The beauty of a language lies in its uniqueness; to express emotions or words that other dialect may not be able to. Take, for instance, the Malayalam word മറ്റന്നാൾ (mattanallu). When translated to English, this word means “the day after tomorrow”. Interestingly, in early 16th century English, there was a term “overmorrow” to describe the same, but its usage declined. Hence, Modern English, which began just after the 16th century, opted to use four words instead of one, literally spelling out the action – the day that comes after tomorrow, is the day after tomorrow. And same goes for the word “the day before yesterday”, which is translated to മിനിഞ്ഞാന്ന് (mininjanu).
Similarly, there are many words in English that do not have a Malayalam translation. Instead, the south Indian language has simply adopted these words into their lexicon for everyday use.
But, when it comes to words that relate to feminism or gender-sensitive words in general, Malayalam is found wanting. This is where the ROV comes in. Raising Our Voices (ROV) Foundation is a women-led gender rights NGO based in Kochi that was formed in 2014 with the aim to create a gender equal world. The foundation organised a workshop called Nava Mozhi, meaning ‘new words’. It comes under a series of talks, workshops, and discussions, titled 'Ocha – Gender Voices at the Museum' presented by Kerala Museum.
During the discussion, participants were divided into groups and given a few gender- and feminism-related English words, among others, and asked to bring them alive in Malayalam. Words like rape culture, bropriating, emotional labour, and gaslighting were a few of the words that the groups were given. After much deliberation among the groups, a larger discussion took place to share the new words. One hour, and a thorough exchange of ideas later, the nava mozhi for each word was decided. Here are some interesting ones:
Group discussion to find the 'nava mozhis' for English gender-sensitive terms
Word: Gaslighting
Meaning: A psychological tactic to manipulate an individual into questioning their own perception of reality.
Nava Mozhi: കുഴക്കി കുരുക്ക് (Kuzhaki kurukku)
Word: Invisible labour
Meaning: Unrecognised work, often viewed at not important but is essential to the smooth functioning of a household or workplace. For example, household chores, taking care of kids, getting groceries.
Nava Mozhi: കണക്കാക്കാ പണി (Kanakkaka pani)
Word: Manspreading
Meaning: Usually seen in public transportation, manspreading is when a man sits in a position where his legs are wide apart and takes up space, making it uncomfortable for those sitting next to him.
Nava Mozhi: ആണ് വീർപ്പ് (Aan virppu)
Word: Trigger
Meaning: To cause an upsetting reaction to a person who has experienced a traumatic situation in the past.
Nava Mozhi: വ്രണമുണർത്തൽ (Vranamunarthal)
Word: Toxic masculinity
Meaning: Exaggerated male traits that can cause a negative impact on society. For example, dominance, entitlement, aggression, and misogyny
Nava Mozhi: ദുരാണത്ത൦ (Dhuranatham)
Word: Consent culture
Meaning: An environment where being considerate about what the other person wants is the norm.
Nava Mozhi: സമ്മത സംസ്കാരം (Sammatham samskaram)
Word: Bropriating
Meaning: When a man takes credit for a woman’s idea
Nava Mozhi: ആണ് വശ പെടുത്തുക (Aan vasha peduthuka)
Word: Emotional labour
Meaning: In the context of a relationship, when one partner, usually the woman, takes complete responsibility to make sure both parties are happy.
Nava Mozhi: വൈകാരിക ബാധ്യത (Vaikarika badhyatha)
Word: Patriarchy
Meaning: A societal structure where the man is considered as superior, making all the decisions, and view their female counterparts as inferior.
Nava Mozhi: പുരുഷാളത്ത൦ (Purushalatham)
Word: Rape culture
Meaning: An environment where rape is normalised, fuelled by gender inequalities
Nava Mozhi: ലൈംഗിക അതിക്രമ സംസ്കാരം (Laingika athikrama samskaram)
Word: Weaponised incompetency
Meaning: When an individual intentionally does a task poorly so as to avoid doing it in the future.
Nava Mozhi: വെടക്കാക്കി ഒഴിവാക്കുക (Vedakaki ozhivakuka)
Opinions are shared on the 'nava mozhis'
“Language is powerful. It shapes how we think and talk about important topics like gender, gender equality and feminism,” Sajitha Rasheed, a member of the ROV, said. “By translating these terms and finding the appropriate words, we empower ourselves to engage more deeply with these concepts, fostering greater awareness, dialogue and understanding within our communities.”
Sangeetha M.K., a research scholar from the School of Ezhuthachan Studies at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University in Tirur, was among the participants at the event. She expressed her happiness in being part of such a crucial and much-needed discussion, especially as someone deeply engaged in academic research on gender. She hoped the conversation would lead to raising public awareness and resonate with society.
