# Hindi/Urdu - chitawnii, reminder



## tonyspeed

Is chitawnii different from chetavni in practice?

Also, how you you say "reminder" as opposed to "warning"?



H جتاوني जतावनी _jatāʼonī_ (fem. of _jatāʼonā_), s.f. *Reminder;* warning, admonition;  token (=_ćitāʼonī_).


H چتاوني चितावनी, चिताओनी _ćitāʼonī_ (i.q. _ćitāʼonā_), s.f.  Token, sign, clue; timely notice, caution, warning, admonition; alarm; a reminder.


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## HZKhan

First of all, this word is not an Urdu word. 

For 'reminder', we use یاد دہانی/yaad-dihaanii which is very common in both speech and writing. Another fine option is تاکید/taakiid, which is also a common word.
As for 'warning', we have tambiih/تنبیہ, intibaah/انتباہ, dhamkii/دھمکی, xabardaarii/خبرداری, tahziir/تحذیر, inzaar/انذار etc.


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## Alfaaz

Even though _chetaavani/chetaa'onii_ is probably _very_ _rarely_ used (or _non-existent_) in Urdu speech as Pakistani Khan SaaHib has pointed out, it has been used in Urdu poetry: 




_ab yeh masaafat kaise ta'e ho ae dil tu hii bataa
kaTtii 3umr aur ghaTte faaSile phir bhii wohii saHraa

chait aayaa chetaavanii bhejii apnaa vachan nibhaa
pat-jhaR aa'ii patr likhe aa jiivan biit chalaa

Majeed Amjad : (1914-1976; Pakistan)_
اب یہ مسافت کیسے طے ہو اے دل تو ہی بتا
کٹتی عمر اور گھٹتے فاصلے پھر بھی وہی صحرا

چیت آیا چیتاونی بھیجی اپنا وچن نبھا
پت چھڑ آئی پتر لکھے آ جیون بیت چلا

مجید امجد : (1914-1976 ؛ پاکستان)


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## HZKhan

Alfaaz said:


> Even though _chetaavani/chetaa'onii_ is probably _very_ _rarely_ used (or _non-existent_) in Urdu speech as Pakistani Khan SaaHib has pointed out, it has been used in Urdu poetry:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _ab yeh masaafat kaise ta'e ho ae dil tu hii bataa
> kaTtii 3umr aur ghaTte faaSile phir bhii wohii saHraa
> 
> chait aayaa chetaavanii bhejii apnaa vachan nibhaa
> pat-jhaR aa'ii patr likhe aa jiivan biit chalaa
> 
> Majeed Amjad : (1914-1976; Pakistan)_اب یہ مسافت کیسے طے ہو اے دل تو ہی بتا
> کٹتی عمر اور گھٹتے فاصلے پھر بھی وہی صحرا
> 
> چیت آیا چیتاونی بھیجی اپنا وچن نبھا
> پت چھڑ آئی پتر لکھے آ جیون بیت چلا
> 
> مجید امجد : (1914-1976 ؛ پاکستان)



The poem you mentioned is written in a Hindi meter called 'doha' and those who write dohas consciously make an effort to use hindi vocabulary in them, because 'doha' and other hindi poetic forms have not conventionally been a part of Urdu literary tradition. But even if a certain Urdu poet has used the word in his poem, I still consider it a Hindi loanword that sounds very odd and contrary to the Urdu's nature. And the same thing goes for chait, vachan, pat-jhaR, patr and jiivan.
In fact, I refuse to consider the second couplet of the above poem Urdu.


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## littlepond

I have never heard of a "chitaavanii", tonyspeed jii; as far as I believe, it is always "chetaavanii" - with all the meanings that you have already listed. As for post no. 4, I do not know if PK jii has a good point or not. In addition, I also do not find the second couplet of that poem in Urdu by any stretch of imagination.


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## eskandar

Pakistani Khan said:


> But even if a certain Urdu poet has used the word in his poem, I still consider it a Hindi loanword that sounds odd and contrary to the Urdu's nature. And the same thing goes for chait, vachan, pat-jhaR, patr and *jiivan.*


I don't know about the other words, but why jiivan? Sure, zindagii may be more common, but I have seen jiivan often enough in Urdu (some Pakistani pop songs come immediately to mind) as well.


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## Alfaaz

May we return to one of the unanswered questions in the opening post?


			
				tonyspeed said:
			
		

> Also, how you you say "reminder" as opposed to "warning"?


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## mundiya

Regarding the specific word "chitaawanii", I believe it is a variation of "chetaawanii".  For reminder, one of the options in  Hindi is "anusmaarak".  I don't know whether "jataawanii" is current.


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## Kahaani

I have never heard jataawanii before.


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## desi4life

I haven't heard jataawanii either.


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## tonyspeed

I am going to assume there is no word for reminder in Hindi...yaad dilaanevalii baat


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## littlepond

^ An example sentence would be appreciated, since there are many words for reminder in Hindi. No one uses a construction like "yaad dilaanevaali baat".


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## mundiya

Tony jii, there is no need for such an assumption.  Please read post 8.


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## tonyspeed

littlepond said:


> ^ An example sentence would be appreciated, since there are many words for reminder in Hindi. No one uses a construction like "yaad dilaanevaali baat".



Isn't there some expression that is similar to English "tie something around your finger"?


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## tonyspeed

littlepond said:


> No one uses a construction like "yaad dilaanevaali baat".



I did however find "yaad dilaanevaalaa" used for reminder in a few news articles.


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## littlepond

tonyspeed said:


> Isn't there some expression that is similar to English "tie something around your finger"?



I have never encountered this English expression!


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## littlepond

tonyspeed said:


> I did however find "yaad dilaanevaalaa" used for reminder in a few news articles.



Examples will always be appreciated; also "yaad dilaanevaalaa" is not the same as "yaad dilaanevaalii baat".


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## urdustudent101

Dear Tonyspeed,
I have never heard the English expression, but it instantly reminded me of an Urdu expression that I have read somewhere, girih maiṅ bāndhnā, which is to tie a knot in something as a reminder: 
گرہ میں باندھنا  

I would really appreciate anyone's thoughts on how common this phrase is and if it is still used.


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## Alfaaz

urdusutdent101 said:
			
		

> ...girih maiṅ bāndhnā, which is to tie a knot in something as a reminder:
> گرہ میں باندھنا
> 
> I would really appreciate anyone's thoughts on how common this phrase is and if it is still used.


 The expression is still very commonly used, in addition to _palle (se) baaNdhnaa_.


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## urdustudent101

Thanks so much.
I just looked up the expression palle (se) bāndhnā, and the definition provided was to 'marry off' or 'to thrust on s.o'

Does it also have the meaning of to serve as a reminder?


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## Alfaaz

Here is the definition in Platts.


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## Alfaaz

urdustudent101 said:
			
		

> I just looked up the expression palle (se) bāndhnā, and the definition provided was to 'marry off' or 'to thrust on s.o'
> 
> Does it also have the meaning of to serve as a reminder?


Just saw your edited post and question! 

The expression can have this meaning as well as others:


> —_palle bāṅdhnā_ (-_ko_), 'To tie or fold up (in the skirt)'; to tie to (oneself), make one's own, to cherish, adopt, accept; to take to wife, to marry; to derive support or advantage (from); to bear in mind, to ponder well; to give back, give away, make over, assign


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