Like a sprouting pumpkin vine the verb K:a has extended its meaning in different directions and put out runners of colorful idioms: m:ar K:a 'get beaten up' (lit: 'eat a beating'), X kñ kan: K:a 'nag X' (lit: 'eat X's ears'), Y ki hv:a K:a 'be influenced by Y by living there' (lit:'eat Y's air'), and others:
1. haðri eb:g:_a. #aðD:
Ab: ress:y:aú t:Ø_a rha T:a -- t:Ü Aaj: m:ar K:an:ð p:r l:g:i hØI
hò.
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
2. Es:kað l:ðkr
m:ðrð kan: Vy:aðø K:a rhð hað ?
3. l:K:n:U ki hv:a K:a kñ t:Ü
b:_a c:øX hað g:y:a hò g:aðb:r.
(from Chapter Twenty of g:aðdan:. See context.)
Putting these idioms into groups will make them easier to understand and
to recall.
I. In the first group come expressions
in which something other than food is consumed, usually money, and the
K:an:ðv:al:a benefits: p:òs:ð K:a 'embezzle money'; erSv:t: K:a or G:Üs:
K:a 'take a bribe'; m:al: K:a
'embezzle goods':
4. erSv:t: K:a - K:akr v:h m:aðXa hað g:y:a.
II. In the second group are
expressions in which assistance is received by the K:an:ðv:al:a who in turn becomes indebted to the
source of help: X ka n:m:k K:a
'benefit from X's help; be a client or protégé of X' (lit:
'eat X's salt'), X ki raðXi
K:a 'make a living from (doing) X', qz:ü K:a 'take a loan':
5. ej:s:ka n:m:k K:ay:a us:kð
s:aT: j:an: dðn:a hm: l:aðg:aðø ka D:m:ü hò.
(from b:y:an: Fifteen of Part Three of K:*:i's c:ndÒkant:a.)
6. n:hiø dðn:a hò
hm:ðø B:Üs:a eks:i kað. y:haú
B:aðl:i - B:al:i eks:i
ka krz: n:hiø K:ay:a hò.
(from Chapter Three of g:aðdan:. See context.)
III. The third group, a much larger
and more productive one, contains expressions like t:m:ac:a K:a 'get slapped', RaúX K:a 'get a scolding', J:Xka K:a 'get a jolt', B:Ül: K:a 'make a mistake; err', p:Ca_ K:a 'get a shove backward; have a setback', or
ks:r K:a 'take or swallow a loss' in which
the K:an:ðv:al:a is forced to
"consume" some act of violence or undergo a painful experience. He or she
is always the worse for it. In such expressions the verb K:a is close in meaning to 'suffer':
7. ec:e_y:a c:aðX K:akr B:i
kÙC dÜr u_i, ePr
b:ic: D:ar m:ðø eg:r p:_i Aaòr l:hraðø kñ
s:aT: b:hn:ð l:g:i.
(from Chapter Seven of g:aðdan:. See context.)
8. m:òøn:ð ep:t:aj:i
s:ð RaúX K:aI.
(from hrdðv:
b:ahri's eS:x:aT:iü
ehndi-Aúg:Òðz:i
S:bdkaðS:. See reference.)
9. Aøt: m:ðø
c:aòD:ri n:ð us:ð z:aðr s:ð p:iCð
Zkñl: edy:a. p:Ønn:i D:Vka K:akr eg:r p:_i.
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
To be included here is the expression j:Üt:ð K:a, literally 'eat shoes', which
denotes a particularly humiliating form of physical abuse:
10. b:at: b:` g:y:i Aaòr
g:aòri m:ht:að n:ð p:n:ehy:aú ut:arkr m:T:Øra
kað Q:Üb: p:iXa. . . . b:ðc:ara p:c:as:aðø
j:Üt:ð K:akr B:i kÙC n: b:aðl:a.
(from Chapter Twenty-four of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
Another K:a-expression which draws on
local conceptions is Yaðkr K:a,
'suffer a setback' (lit: 'eat a stumble'):
11. Yaðkr K:akr hi t:að hm:
s:av:D:an:i kñ s:aT: p:g: uYat:ð hòø.
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
Members of this group may be created by using K:a with just about any noun that denotes an act or
instrument of physical, verbal, or psychological abuse: D:aðK:a or c:km:a
or d^:a K:a 'be scammed, taken in',
g:al:i
K:a 'be sworn at', G:Ø_ki K:a 'be browbeaten,
bullied', c:aúXa or T:pp:_ K:a 'get a slap', haT:
K:a 'get hit', G:Üús:a K:a 'get
punched', l:at: K:a 'receive a kick',
dØl:e¶:y:aú K:a 'be struck
by a horse's tail', l:aYi K:a 'be hit with
a stick', kað_a K:a 'be whipped',
J:a_Þ K:a 'get hit with a broom',
v:ar K:a 'take a blow or cut', g:aðl:i K:a 'get shot' (lit: 'eat a bullet').
