ADD NANVAM: Singer: Emeliano de Borda Lyrics by: Domnick Vaz
Mogall Ixttano/Dear Friends
As you may be aware, that each village, house, and individual had a nick name or add nanv in Konkani. There were nick names for houses like...prossoragher(professors house) tonto/boiro Juanv (lame/Deaf John if there were too many Johns ) etc. Individual nick names were kept by kids as well as grown ups.In my village we as kids kept a name for one social worker as "Metter Culher" (meddling spoon) as this guy would interfer whenever there was ladin, wedding, any village function and even in the church. The elders would name the older people...as in our village they kept a nick name for the Padigar as 'Tomat"(tomato) cause our parish priest was fair and would turn red as tomato when he was angry. Likewise nick names were also kept for each village..Well I do not mean to offend anyone, neither should any Goan from the South take this as derogatory. I myself have heard a few of these names in Goa. I know similar names also for Bardez as in Moira..Moidechi pissai..fools of Moira..who tried to collect the sun rays in a barrel so that they may have sunshine in the rainy weather... Poders of Siolim..etc
For each villagers I would still prefer to call them with the Konkani name with KAR ending instead of ites or oans...as in Navelkars instead of Navelimites or Navelimians. The Konkani version has a double meaning and many of them are proverbs, so when we translate we may loose the original meaning. There is short story behind each village names as an eg say about Bannalkars...as pixe...since they hid in village well. The village well was a common place in those days, so when any bannalkars commited an offence they would hide in the well and soon be caught..so they kept the names for bannalkars as pixe..mad or fools.
The English translation is still under debate, and I would like to hear from the natives of the villages for any suggestions/views. pls feel free to write to eddieverdes at hotmail dot com.
Many Thanks(Chodd Dev Borem Korum) to Venantius Pinto for assistance in English translations.
eddie
Sangtam khalti utranim, goroz aikonk soglleanim,
I am telling it in humble language (words), its essential that all listen
Konnui mhunntelet Emeliano sangta kosli kannim
Anyone may say, What stories is Emeliano telling us?
Hanvem aikolam kananim, sangon zaitea lokanim
I have heard with my ears, as told by many people
Goemche sogle ganv famad mhunn add nanvanim
All Goan villages are famous for name calling/nick names
Ek-ek ganvank toxench ghorak, add nanvam assat khoreanim
For each village and likewise house, there truly are nick names
Punn tim add nanvam ghatlelim purvozanim
But these names were assigned by the ancestors
Tum put zalear khaxea ganvcho, ganvchim add nanvam zannam zaucho
If you are the real son of your village, you should know the names of the village
Hanv zannam tim add nanvam sangtam bhavanim
The ones I know—those nick names will I tell, brothers and sisters
Kellxekarank mhunntat dantan tarum khailole
It is said, people form Kellxi (Cavelossim) ate ships with their teeth
Cormonnkar kirmidor - pain putank marlole
Carmonkars – Criminals - fathers killed sons
Orlekar doule - douleanim xetant pez jeulole
Orlekars – laddles: ate rice gruel (kanji) in the fields with laddles
Varkemkar virar - sokallchi ladhin kelole
Varkemkars – absent minded, for performing the litany in the morning
Bannalkar pixe - baint lipon raulole
Bannalkars - mad, remained in hiding in the village well
Colvenkar kole - Bannalche monti sokol roddlole
Colvenkars – foxes – howling 'neath the Benaulim mount
Bettpattkar chunkar - te chuno kanddun vinktale
Bettpattkars – whitewashers, they would prepare and sell plaster of lime plaster
Mazordkar murdar - Devak bandar dovorlole
Mazordkars – ruffians(rough n tough), they kept the Lord (statue of Jesus) on the dam
