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Aag - Fire
Aap akele? - Are you alone?
Aloo matar - An Indian curry made with potatoes and peas.
Acchha (and Acchha hai) - Okay
Arrey Bhai! - Hey, brother! (reference to close male friend)
Arrey dekho! - Hey, take a look!
Arrey! Garam garam dosa! – Hey! Hot hot dosa!
Arrey, jaldi karo, Bhaiya! Saman ootaro! - Hey, hurry up, brother! Unload the luggage.
Arrey koi hai? Sunno. - Hey, is anyone there? Listen.
Arrey, yaar. - Hey, friend.
Baazi - Bouts of or game
Bachao! – Help!
Behenji -Sister (with respect).
Beta - Term of affection parents use when addressing sons.
Bhabhi -Term of respect for an older brother’s wife
Bhai - “Brother” or term of endearment for a close friend.
Bhaiya - A term of respect used to address an older brother.
Bhavan - A large house or a large structure built for a specific purpose, e.g. to hold meetings or conferences.
Bai - Nanny
Band. Darwaaza band hai! - Locked. The door is locked!
Beti - Term of affection parents use when addressing daughters.
Bhagya - Destiny or fate.
Chai Wallah - Tea Seller
Chal, Chamkeeli! - Let’s go, Chamkeeli!
Chitta - Funeral pyre
Choti Sahiba - Little Madame
Chotta Baba - Little Boy
Chole garam - Hot chickpea curry.
Chowkidar - Watchman/caretaker/security guard.
Crore - One crore equals ten million, or 100 lakh.
Dada - Term of respect used to address a paternal grandfather or someone of that status.
Dal - Protein rich lentil soup, a staple diet for many Indians.
Dhaba - Roadside restaurants commonly found in northern India that serve Punjabi food.
Diwali - Hindu festival of Lights occurring anywhere from mid-October to mid-November. It involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the Hindu God, Lord Ram’s return after fourteen years in exile and his triumph of good over evil.
Dhurrie – A thick cotton rug.
Diya - A cup-shaped clay lamp with a cotton wick, lit to dispel darkness on religious Indian festivals.
Dosa - A rice crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter. The dish from south India is cooked on a griddle and served with coconut chutney and a lentil soup known as sambhar.
Ek, do, teen! – One, two, three!
Ganesh - Hindu god with an elephant’s head, widely worshipped by most Hindus. Lord Ganesh is known as the Remover of Obstacles and Lord of Beginnings and honored at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies.
Garam nescoffee - Hot coffee.
Garam chai - Hot tea.
Gori gori memsahib - Fair-skinned woman.
Hai - means "is" and is also used to express grief, horror, regret, etc.
Hai Ishwar! - Oh Lord!
Hanh – Yes
Hanhji – yes, with respect
Idli – A savory steamed rice cake made from fermented rice and lentils, usually served with coconut chutney and a lentil soup known as sambhar. A favorite breakfast item in south India.
Jaldi karo. - Hurry up.
Jaldi karo! Ootro, bhai ootro! – Hurry up! Get off, brother, get off!
Jordar - An expression that describes the strength or boldness of something or someone.
Karva - A small pot or vessel of water used in the religious prayer for Karva Chauth.
Karva Chauth - A festival celebration that usually falls in the month of October, 4 days after the full moon. Commonly celebrated by married women from the northern part of India.
Kaun hai? - Who is it?
Khana garam - Hot food
Khareed lo, Memsahib - Go ahead, Madame, buy it.
Kholiye - Please open [the door or window].
Kholo bhai kholo. - Open, brother, open.
Kholo! Darwaaza kholo! - Open! Open the door!
Koyal - Cuckoo/Blackbird
Kum kum - Red powder used by Indian women to decorate the forehead for social or religious events.
Kundan - A traditional form of Indian gemstone jewelry that originates from Rajasthan and Gujrat whereby gems are mounted in gold foil instead of prongs, a technique used most often in the construction of elaborate necklaces.
Kurta pajama - A loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, matched with a pair of skin-fit pants or leggings with a light fit around the ankles. The attire is worn by men during auspicious events, festivals, and celebrations and is frequently matched with a stole.
Lakh – one hundred thousand (100,000).
