Old words, new meanings

In legal profession, I keep saying, learning continues from womb to tomb. We are 'learned' as well as 'learners' throughout our student and professional life.

This I say after spending more than half of my life as a lawyer (60%, if you include law school as well).

However, life outside law school also keeps teaching you new things virtually every day.

Like, the following words have undergone so much change in India within my lifetime only.

1. Bhai :

Old meaning : brother, mostly someone elder, helpful, you would say this out of respect

New meaning: Goon, Don, gangster, mostly with criminal record, someone who demands / commands obedience (not respect), you need to be scared of this person and follow diktats.

2. Guru / Ustaad

Old meaning : Teacher, anyone elder whose teachings / values / words you need to imbibe, someone respectable. You would take pride in calling yourself a disciple of some Guru / Ustaad, touch your ears while speaking the name.

New meaning : A Cunning, sharp, scheming, manipulating (going up to the level of a gangster) person, again someone you need to be careful or dreadful about

3. Gyaan

Old Meaning : Knowledge, good learning, used in respectful tone

New meaning : Useless discourse, freely available advice floating even on social media (whatsapp/google university, etc.), being told such things by someone who is unfitting or undeserving preaching to others, used in contemptuous tone

4. Netaji

Old Meaning : First image in your mind (if you are my age) would be of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, it used to mean a deserving, rightful, courageous, respectable Leader, someone whose footsteps you'd seek to follow, the address was respectful

New Meaning : First image comes to one's mind - a corrupt, pot bellied, uneducated, uncouth person who indulges in politics for influence / money / power / position, throws one's weight around everywhere, deservingly / undeservingly, may be due to money, lineage or other reasons. Now, the term is sometimes used in contemptuous manner to address others - Jyada Neta man ban. 'Netagiri' again is a contemptuous term nowadays. We may see last of the educated political leaders very soon.

5. Spokesperson / Fringe

Old meaning : The former used to denote someone authorised to officially speak on behalf of a group, organisation or a party (readers / listeners should take their words as official stand of the organisation) and the latter would mean someone sitting on the edge, not important or forming the core of the group, organisation or party, someone irritating but whose words were not to be taken seriously. Mostly, 'fringe' used to come out from time to time (they have some particular affection towards movies) with warnings to behead actors and people belonging to other religions, damage film sets, throwing ink and garbage on actors, etc.

New meaning : Since last week, it has been clarified that both mean the same, now are to be considered as synonyms. The readers / listeners are confused though. To be or not to be, literally. May be some clarity will emerge in coming weeks/months/years.

6. Contributed by Snigdha Chandra

Behenji:

Old Meaning: to give respect to sister, or women acquaintances, or mohalla ladies.

New Meaning: to objectify a girl or a woman who wears traditional or ethical clothes in college, or workplaces.

Nothing serious about it. Feel free to add other words to this list - I will try to include in this article, with credit to the contributors.

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