Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor known for in-depth vocabulary, on Friday, accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “language challenge” and tweeted the first word “bahuvachanam”, which means pluralism in Malayalam.
Tharoor’s tweet came shortly after PM, while speaking via video conference at a conclave in Kochi on Friday said that “we can simply start with publishing one word in 10-12 different languages spoken across the country,” so we all learn one new word a day.
PM Modi was speaking on India’s diversity in language and said language is a force multiplier. “In a year, a person can learn over 300 new words in different languages,” the Prime Minister added.
Tharoor, in a series of tweets said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended his speech at the Manorama News Conclave by suggesting we all learn one new word a day from an Indian language other than our own. I welcome this departure from Hindi dominance and gladly take him up on this language challenge.”
Tharoor further said that PM Modi’s suggestion that all Indians learn one word a day in any Indian language is a “departure from Hindi dominance” in the country.
“In response to the Prime Minister’s language challenge, I will tweet a word daily in English, Hindi and Malayalam. Others can do this in other languages. Here is the 1st one: Pluralism (English), ‘bahulavaad’ (Hindi), ‘bahuvachanam’ (Malayalam).”
An hour later, Tharoor also suggested two more meanings of pluralism in Malayalam, saying, “Ok here’s part of my language challenge: there are often better options for a particular word. Pluralism is better translated in Malayalam (‘bahuswarata’, many voices) than as (many things).”
Tharoor has in the past used words like “farrago”, “rodomontade”, “webaqoof”, “kakistocracy” and “snollygoster” and sent the twitterati searching for their dictionaries to understand his linguistic choices.