III. LANGUAGE VARIATION

11.1. Dialects of Maithili:

The number of variations dividing a language into dialects is a puzzling question, especially in Maithili. The geographical and social demarcation of Maithili dialect is no less problematic. In absence of research work in Maithili dialects, one has to depend on the words on G.A.Grierson and S.Jha.

A. Regional Variation:

	Maithili dialects may regionally be divided as follows:  

		Dialects				Central place

		(1) Central ................		Madhubani
		(2) Eastern (Angika) ........		Purnia 
		(3) Southern  ..........		Bhagalpur 
		(4) Western   (Bajjika) ............	Sitamarhi 
		(5) NorthEstern (Tharuwst)........	Biratnagar(Nepal)  

The dialects of Madhubane, Darbhanga and Supaul, being the dialects of an influential class have enriched literature and have emerged as a standard literary language which has been described earlier.

In general terms, standard Maithili is strictly conservative, rather archaic, mostly due to its traditional writing and it may be likened to a tranquil lake, while its dialects are flowing fast and eroding or changing its phonetic links in course of its reckless speed on the other hand. These dialects especially eastern ones have surprisingly preserved a number of forms, which are lost in standard language, (for instance nominative and locative -e as hame; tohẽ; ghare).

Most of the departures from the standard language are common to all dialects including central colloquial, such as allusion of vowels and consonants in weak positions; demonstrative pronoun u: in place of standard o; preference of words of wider circulation to indigenous words (for instance koi, jab, tab etc. in place of keo, jakhan, takhan etc.); absence of ahã; (the substitute of second person honorific pronoun); predominance of tadbhava (well-adopted) words over tatsama, etc.

In order of distance, the eastern dialect, especially the southeastern, stands farthest from the standard. Other dialects differ only slightly from each other as well as from the standard.

11.3. Central dialect:

Central dialect has two levels: standard (STD) and colloquial (COL). COL is confined to its own area, while STD is used throughout Mithila with the difference that outside central dialect, STD is used only in literary sphere and learned congregations. STD has been already described in § 2.1. – 10.4.

Within central dialect, the difference between STD and COL is manifold. STD is stuck to a stage of phonetic development while COL has been embracing all the changes taking place day-to-day. The recent changes comprise of elision and coalescence of phonemes, especially at the end of a word. Consequently, in Central dialect, words appear in two forms: Full and Truncated form:

	Full form			             Truncated

	आएलैक / aĕlaik / -----		 	एलै / elai / 'came'
	होइत अछि / hoit a:chi / ----		होइए / hǒie / 'becomes'
	होएतोक / hǒetauk / ---			हैतौ / hĕtau / 'will be' 
	एहि ठाम / ehi ŧha: m / ----		ऐ ठाँ / ai  ŧhã: / 'here' 
	मालिनि चलि गेलि / ma:lini cali geli /	मालिन चल गेल / malin cal gel / 'lady gardener went' 
	एक गोट / ek goŧ /  			ए गो / e go / 'one individual'.  

11.4. Eastern dialect or Angika:

The eastern dialect covers the districts of Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Dumka. Like its neighbour Bangla, it is characterized phonetically by arounded a (half way between a and o, (like o in Bangla Subroto) at the end of some words.

On the ground of several phonetic as well as grammatical differences from the standard, it claims to be a separate language christened as Angika. Recently, it has produced some literature as well.

Some important variations along with their standard forms are shown below. (in brackets for comparison.)

(a) Final a in some types of words are lengthened and slightly labialised (instead of being elided). Thus:

		थोडऽ (थोड) / thǒḍa: / 'less'.
		ओकरऽ हाथऽ रऽ  (ओकर  हाथक ) / ǒkra: ha: tha:ra: / 'of his hand' 

(b) Final i in some types of words is either lengthened or elided: Thus:

		देखी लेबऽ (देखि लेब) / dĕkhi: lĕba: / 'I will see'.
		तोहे  बोली  रहलऽ  छें (तो बाजि रहल छें) / tǒhẽ bǒli: rahla: chẽ / 'you are speaking.'  
		चार (चारि) / ca:r / 'four'
		सत्तर (सत्तरि) / sattar / 'seventy'. 

