuuru_l_luGhaat have entries, other lexicons must have them.

Entries don't answer any of my questions though... especially the one about etymology = "what that little word out of a bunch of words that are identical actually is and how come it has (had?) managed to survive amongst other 'kals'? And has it managed to survive?

Thank you littlepond jii for your contribution, last but not least! I'm interested about it in Hindi, perhaps there is some trace to be found?


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## Sheikh_14

By online dictionaries I merely meant repositories of Platts and Fallon's ilk. I doubt illeterates I.e. AnpaRh log would be guilty as charged so far as usage of the term is concerned since it is used mostly in a literary light. Its poetic usage would suggest it is the preserve of the literati but honestly speaking I'd leave that to those far better in the know. Could you share farhang e Asafiyyah's or Nuur ul lughat's entry? From what I have been able to gather the most conspicuous usage of the term is with regards to aaraam and comfort. Other usages continually take a back seat and may have been discarded with the passage of time.


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## mundiya

marrish said:


> I'm sorry to hear that, it might be or might not be the case, but to me, there is no contradiction because...
> 
> 
> ...because I'm not at all familiar with it and have never heard it let alone know it! Not before I checked a dictionary around the time of the OP.
> 
> I just did my homework and checked my sources before initiating the thread to the effect that I shared all that is meaningful from what I could learn about it before asking the two questions to which I couldn't find any answer.
> Thank you, I will keep your contribution in mind.
> 
> I doubt about literary circles however.
> 
> To be frank, I'm rather leaned to thinking of illiterates.
> 
> I couldn't find the word in online dictionaries!!! That's also the point because it is perhaps discarded by them or not known to them?
> 
> Could you share any link please? Yes, naturally Farhang-e-Asafiyyah, Nuuru_l_luGhaat have entries, other lexicons must have them.
> 
> Entries don't answer any of my questions though... especially the one about etymology = "what that little word out of a bunch of words that are identical actually is and how come it has (had?) managed to survive amongst other 'kals'? And has it managed to survive?
> 
> Thank you littlepond jii for your contribution, last but not least! I'm interested about it in Hindi, perhaps there is some trace to be found?



This meaning of kal is found in every major Hindi dictionary I've checked along with expressions that it's used in and literary references. As far as speech is concerned, I too haven't heard it. It must not be prevalent in urban areas these days, getting surpassed by synonyms.

Turner gives kalya as the etymology.


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## Sheikh_14

Platt's corroborates that very finding: H کل कल kal [prob. S. कल्या; cf. kalyāṇ. Now my question is, does this kalyaan have anything to do with khet-kalyaan a compound term often used for the serene yet bustling life of the countryside? I have never been able to press my finger on the actual purpose of kalyaan in that term but whenever the fields are being discussed in say a song eulogising the rural life you often hear "khetoN meN kalyaanoN meN." Perhaps it is the peace of the dihaat that has inspired or engendered this term and thus kal paanaa/aanaa.


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## littlepond

Sheikh_14 said:


> I have never been able to press my finger on the actual purpose of kalyaan in that term but whenever the fields are being discussed in say a song eulogising the rural life you often hear "khetoN meN kalyaanoN meN." Perhaps it is the peace of the dihaat that has inspired or engendered this term and thus kal paanaa/aanaa.



The word is "khaliyaan"/"khalyaan", not "kalyaan"! And that has nothing to do with this thread!


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## MonsieurGonzalito

When applied to the nights of separation passed by a person in love, what would be the meaning of "bekal", then?

Example from the song "O Le Ke Pehla Pehla Pyaar", from the 1956 Indian movie "CID"

_jab se lagaayaa tere pyaar kaa kaajal
kalii kaalii birhaa kii ratiyaaN haiN bēkal_

Those nights are:

_senseless?_
_without a tomorrow?_
_spent in vigil?_

[The singer might be saying _be-a-khal_, probably for meter]
[These verses belong to the last stanza, 6:00 in most Youtube video clips]


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> ...I believe "_bekal honaa_" is connected with Skt. _vyaakula_- for this matter, that is why I am questioning the etymology of "_*kal*_" in the above given sense.....


marrish SaaHib, I am of the view that in "be-kal" and "be-kalii", the "be" is the Urdu prefix (from Persian) meaning "without" and its possible similarity in sound with "byaakul/vyaakul" is purely co-incidental.

kal = chain; be-kal = be-chain; be-kalii = be-chainii

To answer your question, I would say that at least in Urdu "be-kalii" would be used in literary circles and "be-chainii" by you and me!

cf. bas > be-basii


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## Qureshpor

littlepond said:


> It's the first time in my life that I'm hearing such a meaning for "kal"!


littlepond Jii, cast your mind, if you will, to a Muhammad Rafi song from the film "Mere Huzoor" in which the "mood-setting" antraa is:

falak pih jitne sitaare haiN vuh bhii sharmaa'eN, O dene vaale mujhe itnii zindagii de de
yihii sazaa hai merii maut hii nah aa'e mujhe, kisii ko chain mile, mujh ko *be-kalii* de de

Gham uThaane ke liye maiN to jiye jaa'uuN gaa
saaNs kii lai pih teraa naam liye jaa'uuN gaa


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## MonsieurGonzalito

Ah, "restless", akin to  bekalii, aukalii 
Thanks, @Qureshpor


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## littlepond

@Qureshpor jii, thanks for reminding of the excellent couplet! In addition, I don't know what I was thinking of earlier, since the expression "kal nahiiN hai (us meN)" (e.g., for a child who is unable to sit in one place for a time) is heavily used in my own home!


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