SOLAPUR

Solapur is a district located in the south-western region of Maharashtra, sharing its border with the state. The district is home to multiple speech communities (a group of people who use and understand the same language or dialect), each maintaining its distinct linguistic traditions. While Marathi serves as the predominant language throughout the district, Kannada, Hindi, and Telugu function as other significant languages of communication. The district's linguistic landscape also includes lesser-known varieties such as Chapparband and Kolhati.

According to the 2011 Census of India, it was recorded that Solapur district had a total population of 43,17,756. Marathi was reported as the mother tongue by 73.13% of the population. Other major mother tongues included Kannada (9.27%), Hindi (6.57%), Telugu (4.49%), and Urdu (3.94%). Smaller linguistic communities reported Lamani/Lambadi (0.83%), Vadari (0.55%), Gujarati (0.29%), Marwari (0.26%), and Paradhi (0.15%) as their mother tongues.

Chapparband is a language variety spoken by the Chapparband community, residing in various locations across Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka. In Maharashtra, it is noted that many from this community reside in Solapur.

The Chapparband language variety is distinctive for its unconventional structure. Speakers from the community “speak in the reverse order by mixing many languages,” such as Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, and Urdu. Some common words spoken in the variety include: 

The Kolhati language is spoken by the Kolhati community, a group historically associated with performance arts such as acting, dancing, singing, and gymnastics. Their language, like their traditions, has evolved through generations, reflecting both their unique cultural identity and social history.

There is a very interesting legend that is tied to the origins of this community. According to this story, when Bhagwan Shiv narrated the origins of mankind to Devi Parvati, he described eighty-four different yonis (species) on Earth, with humans being one of them. Curious about the origins of different castes, Parvati inquired further, to which Shiv explained that every caste descended from a rishi. One particular verse, “Kumbhak Rushi prasidha jagati, Kolhati garbhaj,” (transliterated as ‘Kumbhak Rishi is renowned in the world; the Kolhati community is born from him), he says, suggests that Kumbhak Rishi is regarded as the progenitor of the Kolhati community. This legend is one of the reasons why many perceive the Kolhatis to be an ancient community. This perception, in many ways, adds to the richness and history of their linguistic traditions.

The Kolhati community is spread across various regions of Maharashtra. According to Arun Gajanan Musle in Languages of Maharashtra (2017), Kolhati speakers can be found in districts such as Solapur.

Every language evolves uniquely, influenced by its speakers’ history, environment, and social interactions. The Kolhati language, like many others, has a vocabulary enriched by indigenous words as well as borrowings from surrounding languages.

Kinship terms, or words used to describe family relationships, vary widely across languages and cultures. In Kolhati, these terms carry distinct phonetic features and reflect cultural nuances in how family relationships are expressed. Some kinship terms in Kolhati are given in the table below:

They demonstrate the phonetic distinctiveness of Kolhati, particularly through aspirated consonants like /pʰ/ and vowel variations, which shape the rhythm and articulation of the language.

The way seasons are named in Kolhati offers insight into the community’s deep-rooted connection with nature. These seasonal terms, while distinct, exhibit similarities to those in Marathi and Hindi. This suggests a process linguists refer to as ‘borrowing’, which occurs when one language adopts words or structures from another.

The phrase "पाणी के दिन" (Paani ke Din) literally translates to “Days of Water,” capturing the essence of the monsoon season in a way that is unique to Kolhati culture. This construction is likely influenced by Hindi, yet it reflects how Kolhati speakers conceptualize and express their environmental cycles. Such expressions, in many ways, reveal how language preserves cultural perspectives and unique ways of understanding the world through words.

The Nandiwale variety is spoken by the Nandiwale community, a group that has historically resided across regions in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. This community traditionally earned its livelihood by decorating bulls with colorful ornaments and migrating from village to village. Over time, their language variety naturally evolved as they interacted with different linguistic communities.

According to Girimal Kulkarni (2017), the use of this language has declined, raising concerns about its preservation. However, he points out that in some regions, such as Sangli, the Nandiwale variety is still spoken. A notable feature of this variety is the strong influence of Telugu on its vocabulary and speech patterns. Kulkarni mentions that many believe the Nandiwale people originally migrated from Andhra Pradesh, which could explain this influence. At the same time, the variety also reflects influences from Kannada and Marathi. Despite these linguistic influences, he emphasizes that the Nandiwale variety maintains its “own distinct identity”.

One noticeable feature of the Nandiwale variety is the frequent use of the "di" (/ɖi/) sound in verb forms. This pattern may have developed within the variety or could reflect similarities with neighboring languages. This pattern appears in words such as:

The Nandiwale variety shares many words with Telugu and Kannada, particularly for everyday terms. The table below shows examples of words that are similar in all three:

Some words, like “Nin” (I) and “Rodu” (Two), are similar to both Telugu and Kannada. Others, such as “Mim” (We) and “Nidhi” (Yours), more closely match Telugu.

A few words have small pronunciation differences from their Telugu equivalents. For instance:

• ‘Okaṭi’ (ఒకటి, meaning ‘One’) in Telugu begins with a more prominent ‘o’ sound, while in Nandiwale it becomes ‘Vagati’.
• Similarly, ‘Mēmu’ (మేము, meaning ‘We’) in Telugu has a long ‘ē’ sound, whereas in Nandiwale, it is pronounced as ‘Mim’ with a short vowel.

These variations could have emerged over time and perhaps indicate something about the community’s speech patterns.

One of the clearest variation patterns in the Nandiwale variety can be seen in how day names from Telugu are slightly modified. In Telugu, days of the week end with the suffix “-vāraṁ.” In Nandiwale, this ending regularly changes to “-ram.”

Linguists often refer to such a process as “back-clipping,” which is when part of a word is removed, but its meaning stays the same. This kind of change is common in many languages. For example, in English, “photograph” is often shortened to “photo”, and “television” becomes “TV”. In Nandiwale, speakers have consistently shortened “-vāraṁ” to “-ram,” illuminating how the speakers of this variety have adjusted words to fit their own way of speaking.

A similar pattern can be seen in words for seasons, which are also influenced by Telugu but have been slightly modified, sometimes in word structure and others in pronunciation: