Day 3
Relations & relatives
Assamese culture have all kinds of relations defined within your closed circle, be it family or friends. And the social norms define how you address them accordingly. It defines how you address your older sibling vs the younger and how you address uncles and aunts from your dad's side vs mom's. For the purist, it even has a name for the relation with you and your dad's best friend and his wife!
Normally, if someone is older than you, social norm dictates that you address the person by a relation, not by name. Unless you are in a formal environment, where you might address like Mr or Ms so & so. If someone is younger, we take the liberty of calling them by name.
These are some of the basic forms of relations here. We will visit more types of relationships later.
Practice : Scene : Calling mom
Son: Hello, maa?
(Hello, Mom?)
Mom: Oo, Arun, ki khobor?
(Oh, Arun. How are you?)
Son: Mur bhal, tumar Kenekuwa?
(Am good, how about you?)
Mom: Bhalei aasu, olop jor hoi aase
(Am okay, running little bit of fever)
Son: Oo, hoi neki, dorob khaisa?
(Oh, is it, taking any medicine?)
Mom: Oo, kiba eta khalu. Toi kot?
(Yes, had something. Where are you?)
Son: Eiya, gari solai aasu.
(Here, driving)
Mom: Bhat khali ne?
(Had your lunch/dinner?)
Son: Nai khuwa, ghorot goi kham.
(Not yet, will have once am home)
Bonabo lagibo
(Got to cook)
Mom: Thik aase, toi gari sola
(Okay then, you drive.)
Pasot kotha patim
(Will talk later)
Son: Oo, thoisu dei, bye.
(Okay, dropping off, bye)
olop - littlejor - feverdorob - medicinekot - wheregari - carsolai - drivebhat - rice (literally), also lunch or dinnerghor - homebonabo - to make/cookpasot - laterkotha - talkthoisu - drop