iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The quote if you wanted to read (from the newspaper) Source: Mint, Mumbai edition, 14 August 2026, via PressReader.

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Delighted to have been interviewed by Devina Sengupta for this thoughtful piece on the growing use of expletives in the workplace. The article appears in today’s national edition of Mint. livemint.com/opinion/onli...

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Happy to share that if you read German, you may like to read the German translation of my article on SIGN languages of the Indian subcontinent by Dr. Rathgeber, in Südasien, a magazine published by the Südasienbüro, Heidelberg University. hasp.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/journals/sas...

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Bankipur (Patna) is today in the headlines because of Prashant Kishor’s electoral victory and the political upheaval it has caused in Bihar. But for academics, Bankipur has always occupied a very different place in India’s intellectual landscape. Read ⤵️ avtans.com/2026/08/03/b...

avtans.com

Bankipur in Academic World

Bankipur in academic world

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

If the German hit song "Du bist gut genug" by Blumengarten, KITSCHKRIEG, and Shirin David is translated into Hindi, how would you like it to be A or B or C?: 🅰️ तुम ठीक-ठाक हो (tum ṭhīk-ṭhāk ho) 🎵🎵 🅱️ तुम काफ़ी हो (tum kāfī ho) 🎵🎵 🔊🎸 ? #dubistgutgenug

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

2/3 South Asia’s history of swearing stretches from risqué names in classical Sanskrit satire to expletives attributed to Mughal emperors. But swearing does more than insult: it can express anger, assert power, build solidarity and create unexpected camaraderie.

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

1/3 What can swear words tell us about a society? Quite a lot. They reveal what a culture considers sacred, shameful or threatening, and expose its prejudices around caste, gender, sexuality, disability and social status.

screenshot of the wepage:
https://www.himalmag.com/swear-words-southasia-linguistics-taboo/

111

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

What is the etymology of Champat चम्पत / चंपत? My thoughts -

Text describing etymology of champat (a Hindi language word).

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Vibhishana was able to identify two गुप्तचर guptacharas (spies) of Ravana in Rama's camp - Sāraṇa सारण and Shuka शुक, who were later excused by Lord Rama and allowed to return to Lankā. After reaching Lankā, both described Rama's military preparations to Ravana to his dismay. 2/2

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

गुप्तचर guptachara (spy) When Vibhishana joined lord Rama in his battle against Ravana, he was accompanied by four of his best गुप्तचर guptachara cum counsellors. Their names were Anala अनल, Sharabha शरभ, Sampāti सम्पाति and praghasa प्रघस. 1/2

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37947

110

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Interesting to know that Swathi Thirunal is a 1987 Malayalam film based on the life of the 19th-century king of Travancore (Kerala), Swathi Thirunal Ramavarma who composed songs in Braj Bhasha. The role of the king was played by Anant Nag. Here's Jamunā Kināre...ജമുനാ കിനാരെ...

110

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

16 Kannada ಕನ್ನಡ fonts on one page: (added 6 new Kannada fonts) avtans.com/2023/12/28/k...

avtans.com

Kannada Fonts

Free Kannada Fonts

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

मैं एक नन्हा बालक हूँ। जाड़ों के दिन हैं। रात का समय है। मुझे पेशाब लग रहा है। आया को बुलाना बेकार है। एक ही उपाय है - रेंगता हुआ बाथरूम तक पहुँचूँ। सबसे पहले तो बिस्तर से उतरना होगा। इसका भी उपाय है, जिसे मैंने ख़ुद ढूँढ रखा है। मैं खिसक-खिसक कर बिस्तर के सिरे तक पहुँच जाता हूँ, पीठ के बल लेट जाता हूँ और फिर अपना शरीर फर्श पर लुढ़का देता हूँ। मैं फर्श से टकराता हूँ। काफ़ी दर्द होता है। avtans.com/2026/05/29/%...

avtans.com

रुबेन गालेगो की आपबीती

Hindi translation of a chapter from Rubén Gallego’s russian autobiography Beloe na chyornom.