(c) Nominative case –e and –ne and present in passive voice. Thus:

		माहने or मोहन ने  खेलकै (मोहन खएलकैक) / 'Mohane or Mohan ne khĕlkai' / 'Mohan ate'.  
		बेटाँ (बेटा एँ)  देखलकै ( बेटा देखलकैक ) / beŧaّs: dĕkhalkai / 'The son saw'. 

(c) Possessive case ending -ra: in nouns like Bangla:

		रामऽ रऽ  लडिका (रामक बेटा) / Ra:ma:ra: laḍika: / 'Son of Ra:m'.  

(e) Variation in case-endings is as follows:

	Nom. - मोहने or मोहनने (also मोहन) / Mohane or Mohan ne / 'Mohan' 
	Ob.   - मोहन  मोहन कऽ ( मोहन कें) / Mohan sẽ, Mohan sã: Mohane / 'with Mohan'. 
	Ins.   - मोहन सें , मोहन सँ, मोहनें (मोहनें  सँ  मोहनें) / Mohan sẽ, Mohan sã:, Mohane / 'With Mohan'. 
	Abl.  - घरऽ सें ( घर सँ) / ghara:sẽ / 'from home?'  
	Poss. - रामऽ रऽ  घोडा,  हरी  के  किताब,  मोहनऽ  केरऽ बेटा ( रामक घोडा, हरि क  किताब,  मोहन क बेटा ) 
	          'Ram’s horse, Hari’s book,  Mohan’s son'.

(f) The following forms of pronouns are noteworthy:

		हमे or हम्मे ( हम ) / hame or hamme / 'I or we'.
		हमरऽ ( हमर )  hamra: 'my, our'. 
		हमरी ( हमर )  hamri: (fem.) 
		तोहें (तों) / tǒhẽ / 'you', onward like  हमे
		अ (ओ) / u: / 'that, he',  वें  ( उएँ )   
		हो or हुऊ ( होओ ) / hau / 'that',
		यें (इएँ) (ई) / i: / 'this'.
		हुनी (ओ  आदरणीय) / huni: / 'he, respectable', So हिन्ही  जिनी  etc. 
		जोन (जे  आदरणीय) / jon / 'who, respectable' 
		केकर (ककर) / kekar / 'whose'.  So  जेकर, तेकर    etc. 
		कोइ or कोय (केओ) / koi / 'anybody'  
		आपनऽ (अपन) / apna: / 'you'.

(g) Ignoring the slight phonetic differences, verbs differ in only a few forms, such as:

तोहरऽ  बेटा  जाए  छौं  or छौंन (तोहर बेटा जाइत  छहु or छथुन) / tohra: beŧa: ja:ĕ chaõ or chכّn / 'your son is going' 
हमे तोहए  देख भौं  देखभौत ( हम तोहए देखबहु ) / hame tǒhra: dekhbhכّ or  dekhbhכّn 'I will see you'.So पढभौं ( पढबहुँ )  
ऊ  चललऽ छेलै  ( ओ चलल छलैक ) / u: calala: chĕlai/ 'he had gone',So छॆले, छॆलिये etc.	
हमे  चलतिहौं ( हम चलितहूँ ) / hame calatihכّ/ 'If I would have gone'. 

It is to be noted that the eastern dialect is the most conservative and it has preserved a good number of grammatical forms obtained in the songs of vidyapati and his followers. Another fact to be noted is that the variations are mostly, if not only, of suprasegmental or phonological and as such are apparent more in speech than in writing.

11.5. Southern dialect:

Here south means the south of the river Ganga covering mainly the District of Bhagalpur and Dumka. Hence, our southern dialect is identical with chika: chiki and khotta of Grierson (1st 5(2) specimen) and S.Jha (1958).

It differs slightly from the eastern dialect. Its main characteristic is the predominance of verb chik- ‘to be’. Its other characteristics are:

(a) Preservation of final - ĕ which in other dialects is elided, as पाठाए देलकाँ / paʈha: ĕ delkã:/ 'Other dialects पाठ देलकनि / paʈha: delkani / 'sent'

(b) Long o in place of final (week) ǎ अपनो / apno / for apan / 'one’s own'.

