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Lesson 2: Forming Simple Words
INTRODUCTION
After learning the alphabet in Bengali, it is only
appropriate to learn how to read words. Just like the Devanagari
guide, the simple words will be examined. In Lesson 3, words with vowel
markings will be studied. Therefore, it will be essential that one knows the
alphabet very well.
SPELLING
WORDS USING THE BENGALI ALPHABET
Lets look at the first word of the day:
EXAMPLE
1: rasa (juice [Bengali]).
STEP 1:
Break the word down through its syllables.
The word rasa can be
broken down to ra and sa.
STEP 2:
Find the letters of the word and put them sequential order.
Recall the letters for ra
and sa on the Bengali alphabet. Since ra comes first, place the ra
first. The next letter is sa. Place that after sa. Thus, you get the word rasa.
Figure 2.1 demonstrates this concept.
Figure 2.1
Lets use this technique with some more words.
EXAMPLE
2: nagara (town [Bengali]).
STEP 1: Break the word down through its syllables.
Khabara can be broken down into three syllables: kha ba and ra.
STEP 2: Find the letters of the word and put them
sequential order.
Recall the
letters for na, ga and
ra on the Devanagari
alphabet.
Since na comes first, place the na
first.
The next letter
in line is ga. Place the ga
after the na. So far, we got naga.
The last letter
is ra. Place the ra
after the ga in naga.
You get nagara. Figure 2.2 demonstrates this
concept.
Figure 2.2
TRANSLITERATING
WORDS IN BENGALI
Reading Bengali words and transliterating them in
order to read them is just as important as spelling them. The process of going
about that is very similar to that of spelling the words.
STEP ONE: Break all letters down. Each letter is one syllable long.
STEP TWO: Identify the letters in order
STEP THREE: Convert them into the transliteration
scheme and say the word.
Lets look at a nice short word.
EXAMPLE 1:
Figure 2.3
Lets apply the steps:
STEP ONE:
Break all letters down. Each letter is one syllable long.
This is done in Figure 2.4
Figure 2.4
STEP TWO:
Identify the letters in order
Clearly, this is two letters long. It is split in
the above Figure.
STEP
THREE: Convert them into the transliteration scheme and say the word.
Very obvious that gha +
ra = ghara. In Bengali,
this means house.
Lets another one.
EXAMPLE 2:
Figure 2.5
Lets apply the steps:
STEP ONE:
Break all letters down. Each letter is one syllable long.
This is done in Figure 2.6
Figure 2.4
STEP TWO:
Identify the letters in order
Clearly, this is three letters long. It is split in
the above Figure.
STEP
THREE: Convert them into the transliteration scheme and say the word.
Very obvious that na + ya + na = nayana.
In Bengali, this means eye.
PRACTICE:
Try spelling these words using Bengali Script:
1. japa
(personal chanting in Bengali)
2. caraṇa
(feet in Bengali)
3. bana
(forest in Bengali)
4. hajama
(digestion in Bengali)
Try reading the words from the Bengali script.
UPDATED: June 16, 2009