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

In the retelling of the story of the brave well digger Jasmā Ōḍan by the famous Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha, the king who is in love with her is constantly greeted with the cries of khamā/khammā ghaṇī (खमा / खम्मा घणी). avtans.com/2026/03/17/k...

avtans.com

Khamma Ghani: Origins and Significance Explored

Etymology of Khama Ghani

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

In the Nepali language, the word boksi (बोक्सी) is a term from folk belief. It refers to a female figure who is believed to possess knowledge of witchcraft and black magic. avtans.com/2026/06/02/b...

avtans.com

Boksi : the witch

Supernatural beings in Nepali.

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

When I lived in Delhi, I used to see खरोड़े, पेटी, सिरी—Kharoṛe, peṭī, sirī, written on the boards of small dhabas and carts selling these rather unknown food items, especially around liquor vends. It was obvious they were selling meat dishes, but of which animal or bird, I was not sure.

avtans.com

Kharoṛe, peṭī, sirī – food from the bylanes of Delhi

Dishes from proletariat cuisine of Delhi

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

When rest of the world was learning about erotica, Sanskrit literary theorist were discussing the semantic aspects of poetry by comparing them with bosoms of women from different regions of India.

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Have you heard of these Hebrew words? Ha-mitnahalim, Ha-kovshim, hamekomiim, pazam... Here is an interesting story I wrote about Israeli people living in India avtans.com/2023/08/31/a...

avtans.com

An Israeli haven in India

Making of a small Israel in India.

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

The Marathi poem is written by Sandeep Khare (1973-) and was chosen by one of the Hague residents Mrs. Shilpa Kulkarni. The poem is titled - दमलेल्या बाबाची कहाणी (The Story of a Tired Father).

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

I tried my hands in translating a Marathi language poem in Dutch for a project of the Municipality of The Hague & Spraakmekend "Welke Taal Spreekt Den Haag?" (The Hague speaks which language). Originals were recited by a native speaker & are published in a booklet of poems.

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

I read this book "No full stops in India" by Mark Tully (1935-2026) when I was in my bachelor studies. Loved his style of writing! RIP 🙏 [Sir William Mark Tully (24 October 1935 – 25 January 2026) was a British journalist and the bureau chief of the BBC in New Delhi.]

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

In 2007, Prof. Pandey published his path-breaking book Indic Scripts: Palaeographic and Linguistic Perspectives. In 2014, his magnum opus, Sounds and Their Patterns in Indic Languages, was published by Cambridge University Press. jnu.academia.edu/PramodPandey

jnu.academia.edu

Pramod Pandey - Profile on Academia.edu

A Brief Personal Biography I was born in a suburb of Varanasi in the direction of Sarnath, U. P., India. At the age of 8, I…

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

In 1985 he took his Ph. D. degree in Linguistics from Deccan College, Pune, under the supervision of Dr. Ashok R. Kelkar. He wrote several research papers on phonetics and phonology of Indian languages. He went on to become the vice chancellor of Deccan college (Pune) in 2021.

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Prof. Pandey was born in Varanasi and later completed his school education in Dibrugarh, Assam. He graduated from Fergusson College in 1973 & completed his postgraduate studies at Pune University, Deccan College, & CIEFL (Hyderabad).

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Hard to believe that we exchanged emails just a few months ago. He mentioned Dr. Ashish Jain at Max Hospital, Saket (Delhi), who knew me from Twitter, and when he told Prof. Pandey my name, he immediately said that Abhishek was his student from JNU. 😢

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Prof. Pramod Pandey, a towering figure in Indian linguistics and former Professor at JNU. Soft-spoken, kind-hearted, and ever willing to help, he was my go-to mentor for advice. A true gentleman. Om Shanti🙏🙏.

110

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Fresh: I wrote this piece where I try to untangle all the knots around the pronunciations of ज्ञ /ಜ್ಞ / জ্ঞ / જ્ઞ / jña in Indian languages. Comments awaited! wp.me/pSoc-2jF

wp.me

ज्ञ jña in Indian langauges

The story of ज्ञ jñā in Indian languages

020

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Happy new year. Read this Hindi poem by Priti Shri (1941)

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Saddened by the passing of former professor of Hindi language Dr. Mohan Gautam (1937 – 2025), who left us in August 2025🙏📿🌺. A distinguished scholar and beloved educator at Leiden University. Dr. Gautam made profound contributions to the study of Hindi language and diaspora studies.

