# Urdu: پاخانہ



## panjabigator

Greetings,

What kind of bathroom is a پاخانھ?  What distinguishes this from a غصل خانا and are they still in use?  The story I'm reading (kālī shalwār by Manto) describes it as a latrine, but the gist that I'm getting is that this type is more advanced than the then style of toilet (non western style).  The toilet is also described as having a chain to flush.

The story looks interesting.  I'll let you all know what I think of it  I own Manto's _intixāb_ in Panjabi as well (translated), so it should be an intriguing comparison.

Thanks,
PG


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## bakshink

Pakhana is Latrine or Privies. In old times there were no means of flushing. So toilet and bathroom were made independent of each other.
The place for taking bath was called Gusalkhana (Gusal means bath and khana is the word used for room or a place, Dawa-Khana, Pagal-Khana) and toilet was called Pakhana.


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## lcfatima

pakhaaney mei.n aadmi baiTh ke poTi karta hai. Ghusl Khaaney mei.n nahata hai. Ghusl means a bath/wash. I have also heard p*ai*khaana instead of paakhaana. What does that mean? A foot?


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## BP.

Fatima had already given us the difference between the two. I'd only like to correct your spelling of غسل خانہ.

Icf, yup it does contain the word foot-پا. Maybe because traditionally it had پاےدان or قدمچہ. In fact two of them.
Could somebody elaborate on the history of the word?


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## Faylasoof

panjabigator said:


> What kind of bathroom is a پاخانھ?  What distinguishes this from a غصل خانا and are they still in use?



Both, the words and the facilities are still in use!

 پاخانَہpaaxaanah = پائخانہ/ پائے خانَہ paayxaanah = سنڈاسsandaas = بیت الخلا  bayt-ul-xalaa= toilet / latrine.  

 غسل خانہ ghusul xaanah = حمّام Hammaam= bathroom / bath.

We routinely use the words <حمّامHammaam>  and  <غسل خانہ ghusul xaanah> even for the toilet out of sheer politeness. The main reason being that in Luckhnow certainly, and again as a euphamism, the word پائے خانَہ / پائخانہ  paayxaanah came to be used for excrement / shit! 

Hence:

 ہگنا موتنا hagnaa mootnaa /  hag moot karnaa = پیشاب  پائخانہ كرنا peshaab paayxaanah karnaa =  بول و براز كرنا  baul o baraaz karnaa

One can also say اجابت كرنا  ijaabat karnaa – very very polite; very very Luckhnawii !

Enough of this odious topic!!


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## panjabigator

What does اجابت mean?  

Thanks for this info   It's good for learners to know these things, as I'm sure they're rarely taught.


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## Faylasoof

Well,  اجابت actually has two meanings:

 1) answering / replying; acceptance, approval , compliance; grant a favourable reply; accept a petition / prayer.

 2) evacuation / action of the bowels , passing the stool, motions.  

 So one had better know which is being referred to. The context will make it clear.

 We also use the verb فراغت كرنا faraaghat karnaa = to relieve oneself = to answer nature’s call = to spend a penny (or tuppence - depending on the job; the latter if it's a "big job").

 In common usage there is of course a huge difference between فراغت كرنا and فارغ كرنا faarigh karnaa!


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## panjabigator

میں فراغت كركے فارغ ھو گیا۔

  Does that work?


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## Faylasoof

bahut xoob! waah! waah! do baarah irshaad ho! kyaa laTaafat! uf! uf!

magar hum kabhii yeh nah kahe.n:

<maine uskii faraaghat karaa dii!>

 3umoomii _T_aur par ise ghala_T_ samjhaa jaai gaa


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## Sheikh_14

Faylasoof said:


> Both, the words and the facilities are still in use!
> 
> پاخانَہpaaxaanah = پائخانہ/ پائے خانَہ paayxaanah = سنڈاسsandaas = بیت الخلا  bayt-ul-xalaa= toilet / latrine.
> 
> 
> Enough of this odious topic!!



