The Encarta Dictionary is earning its keep! The three languages
mentioned are virtually the same:
Hindi: an official language of India that developed form a literary form
of Hindustani and is widely used as a lingua franca in many parts of
the world....
Hindustani: a group of Indian languages and dialects that includes all
forms of both Urdu and Hindi.
Urdu: the official language of Pakistan, spoken also in Bangladesh and
in parts of India. It ... is closely related to Hindi.
-------
Obviously, usage has changed since Kipling's day, with political
changes, but my understanding is that Urdu is mainly used by Muslims,
uses a script derived from Arabic and has Arabic loan-words. I think
Kipling uses the three words almost interchangeably.
I have a very vague recollection of reading one study of Kipling which
indicated that his knowledge of 'the vernacular', in whatever local
variant, was considerably less than he liked to make out. I can't
remember which writer, or what the evidence was. Anyone recognise the
reference?
Liz
"m.jefferson" wrote:
> This brings me to the question: what language or languages of the
> sub-continent did RK speak ?He has Kim speaking excellent
> Urdu,thinking in Hindi, dreaming in Hindustani, and speaking his
> mother-tongue with a Eurasian accent. Most of the vernacular words
> used in Kim are Urdu.RegardsMichael Jefferson
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|