Bladed weapons, however, are not included: ( * CØra K:a, * K:øj:r K:a 'be stabbed', etc. )
12. un:ki hay: m:t: K:aAað
!
IV. The fourth group (possibly a
subgroup of the third?) is comprised of expressions like X ka T:p:ð_a K:a 'bear the brunt of X', b:l: K:a 'get a twist or kink', Q:m: K:a 'bend; bow', c:Vkr
K:a 'spin; wind; bend', t:av: K:a
'oscillate, shimmy' (kite-flying term), J:aðøka K:a 'catch a gust' (said of sails
and flags), D:Üp: K:a 'be warmed by
the sun, bask', g:rm:i K:a 'suffer from
the heat', YNR K:a 'be affected by the
cold', l:Ü K:a 'be affected by the
"lu" (a hot wind)', p:al:a K:a 'be damaged
by frost', ^:aðt:a K:a 'dip; founder;
sink', rg:_ K:a 'be rubbed; scrape
against', X s:ð XVkr K:a
'collide with X; ricochet off X', s:il:
K:a 'become damp or musty', D:Ül:
K:a 'gather dust', dim:k K:a 'be
damaged by ants', G:Øn: K:a 'be
damaged by flour bugs', PPÜúd
K:a 'get moldy', z:øg: K:a
'rust' denoting reactions or responses to natural forces:
13. haðri n:ð Aan:nd kñ
s:ag:r m:ðø RÙb:eky:aú K:at:ð hØO
kha -- s:b: Aap: ka
As:irb:ad hò, dada !
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
15. ekt:ab:ðø dim:k K:a g:I
T:iø.
A rather abstract member of this set
is X s:ð m:ðl: K:a 'to match X':
V. In the fifth group are expressions
like kan: K:a, j:an: K:a, m:^:z: K:a
(lit. 'eat brain') and es:r K:a in which
the possessor of the direct object (the owner of the thing "eaten") is
being nagged, pestered, or harassed:
17. m:ØJ:s:ð us: dav:t:
kñ s:arð ,p:O v:s:Ül: kr el:y:ð Aaòr
haðXl:v:al:aðø kað Ok p:aI n: di, v:h m:ðra es:r K:a rhð hòø.
m:òø Es:ð ev:Sv:as: G:at: s:m:J:t:a hÜú.
(from Chapter Thirty-one of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
VI. The sixth group of K:a-expressions is less easy to relate to the sense of
'eat' and may reflect loan translations from Farsi. (That might explain
the frequent infelicity of K:a-expressions
formed by replacing Perso-Arabic elements with their t:ts:m: counterparts. See the starred items that
follow.) These K:a-expressions cluster
around the notions of either 'performing' a verbal act ( X
ki qs:m: K:a 'swear by X', X
ki c:Ø^:l:i
K:a 'tell on X') or 'exhibiting' a behavior ( B:av: K:a 'put on airs', X ka el:haz: K:a 'defer to X; show respect for X',
S:rm: K:a 'behave modestly' [but
* l:jj:a K:a], X p:r t:rs: K:a 'have pity on X' [but * dy:a K:a] ) or an emotion ( ^:Øss:a K:a 'be angry'; dhS:t:, B:y: or
Rr K:a 'become afraid' ):
(from Chapter Nine of g:aðdan:. See context.)
19. EVkð v:al:ð . . .
kB:i rah c:l:t:ð
p:òdl:aðø ki AaúK:aðø kð n:
haðn:ð p:r t:rs: K:at:ð hòø . . .
[from Part One of us:n:ð kha T:a. Used (ironically) in context.]
VII. There is a seventh "group" of
K:a-expressions (so far only two members
have been identified) in which the noun component denotes an emotion or
action that is hidden or suppressed by the K:an:ðv:al:a:
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
21. v:h b:at: K:a g:y:a.
With eK:l:a (lit: 'make eat; feed') it is possible to form
ditransitives from qs:m: K:a and
hv:a K:a as well as from many of the
K:a-expressions in groups I, III, and IV:
22. m:òø un:kñ haT:
m:ðø g:øg:aj:l: rK:kr Adal:t: m:ðø qs:m:
eK:l:aUûg:a.
(from Chapter Twenty-one of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
23. m:asXraðø !
Aap: Ag:r Ca*:aðø kað
b:ðøt: eK:l:an:ð s:ð b:az: n:hiø
AaOûg:ð t:að Aap:kað j:ðl: ki hv:a eK:l:aI
j:aOg:i.
This collection of idiomatic senses of
K:a may be seen as forming a "radial
category". That means that some K:a-expressions are no longer related by one common
feature of meaning to all of the others even though, historically, they
are probably all connected. See Lakoff
1987, pp. 91-114. This matter is complicated by the influence on
Hindi-Urdu in the past of parallel expressions in Farsi and Altaic
languages (viz, Chagatay). Further reading on this question is available
here.
