Compulsive Translation Disorder

If you tend to use "different different" instead of just one "different" in your otherwise impeccable English, because you are used to saying "alag alag" while speaking Hindi, you suffer from (what I call) a Compulsive Translation Disorder.

In generic terms, it's a disorder where you literally translate a phrase of one language to another language and use it though it may not mean anything in the other language. It is the reason why south Indians tend to use the conjunction "why because" instead of just "because"; Gujaratis say "best luck" instead of "best of luck"; and Bengalis greet with "what news?" instead of a simple "how are you?".

In Marathi, a common phrase to express realization or surprise is "ho ka?" which literally translates to "haan kya?" in Hindi and means absolutely nothing in Hindi. Yet, if you measure the frequency with which a Marathi-chap-speaking-Hindi uses this phrase, make sure the unit you use is Tera-Hertz.

And the one state where this disorder is actually an epidemic is Assam. I don't know what is the actual Assamese version of the following but if an Assamese person is speaking Hindi (or trying to do so), these phrases would be common:

1. Bus mein utho
2. Gussa uthta hai
3. Party khaane chalo

And sometimes the context and rendition turns them into such innuendos that those phrases become immortal.

Once we were going for a trip to Kaziranga, when one of my classmates (an Assamese, of course!) inquired - "Haathi mein kaun kaun uthega?".

Where was he on Durga pooja day - "Town gaya tha, pooja ko khaane".

A tempestuous version of him is often heard mumbling - "Mera gussa uth raha hai".

Unfortunately no antibiotic or vaccination or alternate therapy exists for this disorder, which in a way guarantees some entertainment.

So then, I'll go and come. (Translation of Tamil phrase "poittu varen", meaning "good bye")