Chitpavani Konkani


Chitpavani is a dialect of the Konkani language as spoken by the Chitpavan Brahmin community residing chiefly in Konkan area. Chitpavans, as they are known today, evolved as a community in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, India. This region lies on the western coast of the country. From their original land of Ratnagiri, they have spread to many parts of the world.
Chitpavans speak a peculiar dialect called Chitpavani, which was spoken in the district until the 1950s, but as time went on, people adopted Marathi as their language.
As of now, this language is almost extinct from the Konkan region, with the exception of a very few old people in some remote villages in the district who can still speak this dialect. Chitpavans who migrated to Goa and the Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka about 400 years ago have still maintained Chitpavani language in their homes.
This language is popularly known as Āmchi Bhāsa in Karnataka. It is fascinating to know that there are more than 500 chitpavan families settled in the remote villages amidst western ghats of Karnataka. The four major chitpavan settlements in and around Dakshina Kannada & Udupi districts are "Dēshila", MunDāje, MāLa, Durga, SūLabeTTu - PhanDije. The Chitpavan culture, festivals, rituals and practices are still alive and intact in these households. Cultivation methods, water management skills have been adapted in the same way as Konkan. Migrated chitpavans have rebuilt their old lifestyle in KaravaLi, the coast of Karnataka. They all speak Chitpavani even today as their mother tongue, making efforts to pass it onto the new generations.
Currently, efforts are being made to spread awareness about this unique dialect and educate the Chitpavans who are totally unaware of this dialect. Few new generation Various forums such as Facebook communities, WhatsApp groups, Orkut, Yahoo and also through various Chitpavan Mandals/ Sanghas in Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

Unique chitpavani Words (Goa/ Kokan style)

Unique Chitpavani Words (Karnataka style)

Chitpavani Verbs

Some verbs and its meaning from Chitpavani language spoken in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka.

Chitpavani Sentences

Some sentences and its meaning in Kannada & Marathi
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