Further observations (from kÙs:Øm: j:òn: ): a. Some
K:a-expressions when used in the singular
refer to objective events that occur in the physical world but when put in
the plural take on metaphorical meanings. For instance, X
ka T:p:ð_a K:a and X s:ð XVkr K:a mean 'bear the brunt of X' and
'collide with' or 'bump against X' whereas T:p:ð_ð K:a and XVkrðø K:a mean 'suffer setbacks and
defeats':
24. div:ar s:ð XVkr K:akr g:ðød
m:ðri T:al:i m:ðø Aa eg:ri.
25. ez:ndg:i m:ðø b:hØt:
XVkrðø K:aI hòø us:n:ð.
b. There is a set of K:a-expressions whose subjects are intangible or
abstract entities:
26. b:ðXi ki S:adi ki ec:nt:a K:aO j:a rhi
hò.
c. K:a j:a
can be used with a location X as subject to mean 'disappear into X' or 'go
missing in X':
None of these expressions allows replacement of K:a with eK:l:a.
To exercise on m:ar
K:a and other K:a-expressions.
To index of m:lhar.
Drafted (with input from kÙs:Øm:
j:òn: ) 1 April 2001. Posted 2 April 2001. Checked by
t:hs:in: es:¸iqi 2 April 2001.
Linked to g:aðdan: 9 Apr 2001.
Checked by kÙs:Øm: j:òn:
and augmented 10-11 Apr 2001. Augmented again on 26, 27 & 30 Apr 2001.
Further notes from kÙs:Øm:
j:òn: drafted 4 June, posted 5 June and corrected 7 June 2001.
Further additions 10 June, 21 June, and 15 July 2001. Additional links 8
Mar 2002. IE enabled 3 July 2004. Further additions (with thanks to
Aan:nd e¾v:ðdi, m:ðhr fa-qi, and Griff Chaussee) 4, 10 & 24
Nov 2004.
'That did it for Hori. His anger now was out
of control: 'You are asking for a beating today.'
'Why are you pestering me over this?'
'Gobar, your days in Lucknow have made you
into a very clever guy.'
'He got fat off the bribes.'
'It is our duty to die with the one to
whom we owe our livelihood and support.'
'We're not giving straw to anybody! Nobody
here is in debt to any Bholi-Schmoli!'
'Even though the bird was hit, it flew for
some distance, then fell in midstream and began to be carried along with
the waves.'
'I was scolded by my father.'
'Finally Chaudhry pushed her hard. Punni
staggered backwards and fell.'
'Things got more serious and Gauri
Mahto, taking off his shoes, used them to beat Mathura. ... Taking dozens
of blows the poor man still said not a word.'
'Only when we suffer defeat do we
(learn to) tread carefully.'
Note from kÙs:Øm: j:òn:: Belonging to the
third group is the expression X ki hay:
K:a 'receive the curses of X' which is used as a roundabout way of
saying 'torment X':
'Do not torment them!' (lit: 'Do not
eat their cry of blame!')
'Gently bobbing in a sea of bliss,
Hori said, "It is all thanks to your blessings, Dada!"'
14. b:aús: kñ rg:_
K:an:ð s:ð dav:an:l: sv:y:m:Î l:g: s:kt:a hò.
'A wildfire can start spontaneously
from bamboo trees rubbing against one another.'
'The books had been damaged by white
ants.'
16. Es: qm:iz: kñ s:aT: y:h
c:ØÀi m:ðl: n:hiðø K:at:i.
'This cunni does not go with
this qamîz.'
'You collected all the money for that
banquet from me and didn't turn over one cent to the restaurant owners,
who are now hounding me. I consider this a breach of trust.'
18. t:Ü qs:m: K:a j:a ek
t:Ün:ð hira kað g:ay: ki n:aúd kñ p:as: K:_ð
n:hiø dðK:a ?
haú, m:òøn:ð n:hiø dðK:a,
qs:m: K:at:a hÜú.
b:ðXð kñ m:aT:ð p:r
haT: rK:kð qs:m: K:a !
m:òø b:ðXð ki qs:m:
K:at:a hÜú ek m:òøn:ð hira kað n:aúd
kñ p:as: n:hiø dðK:a.
'"Do you swear that you did not see
Hirâ standing near the cow's trough?"
"That's right. I didn't see him. I
swear it."
"Put your hand on your son's head and
swear!"
"I swear by my son that I did not see
Hîrâ near the trough."'
'The ekkâ-drivers . . .
sometimes commiserate with pedestrians over their inability to see . . . '
20. n:ari ka D:rm: hò ek ^:m:
K:ay:.
'It is the duty of a woman to suffer
in silence.'
'He kept silent.'
'I'll put Ganges water in his hand and
make him take an oath in court.'
'Teachers! You'll have to quit caning
students or you'll be sent to jail.'
'The ball bounced off the wall and landed in my
plate.'
'He's had his share of tough breaks.'
'We are worried about (arranging) our
daughter's marriage.'
27. m:ðri Oðn:k y:hiø rK:i
T:i. khaú g:I ? Vy:a m:ðz:
K:a g:I us:ð ?
'I left my glasses right here. Where did
they go? I can't find them anywhere on the table.'
To index of grammatical notes.