Hindi, Urdu: naiya, naiyya (boat)

[MonsieurGonzalito]

Friends,

What would be the proper Urdu and Hindi spellings for the word naiya / naiyya == boat ?
In Hindi, I find it spelled as नैय्या and नैया, and in Urdu, it is frankly hard to find.

I found this word in the song "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj", which revolves around fluvial themes.

Interestingly, Wikipedia says that the lyricist, Shakeel Badayuni "had to forgo Urdu, and write lyrics in pure Hindi", whatever that means.

 

[Alfaaz]

and in Urdu, it is frankly hard to find.

Entry in Urdu Lughat: نَیّا

 

[MonsieurGonzalito]

Thanks, @Alfaaz!
For some reason, uncharacteristically, the Lughat needed the exact word with tashdid in order to return any value.

Could I assume that नैय्या is better(older?) than नैया then, for the Devanagari rendition?

There seem to be a couple of movies called नैया (but curiously, for the Latinization of said movies, "Neiyya" is again preferred).
And the spelling नैय्या is the only one always used, for example, in the Hindu devotional song "Tumhi Ho Mata, Pita Tumhi Ho".

 

[littlepond]

I would go for नैय्या only, as नैया would not give the "yy" pronunciation.

 

[MonsieurGonzalito]

Perfect, thanks, @littlepond

 

[desi4life]

Actually नैया is the “better” (i.e. more common, standard, and presumably original) spelling and the only one attested in dictionaries, including older ones such as Platts. So the alternative spelling नैय्या is probably due to a colloquial tendency to duplicate the “y” or dialectical influence.

 

[MonsieurGonzalito]

the only one attested in dictionaries, including older ones such as Platts

true, but Platts says it is the boatman, not the boat. That was what threw me off.

 

[marrish]

naiyaa is the Purbi/Bhojpuri form, so ai is a pure diphthong, but the other spelling is devised to reproduce the same and is thus attested (Hindi Shabdsaagar)

नैया पु † (p. 2706) नैया पु †— संज्ञा स्त्री० [हिं० नाव, नाय]
नाव । किश्ती । उ०— नैया मेरी तनक सी बोझी पाथर भार ।— गिरिधर (शब्द०) ।

नय्या पु (p. 2537) नय्या पु— संज्ञा स्त्री० [हिं०]
देखो 'नैया' । उ०—निर्दय हलकोरों से डममग बहती मेरी नय्या ।—1939, हिल्लोल, पृ० १०२ ।

 

[MonsieurGonzalito]

Got it. Thanks, @marrish

 

[desi4life]

naiyaa is the Purbi/Bhojpuri form, so ai is a pure diphthong, but the other spelling is devised to reproduce the same and is thus attested (Hindi Shabdsaagar)

नैया पु † (p. 2706) नैया पु †— संज्ञा स्त्री० [हिं० नाव, नाय]
नाव । किश्ती । उ०— नैया मेरी तनक सी बोझी पाथर भार ।— गिरिधर (शब्द०) ।

नय्या पु (p. 2537) नय्या पु— संज्ञा स्त्री० [हिं०]
देखो 'नैया' । उ०—निर्दय हलकोरों से डममग बहती मेरी नय्या ।—1939, हिल्लोल, पृ० १०२ ।

It might be used in Purbi/Bhojpuri too but seems to be widespread because the Oxford dictionary mentions it as Braj Bhasha.

Song lyrics sites, as mentioned by @MonsieurGonzalito, mostly use नैय्या rather than नैया or नय्या.

 

[marrish]

It might be used in Purbi/Bhojpuri too but seems to be widespread because the Oxford dictionary mentions it as Braj Bhasha.

Thanks a lot.