(c) Verb forms in - ɔn, as रहौत / rahɔn / 'was', ऐलहौन / ailhɔn / 'come' in place of रहलाह / rahla:h / and आएलाह / aĕla:h /.

11.6. Western dialect or Bajjika:

The western dialect, covering the districts of Muzaffarpur, Sitamarbi, and partly Nepal tarai, differs slightly from the Central dialect. The main distinguishing features are shown below:

(a) The consonant ch in auxiliary verb - ach- or cha- is changed to h :

	ऊ कुन  गाम ह इ ? ( ओ कोन गाम छ इ) or थिकैक ? / u: kun ga:m hai? / 'What village is that?'  
	ई के हती ? ( ई के छथि ?) / i: ke hati:? / 'Who is he?' 

(b) Verbs in first person ends in हम देखली - i:

	 (हम देखलहूँ)  / ham dĕkhli: / 'I saw' Cf. Std. देखलीऐक. 

(c) Tag word sun to denote plurality:

	लडिका सुन ( नेना सभ ) /laḍika: sun/  ‘children’

(d) Numerous lexical variations:

	भनसिआ (स्त्री) / bhansia: / 'wife'.
	झलिआ (झमेलिआ) / jhalia: / 'trouble maker'. 
	बोलब (बाजब)  / bolab / 'to speak'
	पुडब (पहुँचब)  / puŋab / 'to reach' 
	बिडब (फेकब) / biŋab / 'to throw out'. 
	भिडब (भीजब)  / bhiŋab / 'to be drenched'.
	नेना जाकिन (नेनाजकाँ) / nena:ja:kin / 'Like a child.' 
	जाबत तोरिक (जाबततक) / ja:bat torik / 'Till, while'.
	निमन (नीक) / niman / 'good'    
	अखनी (एखन) / achni: / 'now', So लखनी / lakhni: /, जखनी / jakhni / etc. 
	एनी (एम्हर) / eni: / 'hither'  So ओनी (ओम्हर) oni:/ , कोनी (कोम्हर) / koni: /etc. 

(e) Influence of Hindi and Bhojpuri especially in case endings and vocabulary.

	घर के (घर क) / ghar ke / 'of home'
	घरस (घर सँ) / ghar se / 'from home'
	हो गेल (भए गेल) / ho gel / 'has become'.
	करे लागि (करए लेल) / kare la:gi / 'for going'. 

(f) And all characteristics that distinguish the Central colloquial from the standard Maithili.

Broadly speaking, so-called Bajjika is not a regional variation of Maithili, but a class variation. It is proved by the fact that a protagonist of Bajjika (Namely Dr.Surendra Mohan Prasad, 2000) enumerates 50% population of Madhubani District as Bajjika speaking popuation.

11.7. North Eastern dialect:

This dialect is spoken in the southeastern region of Nepal tarai and northeastern part of Bihar. It is known as Tharuhaʈ, the language of Tharu tribe, the mai speaker of this dialect. It is credited with preserving the tradition of Maithili Folklore. Study of this dialect is yet a desideration.

		गिरि  परबत  सओ  नाम्हल कोसिला माता
		भोठी  मुख कये ले  पयान |
		आगू आगू कोयला बीर  घसना खभारल	
		पाछू पाछू कोसिला  उमगल जाय | 
		नानी नानी  आछर  लिखले  गंगा  माता
       		दिहलनि कोसी जी कऽ  हाथ |

		( giri parabat saõ  na:mhal 
		 kosila: ma:ta: Bhoŧhi: mukh
		 kaele paya:n | a:gu: agu:  koyala: 
		 bi:r dhasana:  khabha:ral
		 pa:chu: pa:chu kosila: umagal ja:ĕ
		 na:ni: na:ni: a:char likhale ganga: 
		 ma:ta:  dihalani kosi: ji:ka: ha:th )

'Mother kosi river descended from the range of mountains and proceeded toward Bhutan. Valiant Koyala: went ahead eroding the shore and being gone on Kokika soaring and soaring. Mother Ganga wrote letters small and small and handed over to kosi'.

