[Goanet] Uncle Aunty vs Mama Mami

[Agnelo Fernandes]

On Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:23:24 -0500, Domnic Fernandes domval...@hotmail.com 
wrote on hte Subject: Re: [Goanet] Goanese

After I retired and returned to Goa, practically everyone in Anjuna, including 
all 
the policemen but excluding senior citizens call me ‘uncle’ and I don’t mind it 
at 
all. I know they use it out of respect for me. Males and females in their 
Forties 
address me as ‘Domnic uncle.’ In short, I have become ‘Anjuna uncle.’ Even when 
I 
visit Mapusa market, the shopkeepers and vendors address me as ‘uncle;’ maybe 
because of my white hair. Nowadays, even senior citizens dye their hair black 
and 
think they are sweet sixteen! It is these people who don’t like to be called 
‘uncle’ 
and ‘aunty!’

In the days of yore, the word ‘uncle’ was used mostly by Bomboikar (Bombay 
Goans.) 
The local Goan used Konkani words like ‘titiu’ for father’s brother; ‘mama’ for 
mother’s brother; ‘mavxi’ for mother’s sister; ‘timaim’ for titiu’s wife, etc. 
– 
please read my article of March 2005 in the link below:

http://lists.goanet.org/htdig.cgi/goanet-goanet.org/2005-March/112492.html

Unfortunately, the present-day generation does not even make an effort to use 
Konkani words of relationship. As a result, they use ‘uncle’ and ‘aunty’ for 
every 
relationship.


Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mob: 9420979201

http://www.goanet.org/post.php?name=Newslist=goanetinfo=2009-November/threadpost_id=186125


Dear Mr. Dominick,
 
Maybe they call us Uncle/Aunty because nowadays the migrant workers are called 
Mama  Mami.
 
Bests
Agnelo (Calangute/Gaumvaddi-Anjuna)


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Re: [Goanet] Uncle Aunty vs Mama Mami

[Frederick Noronha]

I've not -- so far -- come across any object to the use of appelations
like Bhadkar (literally, landlord) or Dotor (someone educated, not
necessarily a medical practitioner or a PhD). Or even 'patrao' (boss).

The term 'bhadkar' used to be far more common in the 1960s in Goa, and
those times were clearly more semi-feudal than now. Patrao is still
commonplace, and widely used for anyone seen as a class-superior. Or
someone educated. To my embarassment, my vegetable-vendor, a migrant
from north Karnataka, insists on respectfully calling me 'patrao'!

So, is it just a question of class-bias? We have no problem in moving
upwards, or perceiving to have done so. Much like is the case with
caste and Srinivas's theories of Sanskritisation
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskritisation] FN

2009/11/21 Agnelo Fernandes fernandes...@yahoo.co.in
 Maybe they call us Uncle/Aunty because nowadays the migrant workers are 
 called Mama  Mami.
 Bests
 Agnelo (Calangute/Gaumvaddi-Anjuna)

--
Frederick Noronha :: +91-832-2409490
Writing, editing, alt.publishing, photography, journalism
ANOTHER GOA: http://tiny.cc/anothergoa