tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post1655069309719629242..comments2024-03-17T13:31:15.327+05:30Comments on TuLu Research & Studies: 8. Bantu, bant′ IIRavindra Mundkurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09073231068374498281noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post-61860762001607662142012-03-22T08:42:56.623+05:302012-03-22T08:42:56.623+05:30Thank you Prashob for the nice words!
Tulu and Mal...Thank you Prashob for the nice words!<br />Tulu and Malayalam shared (and continue to share) many common cultural and lingual features during the evolution.<br />Bante- Bandhu affiliation in Malayalam is quite natural because even in Tulu and Kannada Banta/Bante stands for a reliable/trusted assistant/relative.Ravindra Mundkurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09073231068374498281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post-43865276124699490942012-03-21T17:48:35.068+05:302012-03-21T17:48:35.068+05:30A very nice blog to read indeed. Quite interesting...A very nice blog to read indeed. Quite interesting! Apart from the Tulu, Kannada word Bant, Bante-in Malayalam there is a word "Bandhu" which means a relative or a person who can be trusted as a relative. Is there any relation between the Tulu or Kannada word Bant, Bante with Malayalam word Bandhu or Bandham(means relation)? <br /><br />Regards,<br />PrashobPrashob Thampuranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213897719829121320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post-54454839856111299932007-09-14T08:41:00.000+05:302007-09-14T08:41:00.000+05:30Prajwal,Thank you for the informative comments.Som...Prajwal,Thank you for the informative comments.Some clarifications:<BR/>1. I am not implying that our 'Bunts' are directly derived from the African 'Bantu'. The African word now means 'people' in their language.I am essentially discussing the origin of the word 'bant/banta' in southern Indian languages including Tulu and Kannada.<BR/>2.The word 'Bant/u' must be quite ancient,having older roots in several African and Mediterranean languages,like Sumerian and Akkadian etc, that seem to have influenced in the remote past many Dravidian languages including Tulu.<BR/><BR/>3.I believe that at least a sect of Tulu people originated in north African-Mediterranean region migrated (later, ca 2000BC) to Pirak NW Indian subcontinent,lived their for some 1500 years, then migrated (ca 500 BC) to their present homeland.(Read my early postings).There are several words /roots which Tulu tribes picked up since Sumerian days( Ca 4000-2000 BC),most famous among them is the word "Oor"(=habitation/village). The 'Ur' was a famous city of Sumerian times.The word 'Tulu' itself still exists in several countries of the region especially in Ethiopia and Afghanistan.<BR/>Tulu language has grown or evolved independantly of African languages during the last 6000 years.But some fossil root words may exist still!<BR/>4.In the similar style we picked up the original word 'bant' which meant originally 'person' (in general)or later people of specific African tribe.<BR/>5.Tulu people used the word 'bant' or 'bante' initially for trusted person specifically a body guard who can be trusted.<BR/>6.Initially it ('bant')was a profession of trusted security guards especially for kings and chieftains before becoming a caste indicator.<BR/>7.Koti Chennayya from billava caste were professional bants (=body guards) for Ballala chieftains according to Pad-danas.<BR/><BR/>8.Since a large number of Tulu farmers, (okkaliga/nadava) were professional bants during the Tulu history, the word was subsequently attached to them as a caste indicator.Ravindra Mundkurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09073231068374498281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post-62449512953575418582007-09-13T17:01:00.000+05:302007-09-13T17:01:00.000+05:30As quoted in wikipedia" "Bantu" means "people" in ...As quoted in wikipedia" "Bantu" means "people" in many Bantu languages. Dr. Wilhelm Bleek first used the term "Bantu" in its current sense in his 1862 book A Comparative Grammar of South African Languages, in which he hypothesized that a vast number of languages located across central, southern, eastern, and western Africa shared so many characteristics that they must be part of a single language group.The Bantu expansion was not so much a physical migration as it was a natural spread of language and knowledge throughout different populations, and societal groups (usually through inter-marriage or by small groups moving to new areas)."<BR/>If the tulu Bunts were somehow linked to the African "Bantu",then there should be a great influence of Bantu language on tulu language.Or atleast there should be a seperate variation of tulu spoken by the Bunts related to bantu.(bantus,wherever they migrated imposed their language and the mixing of their language gave birth to new languages).<BR/>Secondly,the bunts donot have any resemblance to the African Bantus in their appearence.<BR/>Third Similar to the mogavera baris the bunts also follow the bari system which represent their place of originprajwalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00164684892830083019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post-46686521331145437342007-03-26T07:30:00.000+05:302007-03-26T07:30:00.000+05:30I agree with you that that bhRta is quite remote f...I agree with you that that <B>bhRta</B> is quite remote from bantu!<BR/>Well, I deduced <I> bant </I> from bantu after I read about African bantu migration studies in the net.<BR/>My deduction may be right or may be wrong, only time has to tell.<BR/>But the intersting conclusion is that many south Indian languages ( at least (TuLu,Kannada and Telugu) have this word bant/banta/bantu in them that mean the same or have similar shades of meaning.<BR/>Your discussions with Srikanth on the word also focussed that Telugu word bantu now also means 'servant'.I felt that this is quite akin to its(banta/bante) present (rather in contemptuous vein) meaning, 'personal assistant'in Tulu and Kannada.Ravindra Mundkurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09073231068374498281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-842465514699048204.post-87047284878757737572007-03-24T12:24:00.000+05:302007-03-24T12:24:00.000+05:30I put a question to Indo-Eurasian_research forum a...I put a question to Indo-Eurasian_research forum at yahoo groups about the etymology of 'bhaTa'. It looks like the word appears in the later Sanskrit and is derived from 'bhRta' meaning the same. Considering the root of the word is something other than Dravidian or African 'bant', the chances of African bantu tribe being part of South Indian bunts is remote. Also, I don't think bantu is the self-designation of those African communities. This word was used by an European linguist to represent the linguistic family they speak.Manju Edangamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00474338169829802934noreply@blogger.com