# Urdu-Hindi: The Silent Assassin



## Qureshpor

How would you translate the phrase *"The Silent Assassin"* in Urdu and Hindi? I am thinking of a character who comes into a scene of crime and before you know it, has been and gone, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction!


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## Alfaaz

Attempt: 
خاموش (خفیہ ، فریبی، فدائی) قاتل / خونی / خون ریز / حشاش / سفاک 
khaamosh (khufiyah, farebi, fida'ii) qaatil / khuuni / khuun rez / Hashshaash / saffaak

khaamosh khufiyah khuuni could be nice alliteration!

Cancer is a silent killer/assassin! سرطان (ایک) خاموش قتل ہے! Sartaan (aik) khaamosh qaatil hai!

*Question:* How did/has حشاش come to mean ترکاری فروش، چارہ فروش۔ when in Arabic it seems to mean "assassin"? (or maybe it has that meaning also in Arabic...?)


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## marrish

_چپ چاپ بدّھک chupchaap baddhak_  चुप चाप बद्धक for both of them!


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## Faylasoof

QURESHPOR said:


> How would you translate the phrase *"The Silent Assassin"* in Urdu and Hindi? I am thinking of a character who comes into a scene of crime and before you know it, has been and gone, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction!


 How about these QP SaaHiB?

صامت / ساکت قاتل *Saamit / saakit qaatil *or *Saamit xuunii* etc.

Of course a professional killer / assassin, a hitman =* peshah-war qaatil / xuunii *could be used but its use would very much restricted compared to, say, *Saamit qaatil = silent killer / assassin!*


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## Faylasoof

Alfaaz said:


> Attempt:
> خاموش (خفیہ ، فریبی، فدائی) قاتل / خونی / خون ریز / حشاش / سفاک
> khaamosh (khufiyah, farebi, fida'ii) qaatil / khuuni / khuun rez / Hashshaash / saffaak
> 
> khaamosh khufiyah khuuni could be nice alliteration!
> 
> Cancer is a silent killer/assassin! سرطان (ایک) خاموش قتل ہے! Sartaan (aik) khaamosh qaatil hai!
> 
> *Question:* How did/has حشاش come to mean ترکاری فروش، چارہ فروش۔ when in Arabic it seems to mean "assassin"? (or maybe it has that meaning also in Arabic...?)


 Just two points:

حشاش *Hashshaash* = (lit.) consumer of _Hashiish_ / _Hashiish _addict -> *Hashshsaashiyyuun* (some say it should be *asaasiyyuun* and the dabate is till on!) -> assassin in English. 

سفاک *saffaak *= a shedder of blood / a bloodthirsty, vengengeful person! Not quite an assassin!


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## UrduMedium

Faylasoof said:


> Just two points:
> 
> حشاش *Hashshaash* = (lit.) consumer of _Hashiish_ / _Hashiish _addict -> *Hashshsaashiyyuun* (some say it should be *asaasiyyuun* and the dabate is till on!) -> assassin in English.
> 
> سفاک *saffaak *= a shedder of blood / a bloodthirsty, vengengeful person! Not quite an assassin!



I read in a recent book (Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford [excellent book!]) that Assassin is from Hashaashins (from Hashish). The Hashish linkage is due to the belief that the eventual assassins were recruited at an early age and were made hashish addicts to somehow keep them focused on their rather unusual assignments (secretly killing high officials). For a while they created a lot of resistance in the Mongols seemingly unstoppable push through Iran and Central Asia, eventually falling like pretty much everyone else against the Mongols.


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## greatbear

Alfaaz said:


> khaamosh (khufiyah, farebi, fida'ii) qaatil / khuuni / khuun rez / Hashshaash / saffaak



I would choose khufiyah khooni/qatil.


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## nineth

marrish said:


> _چپ چاپ بدّھک chupchaap baddhak_  चुप चाप बद्धक for both of them!



Not at all this one for Hindi! It's a funny translation (btw, it's बाधक). What greatbear suggests is a good one; in addition,

khuufiya khooni/qaatil
khuufiya/gupt  khooni/hatyaara/ghaatak


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## Qureshpor

nineth said:


> Not at all this one for Hindi! It's a funny translation (btw, it's बाधक).



S بدهك बधक_badhak, vulg. baddhak, badhik, s.m. One who kills, killer, slayer, slaughterer, butcher, executioner, murderer, assassin._


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## nineth

QURESHPOR said:


> S بدهك बधक_badhak, vulg. baddhak, badhik, s.m. One who kills, killer, slayer, slaughterer, butcher, executioner, murderer, assassin._


I see. I confused it with Hindi baadhak.


