Nepali Glossary

Here’s a list of useful terms I may use in my posts.  They’re mostly either Nepali or Hindi words.

-i:  Adding this suffix to proper nouns forms proper adjectives.  For example, Nepal is the country; Nepali refers to the people or the language of Nepal.  The same happens with India (Hindustan is the country; Hindustani the ethnicity, Hindi the language) and America (Ameriki means American).  We’ve borrowed the same idea into English, with Pakistani and Afghanistani, etc.  In English, both “Nepali” and “Nepalese” are recognized as correct, but Nepali is the word used by the Nepali people themselves.

bandh:  Litterally, closed.  Refers to a wide-spread strike, or to a move by protesters to stop public transportation or to demand shops stay closed.  Pronounced like “bund” to rhyme with “fund.”

chowk:  intersection — usually in the form of a roundabout

dal-bhat:  The staple food of most meals here in Nepal.  “Bhat” means rice, and “dal” refers to a kind of lentil soup, which can be spiced various ways.  Cooked vegetables are commonly served alongside it, and occasionally meat.

ke garne:  Literally, “What to do?”  A Nepali phrase useful in unfortunate situations that you can’t change.  For example, if you’re in a hurry to reach an important meeting, and the chowk you need to pass is suddenly blocked by a hundred protesting students who look like they’ll be there for a while, you may shrug and say, “Ke garne?”

momo (s):  Delicious dumplings that form part of the typical cuisine in Nepal; likely originally more Tibetan than Nepali.  They usually are filled with meat, but cheese and vegetables are also possible.

Newar(i):  The original inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley.  Or the name of their language, which is part of the Tibeto-Burman group (instead of Indo-European and Sanskrit-derived, as Nepali is).  The majority now practice Hinduism, but about 15% are Buddhist.

marg:  public square, town square

tuk-tuk:  3-wheeled vehicle that is a common means of public transportation here; see picture in the post of July 22

This page will likely change as more words and phrases occur to me.  Check back frequently!