Lakshmi puja - A prayer performed in honor of the Goddess of Wealth on Diwali for peace, wealth, and prosperity for the year ahead.
Maharani - Queen/wife of a maharajah
Mali - Gardener
Mangalsutra - An auspicious necklace worn by married women. The new husband ties the necklace around the woman’s neck on the wedding day, which symbolizes the unity of two souls.
Masala - A mixture of ground spices used in Indian cooking.
Masala chai - Spiced Indian tea where black tea is brewed with cardamom, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon sticks, and milk.
Masala dosa - A rice crepe from south India made from fermented rice and lentil batter cooked on a griddle, stuffed with a dry onion and potato curry, and typically served with coconut chutney and a lentil soup known as sambhar.
Mera saman! - My luggage!
Memsahib! Gori gori memsahib. - Madame! Fair-skinned (pretty) Madame.
Moksha - A Hindu belief of liberation or release of the soul from the body after death.
Naan - White flour flatbread leavened with yeast and cooked in a tandoor (clay oven) or oven.
Namaste - Indian greeting performed with hands pressed together, palms touching, fingers pointed upward, thumbs close to the chest, accompanied by a slight bow of the head. The equivalent of ‘hello’ with an element of respect.
Paisa - A monetary unit in India. One paisa is equivalent to 1/100 of a rupee.
Pakoras - Deep-fried vegetable or meat fritters.
Pallu - The loose end of a sari.
Paneer do pyaza - A curry of Indian cottage cheese in a rich onion gravy.
Parvati(ji) - Goddess Parvati is the wife of Lord Shiva, mother to Lord Ganesha and daughter of the mountain king, Himavan and Queen Mena. She is the goddess of fertility, love, marriage, and children, worshipped for her divine strength and power.
Phera - Wedding vows that constitute seven circumambulations around a sacred fire. The vows are considered unbreakable with the God of Fire held as witness to bless the couple’s union.
Poha - Parboiled rice that is flattened by rolling or beating and then dried into flakes. The flakes are commonly cooked with onions, potatoes, coriander leaves, and spices, and served as a breakfast dish.
Puja - The act of worship; a prayer
Rajma rasiya - Kidney beans that are soaked and then cooked with onions, garlic, cloves, tomatoes, and a blend of spices.
Rangoli - Traditional art form that uses colored sand, rice grains, or powders to decorate flat surfaces of a courtyard or the entrance to homes during religious festivals. The art is usually practiced by women and girls.
Roti - Whole-wheat flatbread cooked on a griddle. A staple diet for many Indians from the north of India.
Rupee - The common name for the currency of India. From 1995–1998, the U.S. Dollar to Rupee exchange rate fluctuated from about U.S. $1 = Rs.35 to about U.S. $1 = Rs.42.
Sahib - “Master” or “Sir.”
Salwar kameez - Popularly known as the Punjabi suit. The traditional dress of women in the Punjab region of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. The outfit comprises trousers (salwar) and a tunic (kameez) that is usually paired with a scarf (dopatta).
Sambhar - A spicy lentil soup from south India.
Shorba - A thin broth separated from the meat or vegetables and served throughout the meal. It differs from soup, which is thicker and served at the start of the meal.
Shivaji - The Destroyer of the universe. One of the three gods in the triumvirate worshipped for his powers to create, protect, and transform the universe. The other two gods in the triumvirate are Vishnu and Brahma.
Sindoor - A red powder (vermilion) used by Indian women to streak the part in their hair to indicate their married status.
Tava - A flat, circular griddle or frying pan made from cast iron or a non-stick pan used to cook chapatis and other Indian breads.
Thali - A large metal platter with a raised edge used for dining (as plates) and also in rituals and prayers to hold the prayer items.
Tiffin - Stackable, metal boxes that can be clamped together, used to store or transport food. A lunchbox. Also refers to a small, daytime meal.
Tonga – A horse-drawn vehicle
Wallah - Guy
Yaar - Friend/dude/mate
Yahaan rakhoon, Memsahib? - Should I keep this here, Madame?
Yeh table theek hai, Madame? - Will this table [seating at a restaurant] do, Madame?
Zari - Fine gold or silver threads woven in fabrics to create brocade and border designs. Commonly used in traditional Indian, Persian, and Pakistani garments.
Stay tuned for book three in the Winds of Fire series The Price of Freedom.
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