11.8. Grammatical aspect of the variations:

Variation in dialects of Maithili reflects mostly in three grammatical categories namely case endings, pronominal forms and verb-forms. Almost all variants noticed so far against the standard forms in a stabilized way may be seen below. The areas marked here and there indicate only prevalence, not the limitation of the use of the form.

[Symbols: C = Central, E = Eastern, NE = Northeastern, S = Southern, ST = Standard, W = Western].

				(a) Case endings:

	(i)   Nominative – Zero (ST),  -e  and –ne(E);  
	(ii)  Accusative – dative -  kã and –ke(c), - kai and kaĩ(S), -ke(C,W,S,E,NE). 
	(iii) Inst. – Abl. - 
			Sã:(ST), sẽ and se(ESWN), sai and saĩ(S). 
			Lel ST), le(CS), la:gi(S) la:(W),l ai(S). 

	(iv)  Possessive -  
			K(ST), Ke(CSW), kara:(E), Kera: and ra:(S). 

	(v) Locative - 
			me(ST), ma:(W), mai(E).

(b) Pronominal forms:

Table 7

Pronominal bases

Abbr. –1 =Nonhonorific; 2= Honorific; 3 =Inanimate; 4 =Genetive Adjectve; St.=Standard, C=Central; E=Estern; S=Southern; W=Western.

					
			Pronominal forms in different dialects:

	Standard – Dialects:

		ham 'I'  - hame,  hamme, hamma,  hamma:  
		hamar – hamra:
		tõ 'you'  - tohẽ, tũ:, tu,  tohni: (plural).  tũsi:  (plural). 
		tohar – tohra:, tor
		ahã: 'you'  - ihã:, ehã:
		katek  'how much' – kate, katte, kete, katna:, ketna:,
		kataba: - ketba:
		ketani 'how little'  - ketni: 
		kehan 'of what sort?' – kehen, kehina:, kehna:, kaisan,  kaisana: 
		kataĕ 'where?' – keta:
		kon ŧha:m 'where?' - kaiŧhã:  koiŧhã:  
		kakhan 'when' – kakhni:, kekhni: 
		kahia  'on which day?'  -  kehia (so ehia:, ohia: only in E and W). 
		kona: 'in  which manner?' – kena:, kaise, kehna:
		komar 'whither?'  - kemhar,  kumhar,  kimhar, kenna:, keni:,  kunna:, kun-da:, 
		jatek, jataba: etc show the same pattern as katek etc. 

(c) Verb forms:

Table 8

Verb forms in dialects

[Abbreviations – A = Nominative, B = Beneficiary, P = Person, H = Honorific, N = Nonhonorific]

Table 9

Verb ch-forms in dialects

		※ 	Optional forms chiכّn, chikכّ,  chikihכّ,  chikia:, chikihכّn
		 +  	Optional forms chikæّ, chahæ, chahæّ
	 	 +   	Optional forms chahæn. 

B. Social Variations:

11.9. Caste and Class variation:

Maithili speaking community consists of a large number of castes, sub-castes and classes. Except in marriage and food, all these sections live interdependently and in cordial contact. Naturally Maithili has little to show regarding caste and class variation. Nevertheless, variation is manifest to some extent on the class level. The language of upper class varies from that of the lower class.

The upper class consisting mainly of Brahmans, Kayasthas and Rajputs speak a form of language akin to standard Maithili. Its main characteristics prefer tat-sama words. Such as : putra 'son' in place of pu:t or laɖika: ; sva:mi: 'husband' in place of sa:ĩ.

The most striking class variation is marked in the use of ahã:, the honorific substitute of second person pronoun tõ 'you'. It is surprising that the men of upper class address the men of their own class as ahã:, but they always address the men of lower class as tõ, which shows disrespect. Fortunately such class distinctions are dying out and ahã: is gaining ground even among lower classes.

Another peculiarity of the upper class dialect is the preservation of nasality while the lower class generally drops it. For example:

		Lower class -  तू गाये के केकए कहले  छडी सऽमारले?  
			/ tu: ga:e ke  kekra: kahle  chaḍi:  sa:  
			marle? / By whose order did you beat the cow with a stick?’  

