07-01-097
97
DHANGAR
.
As has already been stated Dhangar
, or the language of the shepherds,
has been returned as a separate dialect from Thana, the Jawhar State, Janjira,
and Belgaum.
In Thana the Dhangars are chiefly found in the Murbad Taluka. In Janjira
they are said to have come from the Dekhan and the Karnatik. They are not very
numerous, and most of them are found in Mhasla. In Belgaum Dhan
gar
has
been returned from the south-east corner, on the frontier towards Sawantwadi.
No specimens have been received from Jawhar. The Dhangar
of Thana has pre- served the cerebral
after vowels, and also the cerebral
;
thus, th
,
small; sag
,
all. The present tense is formed as in the Dekhan; thus, m
mar
t
,
I die; t
d
t
s,
thou givest. In most respects, however, the Dhan
gar
of Thana agrees with the current language of the district. Note the frequent
insertion of a y before vowels; thus, vy
,
share; ty
,
that, etc.
The dialect of the Dhangars
of Janjira has a similar character. It mainly agrees with the Konkan Standard
of Mar
h
.
Thus, the past tense of transitive verbs agrees with an inflected object; we
find the third person singular of the past tense in
n,
and so on. Compare dhany
n ma-l
(fem.) l
v
l
,
the master applied me; b
-na s
git
l
n,
the father said. On the other hand,
is used after vowels, and the present tense is formed as in the Dekhan. Thus,
gh
,
a horse; m
kh
t
,
I eat; t
kh
t
s,
thou eatest; t
mh
g
t
,
he says; t
mhan
t
,
she says.
In Belgaum, where Dhangar
has been returned from the south-east corner on the frontier towards Sawantwadi,
the dialect is also closely related to the usual Mar
h
of the Konkan.
,
,
and usually also
are,
however, used as in the Dekhan; thus, gh
a,
a horse;
,
an eye;
i,
and.
Characteristic of the dialect is a tendency to drop final vowels; thus, sn,
for s
n
,
gold; gh
and gh
a,
a horse; v
sar, for v
s
r
,
calves; tu
n
v, thy name, and so on.
In other respects we find the usual Konkan peculiarities. Compare forms such
as yk and y
k, one; dy
n, two;
s, twenty; h
, I am; h
s,
thou art; h
, he is; h
v, we are, etc.
The present tense is formed as in the Dekhan; thus, m my
r
t
,
I strike.
The short specimens which follow will show that Dhangar
is no separate
dialect. Like all eastern dialects of the Konkan it in some characteristics
agrees with the Mar
h
of the Dekhan, but is, on the whole, only the
current Konkan Standard. It must be borne in mind that the south-eastern part
of Belgaum belongs linguistically rather to the Konkan than to the Dekhan.
O