GAR
. 07-01-097
97
DHANGAR.
As has already been stated Dhan
gar
, 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 Dhangar 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
mart,
I die; t
d
ts,
thou givest. In most respects, however, the Dhangar
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 Marh.
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 dhanyn ma-l
(fem.) lvl,
the master applied me; b-na s
gitln,
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
kht,
I eat; t khts,
thou eatest; t mhgt,
he says; t
mhant,
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 Marh
of the Konkan. 
, ,
and usually also 
are,
however, used as in the Dekhan; thus, gha,
a horse; ,
an eye; i,
and.
Characteristic of the dialect is a tendency to drop final vowels; thus, sn,
for sn
,
gold; gh
and gha,
a horse; vsar, for vsr,
calves; tu
nv, thy name, and so on.
In other respects we find the usual Konkan peculiarities. Compare forms such
as yk and yk, one; dyn, two; s, twenty; h, I am; hs,
thou art; h, he is; hv, we are, etc.
The present tense is formed as in the Dekhan; thus, m myrt,
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 Marh 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