Konkani - A Lesser-Known Language of India Quiz

Answer: Indo-Aryan

While Indo-Aryan and Dravidian are the main language families with the majority of native speakers, there are others in the region including Sino-Tibetan. The Indo-Aryan family has the majority of speakers. The languages within this family have mainly descended from Sanskrit and include major languages like Hindi and Bengali. The Dravidian languages are mostly spoken in southern India.

Konkani belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and has many words in common with another neighbouring language, Marathi.

Answer: Arabian Sea

The Konkan Coast is in western India and borders the Arabian Sea. It spans a distance of around 450 miles across the states of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.

All the other options are also areas of water that border India.

Answer: No

In the present day, Konkani does not have its own script. Multiple scripts are used to write the language depending on the region and the dominant language in that region. For instance, in Karnataka, Konkani is sometimes written using the Kannada script. Kannada is the major state language of Karnataka and is itself a Dravidian language, while Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language.

In Goa, the English language script is used to write Konkani.

Answer: Goa

Goa was formerly a Portuguese colony, while most of the Indian subcontinent was under British rule. Konkani is the official language of Goa. While Konkani is also spoken by certain sub-groups in Maharashtra and Karnataka, mainly those living along the coast, it is not an official language of these states.

Answer: Waman Varde Valaulikar

After Goa was annexed by Portugal, Portuguese became the language of governance and business. The Christians of Goa preferred Portuguese while the Hindus began to use Marathi, a neighbouring language that was seen as more 'Indian'. The language divide further created communal fissures in the state.

Waman Varde Valaulikar was a Konkani writer who worked to reinstate the position of Konkani in society. He viewed a common language as a way to unite the state. Affectionately nicknamed Shenoi Goembab, he not only translated various Shakespearean works into Konkani, but also translated the Hindu holy book, "Bhagvad Gita", into Konkani. His death anniversary, April 9, is commemorated as World Konkani Day.

The other options are all political activists and social workers from other parts of the country, mainly associated with India's struggle for freedom.

Answer: Yes

The first printing press in Asia was established in Goa in 1556. It was set up by the Jesuit priest who came to the region as missionaries. Thomas Stephens was an English Jesuit priest, who had been educated at Oxford. He was one of the earliest Western Christian missionaries in India. His book was published in 1622 and was titled "Doutrina Christam em Lingoa Bramana Canarim". It was a collection of Christian prayers in Konkani. He also wrote "Krista Purana", an epic poem narrating the story of Christ using a mix of Konkani and Marathi. Stephens is known for his contribution to the Konkani language, having been among the first to use the Roman alphabet for the language.

It is ironic that the first Konkani book was published by a Christian missionary, as during the Goa Inquisition of 1560, the Portuguese Catholics burnt all books written in Sanskrit, Arabic, Marathi, or Konkani, lending a significant blow to Konkani, which (unlike the other languages) was not widely spoken elsewhere.

Answer: Priest

The Portuguese word for 'priest' is 'padre'. This is derived from the Latin word 'patrem'. Another similar derivation is the word for nun - 'madre' in Portuguese and 'madri' in Konkani. With many locals adopting Christianity during the Portuguese rule, many Christian words are derived from Portuguese.

Answer: Tanti - Egg

The Konkani word for egg is "tanti". In Portuguese, it is called "ovo". While some sources claim that tanti is derived from Kannada, egg is called "motte" in Kannada. The origin of the word is therefore not clear.

All other options are the words used for that food item in both Konkani and Portuguese.

Answer: Enemy

"Dusman" means "enemy". Originally believed to be from the Persian language, it has found its way to many Indian languages, including Hindi where it is pronounced as "dushman". The Konkani Muslim communities are mainly concentrated in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra and Bhatkal in Karnataka. Their Konkani dialect has many words of Arabic and possibly Persian origin.

Answer: Musical dramas

'Tiatr' is derived from the Portuguese word 'teatro' which means theatre. The Konkani drams include songs and dances, items integral to theatre across India. The dramas can be lighthearted or have serious political and social themes. The first such play was staged on 17 April 1892, which was Easter Sunday, in Bombay, and was adapted from an Italian play. In 2018, the Indian Government released a postal stamp to mark the 125th anniversary of the Goan tiatr.

The Konkani speaking diaspora is scattered around the world. Given the small size of the community, any link, however tenuous, with people of Konkan origin or Konkan heritage is still widely celebrated. In recent times this included two world leaders, Leo Varadkar, who became the Taoiseach of Ireland in 2017, and António Costa, who became the Prime Minister of Portugal in 2015. Costa's roots go back to the village of Margao in Goa. Varadkar's father's family belonged to the region of Malvan, further up the Konkan coast.