		Upper class - तों गाए कें ककरा कहलें छडी सँमारलें? 
			/ tõ  ga:e kẽ kakara: kahlẽ  chaḍi: sã: ma:rlẽ? /  
 

The people of upper class inspite of inhabiting in other dialect areas preserve their own class dialect.

A strange way of communication is seen among lower class people. The man of this class while talking to his/her spouse addresses one another with third person demonstrative pronoun i: 'he/she' instead of tõ 'you'. For example, the husband may ask his wife in this way:

		ईकहिआ अओतै? / i: kahia:  aotai? / 'When will she come?'  
		Here ई  'she' stands for 'you' and it comes out to mean 'when will you come?'  

The caste and class variation is a result of educational and economic advancement of the upper class people and as such the educated men of even lower class refine their tongue and adopt themselves to standard Maithili.

Caste dialect in Maithili, if any, maybe known only after in-depth study on the spot is carried out. At present a single caste dialect is known. Grierson’s (Spacemen No. 17, LSI, Maithili) Jolahi boli ‘the speech of a Muslim weaver caste’ deals with this issue. Now after more than a chequered century it is hard to say whether boli is in existence. Of course the speech of Muslims in general shows some common characteristics under the impact of Islamic religion and culture. If these characteristics are properly searched and studied, a kind of class dialect of Maithili may come in light. Most of the Muslim artisans in Mithila seem to have immigrated from the west. It is evident from the influence of Awadhi language in their tongue. For example:

		उकहिन  / u: kahin / 'He said'. STD  कहलानि  / o kahlani /.
		कहलक रहे / kahalkai rahe / 'He had said' /  STD  ओ कहनेछलैक / o kahne chalaik /. 
		rah – in place of ch-  हिआँ / hiã: /  'here'.  
		हुआँ / huã: / 'there' जब / jab / 'when', तब / tab / 'then'.  
		काहें / ka:he / 'why'. 

In respect of lexicon, Maithili speaking Muslims prefer words of Arabic and Persian origin to indigenous ones. For instance:

		कसम / kasam / 'oath',  for सपत / sapat /,
		सउहर / sauhar / 'husband' for  साई  / sa:ĩ /.
		निकाह  / nika:h / 'marriage' for बिआह  / bia:h /
		कमसिन / kamsin / 'young' for जुंआनि / jua:ni /
		दरजा  / darja: / 'door' for दोआरी  / 'dǒa:ri/ 

Curiously enough, R. Yadav (1999) has branded, the said upper class dialect as Brahman – bhasika i.e. the dialect of Brahman caste. This notion is being fanned by some castists’ leaders of Bihu for their political gain and it indeed proves detrimental to the development of Maithili.

Maithili is spoken, either as mother tongue or trade language, by some tribes in south Bihar like saõtars (Santals) and Mundas, and in eastern Nepal like Tharus and Sub-himalayan tribes. The study of their speech may reveal some new dialects of Maithili and valuable facts of linguistic interest.

11.10. Sex Variation:

Men and women both speak the same dialect. But in the upper class of Maithili community only men are educated and difference in speech is natural. Man’s speech is prosaic and woman’s poetic. In choice of words and expressions, women prefer significant, symbolic, ornamental, proverbial, exaggerative and localised word, while men prefer business like, solemn and widespread words. Being sentimental, timid, suspicious and superstitious, women often use idioms characteristic to them. Here are some examples of womanly expressions:

(a) Interjections and exclamations:

	हीड राइ! / hi:ŋ ra:i / 'black mustard and hing'. It is uttered on seeing a beautiful thing for warding off evils. 
	घुर् जो / dhur jo / 'be off'. Denotes disgust.
	मर! / mar / 'die' Denotes surprise.  
	गेमैआ! or गेदैआ / ge maia: or ge daia: / 'Oh my mother'. Denotes alarm, lamentation etc. 
	सत्न जीब / sattan ji:b / 'Live hundred years' Uttered to ward off evils when a child sneezes.  

