Teacher compiles dictionary of colloquial words of Kannur

‘Kannur Bashabeda Nigandu’ will introduce people to 3,000 words spoken in this part of the State

“Kannur Bashabeda Nigandu” written by V.T.V. Mohanan

Intrigued and fascinated by colloquial words used in various parts of Kannur, V.T.V. Mohanan, an associate professor of Hindi at Sir Syed College, Taliparamba, has come out with a dictionary titled “Kannur Bashabeda Nigandu”, which familiarises readers with over 3,000 words spoken in this part of the State.

Eminent writer T. Padmanabhan will release the dictionary at Pilathara on Saturday.

V.T.V Mohanan, associate professor of Hindi at Sir Syed College, who has come out with a dictionary of colloquial words of Kannur.

Mr. Mohanan said that north Malabar with its rich dialects had always piqued the curiosity of people from outside the district. Some words spoken colloquially are hard to understand and are even misunderstood, while some have been lost and not used by the new generation. Many colloquial words have been assimilated with other words to form a new diction, he added.

He developed interest in compiling local words 12 years ago when the college canteen manager offered him ‘Kallimutta’ (boiled egg) along with tea. He had never heard that word before and he initially related it to a bullock cart. When he shared the experience with his students, they came up with a list of more such words, he said.

“This kindled my interest in the activity. I told my students to suggest more words by speaking to the older generation,” he recalled. Within a few weeks, paper bundles of unique words got piled up in his room, he said, adding that he later decided to compile them to publish a dictionary for future references.

“Local words have a role in shaping culture and society,” he said. Interestingly, the new generation is unaware of such words.

Mr. Mohanan said that Smitha K. Nair, an Assistant Professor at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, had played a crucial role in bringing out the dictionary. “She supported and guided me even during the pandemic to complete the dictionary,” he said.

“The most difficult part was to find the origin of words and their usage,” he recalled.

He said there were still several more words to be recorded, especially those used by Mavilan, a tribal community.

Mr. Mohanan has also translated books of well-known writers from Malayalam to Hindi. One of the books received an award from the Central government for the best translation in 2014.