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## marrish

nineth said:


> Not at all this one for Hindi! It's a funny translation (btw, it's बाधक). What greatbear suggests is a good one; in addition,
> 
> khuufiya khooni/qaatil
> khuufiya/gupt  khooni/hatyaara/ghaatak


Well, you have a good sense of humour because it was supposed to be funny !


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## greatbear

nineth said:


> Not at all this one for Hindi! It's a funny translation (btw, it's बाधक). What greatbear suggests is a good one; in addition,
> 
> khuufiya khooni/qaatil
> khuufiya/gupt  khooni/hatyaara/ghaatak



The credit of the good suggestion goes to Alfaaz; I was merely seconding it, that yes I would also go for khufiyah khooni/qatil.


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## greatbear

marrish said:


> Well, you have a good sense of humour because it was supposed to be funny !



I do think so; though your funny suggestion has given rise to another great term which I am proposing in all seriousness: _gupchup ghaatak_ (I love the alliteration here).


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## marrish

It is really nice proposition but I'm afraid it is not good for Urdu.


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## greatbear

marrish said:


> It is really nice proposition but I'm afraid it is not good for Urdu.



Who cares? LOL. The thread title has also Hindi.


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## marrish

greatbear said:


> Who cares? LOL. The thread title has also Hindi.


I don't care. You point rightly to the fact that the thread is concerned about Hindi as well, but taking into account that you have been replying to my inputs of which the original one provided a solution for ''both of them''.


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## greatbear

marrish said:


> I don't care. You point rightly to the fact that the thread is concerned about Hindi as well, but taking into account that you have been replying to my inputs of which the original one provided a solution for ''both of them''.



Well, maybe it was your intention of providing an answer that satisfies both languages, but not mine: your original reply led me to the coining of a great term; whether it would be understood by Urdu speakers or not was never my concern, since the thread title is not only Urdu. Can't your answer lead someone to think of a term in another language? Must I be restricted by the language you follow?


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## marrish

greatbear said:


> Well, maybe it was your intention of providing an answer that satisfies both languages, but not mine: your original reply led me to the coining of a great term; whether it would be understood by Urdu speakers or not was never my concern, since the thread title is not only Urdu. Can't your answer lead someone to think of a term in another language? Must I be restricted by the language you follow?


As a matter of fact, I had provided an answer in two languages, giving the due respect to the scripts and so on. I don't expect you should follow my footsteps. 

Please mind you not to expand this into another tirade with political motives which leave me cold. Anybody is free to give an answer in this thread, whether in Urdu (first choice) or in Hindi (second choice) or in both, as long as they stick to the topic!

I am happy that the linguistic waves were of the same kind in this case and I must reiterate that I like your proposition! My remark about unintelligibility was meant for the readers rather than your very self.

Please take notice that I don't follow any language. Languages are not to be followed, beliefs, political opinions or religions are followed. Don't impose your Jungian projection on me.


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## Faylasoof

The meaning of the word خفيه _xufyah_ = secret, not really silent. In Urdu at least we'd use it for terms like _xufyah poliis_ = secret police; _xufyah TaqateN _= secret powers (political powers that may conspire to destabilise, for example), _xufyah iijaad_ = secret invention.


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## Qureshpor

I am grateful to all of you for your replies. Actually, I had "qaatil Hasiinah" in mind! No, I am just joking.

I like saamit/saakit qaatil

I also like gup-chup ghaatak

A few more..

chupchupaataa qaatil

chupkaa qaatil (This could mean "murderer of silence"!)

dam-kash qaatil


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## marrish

I like dam-kash qaatil a lot! It is a candy, not a word!


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## Faylasoof

marrish said:


> _چپ چاپ بدّھک
> chupchaap baddhak_  चुप चाप बद्धक for both of them!


 Very interesting marrish SaaHib! I'm surprised you didn't go for انبول अनबोल _an-bol_! انبول بدهك अनबोल बधक _an-bol badhak__. Now I'd give you at least 75% for this - and that too just for coming up with something a bit more unusual! Let's not worry too much about the meaning for the moment!
_


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## Faylasoof

QURESHPOR said:


> I am grateful to all of you for your replies. Actually, I had "qaatil Hasiinah" in mind! No, I am just joking.
> ...


 Believe it or not I first thought of _qattaaalah_ - and the far less interesting _qattaal _!


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## marrish

Faylasoof SaaHib, I must say that I'm surprised at myself for not being able to come up with this one. Thank you for this suggestion, I hope it will give a boost to the creativity.

I mean _an-bol baddhak_.


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