(b) Euphemism:

		पछहर / achhar / 'back house', i.e. enclosure for easing onself. 
		दोजीबा / doji:ba: / 'having two lives' i.e. pregnant.  
		छूतलि / chu:tali / 'contaminated', i.e. in ones montly course.  
		कलेस / kales / 'pain', i.e. 'labour pain'.  
		घरबाला / gharba;la: / 'master of house hold'.i.e. husband.  
		पानि पाएब / pa:ni pa:eb / 'get water'  i.e.  to deliver a baby. 
		भाडठ होएब / bha:ŋaŧh hoĕb / 'to have an impediment' i.e.to be in her monthly course. 
				 In man’s tongue it is called मासिक धर्म /ma:sik dharma/.  

(c) Abusives:

		मुहझौंसा / muhjhaũsa: / 'scorched faced'. 
		दहिजरबा / dahijarba: / 'whose beard is scorched'.
		कुलबोरना / kulbǒrba: / 'stigma in his family line'.
		जनिपिट्टा / janipiŧŧa: / 'who beats women'. 

(d) Proverbs:

		सोन पूत बोन मेकानी छिआ कोन मे / son pu:t bon me ka:ni: dhia: kon me
			 / 'Golden son in forest (and) one-eyed daughter a corner.' 
		छी मारी पुतोहु तरास / dhi: ma:ri: putohu tara:s / 'daughter is beaten and daughter-in-law is alarmed'.  

(e) Words exclusively used by women.

		नूआ / nu:a: / 'lady’s garment' 
		मनसा / mansa: / 'husband', or 'man'
		मौगी / maugi: / 'wife' or 'woman' 
		भतार / bhata:r / 'husband'
		गदुआरि / gaḍhua:ri / 'pregnant'
		अपसुइआ / apsuia: / 'young woman yet to attain motherhood'. 

11.11. Educational variation:

Education has been a prominent factor in shaping Maithili and raising it to the literary level. Traditional education enriched it with Sanskrit words and gave it a standard form and uniformity of spelling. It was again the modern education that taught thousands of students the standard literary Maithili. The base of this cultivated format Maithili happened to be the dialect of the upper class people and upper class was identical with educated class. And as education spread throughout Mithila, standard form of Maithili became the second language of all educated class including all castes. Thus this form of Maithili attained a dignified position.

11.12. Generation:

(a) Young generation - Privileged Maithili youth allured by ever increasing importance of English, have least concern for Maithili or any other Indian language. It is the young mediocre of lower middle class that have some impact on Maithili. These youngsters seem to revolt against the traditionally established norm of spelling as well as pronunciation as it, in their view, do not correspond to the present day popular speech. In other words, they think that real (natural) unaffected form of Maithili is one that is spoken, especially by the uneducated mass. They often tell, “Let us write what we speak and what we hear”. This attitude of the young generation helps not only in prose but also in poetry, and not only in language but also in style. They have forgotten lots of old words and idioms and have been borrowing more to replenish the loss and fulfill the exigencies of modern life changing fast. The said attitude has, indeed, simplified and sharpened Maithili, but rising chaotic situation as a side effect is embarrassing the old guards of discipline.

(b) Old generation - Standardization and codification of contemporary Maithili is a proud achievement of the men of old generation interested in language and literature. They are naturally the guards of tradition as well as their own creation. Even uneducated men of old generation were and are more careful to keep their language free from any pollution. Even for younger generation they are now the best source of learning pure and idiomatic Maithili.

Diglossia, Argon and Abuses

12.1. Diglossia:

In respect of diglossia, the position of Maithili will be clear from the following observation of Cold Well (1856):

It is a remarkable peculiarity of the Indian languages that as soon as they begin to be cultivated, the literary style evinces a tendency to become a literary dialect distinct from the dialect distinct from the dialect of common life.

Exactly the standard Maithili has grown as a super language distinct from its dialects of common people. Consequently a situation of diglossia prevails - language of lower class, language of upper class and language of literature. A fourth code maybe added namely, the language of oral literature.

Apart from the above intralingual diglossia, an interlingual diglossia or billingualism prevails through out Maithili speaking community.

