The Linguist

Chartered Institute of Linguists SUMMER 2026 The Linguist 27 FEATURES clearer when it is placed alongside standard Urdu (see box, right). The examples show how Begumati Zaban leans on imagery and emotional expression in contrast to the more restrained tone of standard Urdu. What stands out is how Begumati Zaban rarely speaks plainly. It prefers image, exaggeration and feeling, turning even simple expressions into something memorable. A nuanced vocabulary also developed for describing women themselves, almost like a small social taxonomy. Words such as Bajori for a habitually critical woman, Batoolan for one seen as talkative, Pari-cheem for someone attractive, Namoseen for the sharp-tongued, and Khatan or Sithiyai for a woman considered foolish, reveal a language closely attuned to social behaviour. These terms imperceptibly encode judgements and position individuals within everyday relationships. A curious paradox lies in how this language survives. Though it belonged to women, much of what we know comes through male poets of the rekhti tradition, including Insha Allah Khan, Saadat Yaar Khan Rangeen and Meer Yar Ali Jan. Writing in feminine voices, they preserved fragments of this speech, even as they reshaped it through performance. 3 The language's decline followed wider changes in the 19th century. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 disrupted aristocratic life, while reformers like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan encouraged modern education. Institutions such as Fort William College helped standardise Urdu, and as women moved into broader social spaces, the intimate worlds that sustained this language began to fade. Yet Begumati Zaban did not disappear. It remains through the work of writers like Ismat Chughtai, Qurratulain Hyder and Hajira Masroor. What endures is a reminder that language responds to its surroundings, and that even within the most confined spaces, it can grow rich, expressive and lasting. Notes 1 Minault, G (1984) 'Begamati Zuban: Women's language and culture in nineteenth-century Delhi'. In India International Centre Quarterly, 11,2, 155-170 2 Dastango, F (2023) 'Why I Want to Put Begamati Zubaan, the Vivid Urdu of Zenanas, on Stage'. In BehanBox, 8/12/23 3 The Parallel Campaign (2020) 'Begum Urdu, Mother India, and Modern Social Thought', Substack; https://theparallelcampaign.substack .com/p/begum-urdu-mother-india-and-modern of genderlects with a look at Begumati Zaban Begumati Zaban vs Standard Urdu Begumati expression O kalmue! tujhe dhāī ghari kī maut āe Allah kare jeetī rahe, pūton phale, dūdhon nahāe Tere dīdon mein rāī nūn Kālā munh, peele hāth pāon Ullū kā gosht khilānā Literal meaning O ill-fated one, may death come to you in two and a half moments May God keep you happy May you live, bear sons, and bathe in milk [a symbol of abundance] Blackened face, yellowed hands and feet To feed someone owl's meat Standard Urdu Tum par lanat hai Khuda tumhe khush rakhe Nazar na lage Sharm karo Dhoka dena Literal meaning Curse be upon you May God keep you happy May no evil eye fall on you Feel shame To deceive Meaning in context A dramatic curse, full of anger and exaggeration A rich blessing, expressing prosperity and familial joy A playful way of protecting someone from the evil eye (a belief about harmful envy) A sharp and visual expression of disapproval A humorous way of describing trickery or making a fool of someone ELITE TONGUE Painting of an 18th-century imperial harem setting up an encampment at the Red Fort

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