# Urdu-Hindi-Punjabi: Some family relations



## Qureshpor

I am curious to find out why there is a slight deviation in the way a few relationships differ in Urdu from Punjabi and Hindi.

Punjabi/Hindi: maamaa, chaachaa

Urdu: maamuuN, chachaa

Punjabi: maasii, Hindi: mausii

Urdu: xaalah (Do Urdu speakers ever use mausii?)

There are more examples but I shall leave it to others to bring them up in future posts.


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## marrish

Thank you, Qureshpor SaaHib, for bringing this issue unto attention of this forum. I hope we can have a conglomerated thread on all family relations, including those where there are more than one wives and their children.

You are asking why there is a deviation. I don't know, it is most probably the tradition of usage.

I have never heard _mausii_ from an Urdu-go. It's always _xaalah_ for us. I am not saying that some Urdu speakers can use it, but in my extended family it is never used. On the other hand, _chaachaa_ is used for people of age but not family relations.


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## UrduMedium

^ I agree with marrish saahab's observations above.

Another source of confusion for me growing up was between _mumaanii _and _maamii_. I grew up saying _mumaani _in Karachi, but often heard _maamii _from my cousins from the northern half of the country.


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## greatbear

And is "buaa" always "buaa" (father's sister), or can she also be "fuufii" ("fuufaa" being father's sister's husband)? Meanwhile, in Gujarati, yet again "maasii".


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## UrduMedium

greatbear said:


> And is "buaa" always "buaa" (father's sister), or can she also be "fuufii" ("fuufaa" being father's sister's husband)? Meanwhile, in Gujarati, yet again "maasii".



Never _buaa _for me. Always, _phuphii _(not _fuufii_)


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## Qureshpor

UrduMedium said:


> Never _buaa _for me. Always, _phuphii _(not _fuufii_)



Punjabi: p_huuaa

Hindi: bu'aa

Urdu: phuuphii (and phuppii) (cf. phuuphaa/phuupaa and phuppaa)

Punjabi & Hindi: maamaa/maamii, chaachaa/chaachii
Urdu: maamuuN/mumaanii, chachaa/chachii


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## marrish

UrduMedium said:


> ^ I agree with marrish saahab's observations above.
> 
> Another source of confusion for me growing up was between _mumaanii _and _maamii_. I grew up saying _mumaani _in Karachi, but often heard _maamii _from my cousins from the northern half of the country.


I've heard _maamii_ while in Karachi too, when addressing the person in question directly.


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## panjabigator

Hindi/Urdu: māmī/momāmī Hindi/Urdu: khaalaa Hindi: Vocabulary - Relations
Punjabi: Bahnoi or Jeeja Thread: Urdu: hamzulf


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## marrish

^ Thanks for bringing the older threads to attention, through it my wish to have a bigger thread for different relatives in Urdu-Hindi-Punjabi has been granted .


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## Qureshpor

Urdu: biivii
Hindi: patnii
Punjabi: janaanii* (tiimii in Eastern Punjab)

* I don't know if this has anything to do with "zanaanii" (Persian: zan = woman)

Urdu: susraal
Hindi: sasuraal


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> Urdu: biivii
> Hindi: patnii
> Punjabi: janaanii* (tiimii in Eastern Punjab)
> 
> * I don't know if this has anything to do with "zanaanii" (Persian: zan = woman)
> 
> Urdu: susraal
> Hindi: sasuraal


For Punjabi, I have not heard _tiimii_. _vó_hTii_ very much. PG SaaHib can tell us more on this point, I hope.

* The connection _zan-janaanii_ seems convincing to me, _janaanii_ being used for a woman in general as well.

_biivii_ is probably also used in Hindi as well as Urdu, but it would be better someone confirms it.


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> For Punjabi, I have not heard _tiimii_. _vó_hTii_ very much. PG SaaHib can tell us more on this point, I hope.



Yes, vohtii would also be used but its primary meaning is "bride". My Sikh friends use "tiimii" all the time. I had never heard of this word in Western Punjab.


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> Yes, vohtii would also be used but its primary meaning is "bride". My Sikh friends use "tiimii" all the time. I had never heard of this word in Western Punjab.


Yes, indeed. Is it dental 't' in this word?


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> Yes, indeed. Is it dental 't' in this word?



janaab! ek to aap har baat meN kiiRe nikaalte haiN! It is the rrrrrrrrrrreTrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroflex Tiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!


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## marrish

QURESHPOR said:


> janaab! ek to aap har baat meN kiiRe nikaalte haiN! It is the rrrrrrrrrrreTrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroflex Tiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!


As if I heard you clearly!


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## panjabigator

Greetings,

Yes, we use "tīnvī" but I hear/say "vohṭī" and "janānī" much more. I think "tīnvī" is more of a Doabi word.


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## greatbear

Yes, "biivii" is of course used in Hindi as well. Also, "susraal" is the much, much more commonly used (spoken) word than "sasuraal" in Hindi (though in writing one may write the latter).


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## marrish

It seems this has become the main thread for dealing with various family relations so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone since also questions regarding the proper Urdu pronunciation are being raised nowadays. In this short humorous piece you'll find both *many* family relations and a very good Urdu diction!

Just look on YT for [Paglon ka Doctor Voice by: Zia Mohiuddin]. I guess you are going to love it!


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