Pattern of code switching and code shifting has not been studied. Yet empirically it is observed that when Easterners talk to the people of other dialect area they usually shift to Hindi. But in other areas, difference of dialect do not invite code shifting and both the parties retain their own dialects. Immigrant castes (See VA) often shift to Hindi, while native castes never do so. (See § 16.10).

12.2. Slangs:

Slangs in Maithili have not yet been collected. A few of them are mentioned here. For example:

	गोड् ब्याड् /goŋ bhya:ŋ/ 'sleeping in vague and confusing manner'.  
	It comes from Sanskrit grammar where the paradigm of word gava:րe  goes as +++++++. 

	अट्õकवर्ग् पवर्ग् / aŧ kabarga pabarga / 'Tom Dick and Harry.'  'This too comes from grammar'. 

	पाच मिनट / pã:c  minaŧ / 'five minutes leave' for making water. 

	जेठ रैअति / jeŧh raiati / 'senior subject' i.e. pumpkin' so called because it is the biggest of all vegetables.  

	तंरहम विधा / tĕrham bidya: / 'thirteenth skill', the skill of giving a by beating. 

	महुआक दोबर / maḍua:k dobar / 'two measures for one measure of marua (the cheapest food grain)'. 
	i.e. dawn cheap. 

	अष्टम्यन्त / aştamyanta / 'having with case ending', 
	i.e. grammatically wrong or ridiculous word, since Sanskrit grammar has only seven case endings. 

12.3. Technical codes:

(a) Buying and selling as Trade in Mithila is mostly in the hands of outsiders. Here we find only rudiments of primitive barter system surviving till now. A few examples of its technical codes are as follows:

	तीन खुटे / ti:n kuŧe / 'at the rate of one for three'.  For instance, 'one kg. fish in exchange of three Kg. rice'.  

	बेच / bec / 'barter price'. 

	भाजि / bhã:ji / 'turn in exchange of mutual labour'.  

	खुट /khuŧ/ 'Unit of plough' 
	i.e.  pair of bullocks, apparatus and ploughman. Plough is used in turns bythe masters of these three. 

(b) Marriage negotiation – Brahmanas and Kayasthas consult genealogists and this system involves some technical codes:

		उतेढ / uteḍh / 'line of ancesters and relatives'.
		छृइ / chaŧhi / 'sixth degree of descendance' upto which marriage is prohibited.  
		सिद्धान्त / siddha:nta / 'certificate from genealogist confirming the admissibility of marriage'. 

(c) Weaving – Weavers use the following technical codes:

			सर / sar / 'sticks for spreading yarn'. 
			नूरि / nu:ri / 'reel of yarn'.
			पाइ करब / pa:i karab / 'brushing of spread yarn'.
			फिरकी / phirki: / 'shuttle'. 

12.4. Weights and measures:

Maithili is rich in weights and measures, for different areas of operation or different sets of weights and measures are current in rural life, inspite of the advent of modern style of life. For example.

Measured with hand --

			आँजुर / ã:jur / 'folded handful'
			बाकुट / ba:kuŧ / 'clawful'
			जुटकी / cuŧki: /  'pinch'
			मुट्टी / muŧŧhi: / 'fistful'
			पहथ / pahath / 'palmful'.  

Foodgrains measured in baskets --

			ढाकी / ḍha: ki: / 80 Kg. approximately. 
			छीटा / chi:ŧa: / 40 Kg. approximately. 
			पथिआ / pathia: / 2- Kg. approximately. 
			कट्टा / kaŧŧha: / 25 Kg. approximately. 
			तामा / ta:ma: / 1 Kg. approximately. 
			मौनी / mauni: / 0-5  Kg. approximately. 

Liquid measured in earthen pots -

			झबहा / jhabhaha: / standard measure for milk;  about 2 litres. Aslo +++.  

			फुच्ची / phucchi: / ¼  +++ 
			लबनी / labni: / 'standard measure' 
			चुक्की / cukki / 1/8  litre

			For toddy (palmjuice), about 2 litre चुक्की / cukki / 1/8 litre. 

12.5. Maithili has no place in judiciary, medicine, administration and the like areas. Even in area of religion and literature only Sanskrit/ pan-Indian terms prevail.