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| Part of the team |
This morning was spent continuing yesterday’s work of
collating the regional variations of Gondi words.
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| Taking notes |
This process continues to present interesting challenges.
One problem, for example, is translating very specific words. The Gondi
word 'kacci visi', for example, refers to a large kind of biting fly common
in the hill regions of Telengana.
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| Screenshot of the Gondi dictionary (it is written in the Telugu script, rather than the Devanagari that our dictionary will be completed in) |
Everyone struggled with coming up with suggestions for this one: the specificity of this word makes it difficult. It identifies a single insect species that may not be present elsewhere, or may have different names across the region and it is difficult to be sure that this word refers to the same insect as another word (the English translation, ‘large green fly’ is, of course, no help at all). It is only through group discussion that such things can be studied.
After lunch we all went on a cultural outing through the
thick forest and the hills to the nearby town of Amarkantak. Amarkantak is a
famous holy site for Hindus, the area is the source for three rivers: the Narmada, the Son and the Johila. The town holds a special value for pilgrims who embark on a
daunting three year journey from the source of the Narmada all the way to
the sea and back again.
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| Hanging out |
Also of interest in the town are the historic temples built
by a Gond King
who ruled the area long ago. On the top of one of these temples is his
royal seal, a lion on top of an elephant, which is often used today as a symbol
for the Gond people.
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| The Gondwana royal |
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