Hindi honorifics/forms of address

[teromain]

I have a scenario that's taking place in a fantasy-esque version of early 1800s India, so all my Google-fu is rather useless in looking up honorifics as I mostly get modern ones that revolve around professions or have English influences (Dr., aunty, uncle, etc.) or are mainly used between people who are on similar social standings or related (baba-

Comments

[applepips16]

I am guessing in the 1800's, a person would use something like Maa-ji or Mata-ji for an older woman. I am not sure what the woman would use for the man other than 'Beta' though.

Also, I did a little searching and found this.

http://hindiurduflagship.org/assets/pdf/Hindi_and_Urdu_since_1800.pdf

I hope it is of some help to you! :)

[teromain]

Thank you! Mata-ji would probably work very well. Is there a way to make 'beta' more respectful, with a suffix or prefix? It just seems a little short.

Sadly I couldn't find anything on forms of address in that PDF, but it was interesting to look through!

[applepips16]

When you speak to younger people, you generally don't add prefixes or suffixes for whatever form of address you use for them. Even if your language and tone are respectful, no suffix or prefixes.

Oh bummer.

Glad I could help a bit though. :)

[avanti_90]

Mataji, and beta. Hindi is my native tongue and I can't think of anything else that makes sense.

[haldane]

Have you considered "Begum"? It was in use during the 1800s, and still is now, Literally it means the wife or daughter of a high official, but it could be used if a bit of flattery was not amiss, as in "A lady as dignified and respectable as you are must belong to the high official class".

(my details come from M. M. Kaye's works on British India, I don't count as an authority but I think she does :) )

[teromain]

I never stumbled across that term, but it might not work so well since the man actually is an official himself. So I don't know if he would address her like that even to flatter? Thank you though!

[asweetdownfall]

There's also "Sri/Shree" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri) and "Smt" (short for shrimati).

Besides that I know only honorifics in my mother tongue (which isn't Hindi). Hope this helps?

[teromain]

I think that goes before a person's name though, and they don't know each other's names. I could be wrong but I did look at the possibility of Shri and it didn't seem to work.

[anonymous]

Instead of Beta, you can use 'Putra'. Mata ji and Devi both should be fine. Adding ji with Devi sounds unnatural. Just Devi is fine.