030

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

He wrote several books on Sarnami Hindustani. His grammar (in Dutch) of Sarnami is a seminal contribution to the documentation of Caribbean Hindustani (Sarnami Hindi). Sarnami Byākaraṇ (1985) remains a foundational work in the field. 3/3

030

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

He was the interviewer & editor of the beautiful documentary De laatste Kantraki (1988). In this documentary the longest living Indian indentured labourer of Suriname, Ramlali Awadhbihari (104 years old), talks in Awadhi about how she's kidnapped from her village in UP. 2/3 youtu.be/0Fu66lF9V4c?...

youtu.be

De laatste Kantraki

YouTube video by Leerstoel LallaRookh

130

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Saddened to hear of the passing of the legendary Surinamese-Indian linguist, author, farmer, musician, & polymath Mr. Moti Marhé (1943 – 5 Dec 2025). He touched the hearts of all who met him with his kind & friendly nature. He welcomed people into his home & into his heart.🙏🕉️1/3

130

Reposted by Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस

Himal Southasian @himalsouthasian.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

"Caste identity is made audible even in routine daily interactions. Language also acts as a marker of social aspiration and mobility," Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस writes about #caste and #language in #Southasia www.himalmag.com/politics/language-…

himalmag.com

How caste pervades Southasian languages

032

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Cyclone named "Ditwah" ravaging the island nation of Sri Lanka is a Soqotri language word. Soqotri is a southern Semitic language spoken by the Soqotri people on the Socotra archipelago by more than 111,000 speakers. In Soqotri, Ditwah (di-ṭaḥḥ) means 'shore' NOT lagoon.

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

सोवियत संघ soviyat sangh (Soviet Union). Soviet совет is a Russian equivalent of what we have in Hindi panchayat पंचायत pañcāyat (a village council).

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

तुषार tuṣār (frost, snow, ice) A Kumaoni idiom: तुषारै की कड़कड़ घामा औण तक। झुठै की कड़कड़ सांचा औण तक। The frost crackles until the sun comes, and the lie crackles until the truth is revealed.

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Why you will never marry! (Source: Lone Fox Dancing - an autobiography, Ruskin Bond, 2017)

011

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Herbertpur derives its name from Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Taylor Macpherson (1827–1886), a decorated British military officer of Scottish descent, who later became Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army. avtans.com/2025/12/02/h...

avtans.com

Herbertpur

A small town in history

000

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Bhāī भाई fulfills the same function of "cool solidarity" with following senses: 👊Greeting ("What's up?") 👊Exclamation (that's awesome!") 👊Confrontational stance attenuator (softening a disagreement) 👊Discourse structure marking 👊Affiliation/connection 👊Agreement or sympathy

010

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

This allows male speakers to be close to other men without the interaction being perceived as potentially homosexual, which helped maintain cultural norms of heterosexuality and non-conformity. In Indian context, we can think of the usage of word bhāī (lit. brother) in Hindi.

100

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Cool solidarity In 2004, American sociolinguist Scott Kiesling proposed the concept of "cool Solidarity". According to which, "dude" in American English helped young men navigate social pressures by expressing "cool solidarity", a non-intimate form of affiliation or connection.

111

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

I grew up noticing differences in languages depending on one's caste (or community), but prescriptivists often brushed them aside as aberrant speech. Here is what I’ve written about the state of these linguistic differences in India and beyond. www.himalmag.com/politics/lan...

011

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Thanks to our robust vaccination programs, we have eradicated this deadly disease. Some years ago, I wrote a short essay for Himal on words from Indian languages describing vaccination, pandemic, quarantine etc. www.himalmag.com/culture/dial...

himalmag.com

Translating a pandemic: The impact of COVID-19 terminology on Southasian languages

This article is part of Dialectical, a Himal series that explores Southasia’s languages, their connections and shared histories. ***A lot has changed since the

020

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

I also learned that the word Hindi/Urdu चेचक chechak is derived from the Turkish 🇹🇷 word çiçek which originally meant flower, and later came to denote smallpox because of the red blisters it caused on the skin.

120

Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस @avtansa.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

While watching the series 1883, I realized how short is our collective memory. In those times, there was the epidemic of smallpox, which is called चेचक, शीतला & बड़ी माता chēchak śītlā & baṛī mātā in Hindi. It was a deadly disease devastating many families and communties.

120