Kanngam chorunk gelole
They went to steal water melons
2
Adim xiknnar munis thodde, choddxe kudde asson dolle
In the past few were learned, most were blind although having eyes
Vhoddle bhurge rakhnne distale gorvam kodde
Older boys were seen as sheperds minding the cattle
Choranchi neidad Cansalle – Velsaumkarank tum polle
A redoubt/bastion of robbers was Cansaulim - observe the people from Velsao
Binddanchim solam rostear meutalim Dabole
Bindam Sollam (red fruit/kokam) would be found on the roads of Dabolim
Vasco sogleank ambeam modde – ruchiche khube Chicale
Vasco set amongst mango trees - for tasty shell fish, Chicalim
Sam Jacint Zuemkar - te boddkan tambddele
St. Jacint Island - redfaced
Avoi vhoddle bukul Curtalle –
Big cats (tomcats) in Cortalim
Naguiam igorz bandunk chire haddle
They brought bricks to build the church in Nagoa
Ratche dongrar goddbodd zatalet Sancoalle
At night creating a ruckus on the hill – Sancoalle
Cansallkar chor – neidadik xet chortale
Cansalkars – robbers, they usurped the fields for the feast
Velsaumkar khuim sokallche xit jeutale
Velsanvkars presumably ate rice in the morning
Dabolkar binddam solam vonttank laitale
Dabolkars would apply (kokam) Bindam solam extract to their lips
Vascokar makodd – ratche ambeamcher boison rautale
Vascokars – monkeys, sit and wait at night on mango trees
Chiklekar khube – dorian buddon kaddlole
Chicalkars – shell-fish, would dive into the sea to get at them
Sam Jacint Zuemkar xedde – boddkan tambddele
People from St. Jacint island wet – red faced
Curtallkar bukul – lokache buddkule foddtale
Curtalkars – tomcats, they used to break peoples pots
Naguiemkar taxe – igorzen bandunk chire tastale
Nagemkars – cutters, they used to cut blocks (of laterite) for the church
Sankoallkar ghodde – ratche dongramcher daumtale
Sankoalkars – horses, they used to run to the mountains at night
3
Goemchi ithias ti khori, sogott zanna zalear bori
This is real Goan history, it would go good for everyone to know
Chodd korun atamchea bhurgueank kaim hi khobor nam
Mostly the youngsters of today, who dont know much
Konnank anv okman korinam vo anv hem ghoddun sangonam
I am not offending anyone, nor am I making up this
Somplelea Evagr Georgin sangon zannam
I have come to know from late Evagrio Jeorge
Vernam, Nuvem, Seraulim- undir mamancho gaum Moddgovam
Verna, Nuvem, Seraulim - Uncle Rats house in Margao
Navelim kaddun to famad gaum Chinchonnam
After Navelim comes the famous village Chinchinim
Velim anik hanv sangonam – Assolna sogott tumi zannam
Velim I won't say more - Assolna you all know
Cuncolim kaddun to vhoddlo gaum Canncona
After Cuncolim comes the big village Canacona
Vernemkar boil – te tokli haloitale
Vernekars – bulls, they would shake their head
Nuemkar uxear kansou kaddunk matien purlole
Nuvemkars smart(Tortoise), dug out the tortoise from under mud
Suralkar piddeam mest mhunn konnui sangtole
Suralkars – anyone will tell you they were masters of Palm
(Piddeam Mest - Piddo is the solid part of the palm, mest can be a cook/carpenter..it can be
either they were good in making up stories or yarns)
Moddgoumkar undir – bat kanddun pol kelole
Margaokars – rats - threshed the paddy for seeds
Navelkar thembi – te thembe dakoilole
Navelkars – drops, they showed drops (as in uncharitable)
Chinchonnkar firingui munis – ithiasin pacharlole
Chinchonkars – foreigners/learned people (as in having ideas – considered foreign), noted in/through history
Vellekar landde – te bhioun poulole
Vellekars – short tailed - they had fled in fear
Osonnkar mog korunk uxear – kopelan mog kortale
Assolnakars quick at love, would make out (get amorous) in the chapel
Cuncollkar dha-na-dhan – te khuimcheanui daumtale
Cuncolkars – expeditious, they would run / hasten anywhere
Canconnkar naddgue – naddguea mapan lokak naddtale
Canaconkars – cheats, cheated people with false scales