My apologies for bringing back this "odious topic" but from my understanding Bait ul xalaa and paaxaanah are not the same thing. A paaxaanah is a latrine as Faylaasoof sahib rightly points out but a bait ul xalaa is the modern loo- I.e. A WC (commonly referred to as an English toilet in local speak). Can't say much for sandaas besides ask where does it derive from? Bait ul xalaa is also used as a shortened form of bait ul xalaa xaanah which means a restroom/ toilet (commonly named washroom by the local mass). 

Today the sewage woes of yesteryear mentioned by Bakshink are hopefully at an all-time low, thus to most (most notably the blessed internet users) the distinction will resonate over location and article rather than location altogether. Since a ghusul xaanah is today merely a bathroom and a paaxaanah its humble accompaniment.


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## Qureshpor

Sheikh_14 said:


> [...] Can't say much for sandaas besides ask where does it derive from?[...]



saNDaas" is an upper-storey latrine with excrement falling on the ground floor.


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## marrish

Sheikh_14 said:


> Bait ul xalaa is also used as a shortened form of bait ul xalaa xaanah which means a restroom/ toilet (commonly named washroom by the local mass).


_bait=ghar; xaanah=ghar. baitu-l-xalaa=peshaab-ghar; baitu-l-xalaa xaanah=peshaab-ghar-ghar_. Something is too much here.


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## Sheikh_14

Isn't the xalaa I.e. Evacuation here more to do with number 2 than 1? As per your comment yes and no, in both public and private buildings in Islamabad you will find the term bait ul xalaa xaanah. I agree with you that bait ul xalaa on its own would suffice but bait ul xalaa xaanah would merely translate to toilet-room which technically isn't wrong but is erring towards lack of brevity for unambiguity. Bait ul xalaa on its own would be the equivalent of toilet as follows:

a fixed receptacle into which a person may urinate or defecate, typically consisting of a large bowl connected to a system for flushing away the waste into a sewer.
However, like the word toilet it can and is used for the room where it happens to be situated.


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## marrish

Sheikh_14 said:


> Isn't the xalaa I.e. Evacuation here more to do with number 2 than 1?


Does it matter? ... a pissoir won't be called _baitu-l-xalaa _for that matter. Otherwise I am not familiar with other facilities that wouldn't be "all-purpose".
Evacuation means _*inxilaa*_.





> As per your comment yes and no, in both public and private buildings in Islamabad you will find the term bait ul xalaa xaanah.


bait ul xalaa xaanah - I didn't know that. Thanks!


> I agree with you that bait ul xalaa on its own would suffice


Glad you agree, bait ul xalaa xaanah is wrong. It's lexical diarrhoea but at the end of the day who cares what's written in a loo.


> but bait ul xalaa xaanah would merely translate to toilet-room which technically isn't wrong but is erring towards lack of brevity for unambiguity. Bait ul xalaa on its own would be the equivalent of toilet as follows:
> 
> a fixed receptacle into which a person may urinate or defecate, typically consisting of a large bowl connected to a system for flushing away the waste into a sewer.
> However, like the word toilet it can and is used for the room where it happens to be situated.


Here we have an error. baitulxalaa does not amount to 'toilet fixture'. _bait_ means a house, a room, a building!


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## Sheikh_14

Here we have an error. baitulxalaa does not amount to 'toilet fixture'. _bait_ means a house, a room, a building!
[/QUOTE]

Surely xalaa here has something to do emptying. Bait ul xalaa means the toilet i.e. water-closet/room. Like in English you would not be wrong to avoid saying room after toilet. I agree that xaanah here is redundant, but it is used.


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## Sheikh_14

Sheikh_14 said:


> Here we have an error. baitulxalaa does not amount to 'toilet fixture'. _bait_ means a house, a room, a building!



Surely xalaa here has something to do emptying. Bait ul xalaa means the toilet i.e. water-closet/room. Like in English you would not be wrong to avoid saying room after toilet. I agree that xaanah here is redundant, but it is used.

Btw I would be interested to know if you could say xalaa karnaa for to relieve oneself? It sounds apt, but regardless I would like to know if it has ever been used in such a way. 
[/QUOTE]


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