PRABU. M
Ajjoor.

JP adds – The origin of Badaga – both the people and language – is still a mystery and no conclusive proof has been given/ found so far. Though it is an undisputable fact that Badaga and kannada are closely linked, my gut feeling is BADAGA IS A SEPARATE DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGE.

Hello Archana, It looks like, a ‘friend’s’ demand, ‘ Now,what do you say, like it or not like it ?’ for – iga enandare idudhadaiya[ should be idhuthu- hadadaiya] ille idupiliye. Best of luck – Wg Cdr JP

I need your help in knowing more about the tradition, culture and about the language. Do u have any websites or recommended books to learn Badaga language.

Badaga Proverbs:

“Akka iddale baava ; rokka iddale sule
Okkuva hana hattale Urella nattu”

If (only) you have an elder sister, there is a sister’s husband;
If you have cash you have a kiln ( or prostitute);
If you have lots of cash , the whole village is related to you.
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“Hetta hotte ondaleyu huttu bere buddi bere”

The stomach that has given birth [to various people] is one;
[they are of] different sense and different complexion
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“Nega evalikkile , ne baluga evalikkira”

If you give order to a dog, it will give order to its tail
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“Kall aduvane ne ille ; ne ibbane kallille”

When the stone is there , there is no dog; when there is a dog there is no stone
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“Tekkana illada teru nadeya ; badakanillade bandi nadeya”

A chariot won’t move without its wheel; A cart won’t move without the driver
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“ Uppillada uta holla; kavalillada kote holla”

Food without salt is bad; and a fortress without a guard is bad
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“Saranana gunava maranado: nodu”

The nature of the greeting gesture is seen in the death
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“Ennega ele:ru kattuvaduna , hada nodi onderu kattu”\

Instead of tying seven[oxen] to the millpole[for pressing oil];
Tie one[pair] to plough the dampened soil
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“Ondu kanasuno: bagarava:

With one dream will dawn come?
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“Mane muridale kattaku; Mana muridale kattoga”

If the house breaks you can rebuild it ; if the heart breaks you cannot repair it
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“Kalaga takkada kola ; desaga takkada base”

[Place the] ornamentation at the appropriate time;
[Speak the] language appropriate to the linguistic area
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“Ondu tatte budda guiga handi endaleyu buva”

Even a pig , having once fallen once into that pit, won’t fall into the same pit again
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“Ondu kopado: hallaga buddale, ombattu kopado:geyu ebbagugaga”

If in single anger[you have] drowned in a lake, you can’t come up again with nine[times that] anger
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