Why Does Everybody On This Site Calls Me "Paaji" ?

[SarabjeetS]

I find it a little weird . I am only 21 yr old .. Paaji is something like an uncle and I hate getting called "uncle" !

[VanHelsingh]

Shall we call you bhenji instead? :laugh:

[mundasingh123]

paaji means brother and it implies respect. u shud be happy when someone gives u respect

[SarabjeetS]

Shall we call you bhenji instead? :laugh:

if u respect , call me beta ( son ) ... makes me feel younger ! In any case , I hate getting called uncle !

[Singh, Mahan]

In Punjabi, the word for brother is Bhaji ( not Paaji) . Sarbjeet S is right in that in Punjabi speech the word Paaji is generally used for father, or grandfather. It seems that people born in U.K, who mainly speak English, have difficulty in pronouncing Punjabi sound "Bh" correctly. They often pronounce the "Bh" sound as "P" sound. So they also tendto write it as they hear and pronounce it. Quite a few of them write "Bhaji" (Bhaaji) as "Paaji" and "Bhenji" (sister) as "penji".

Sometime back a linguist explained to me that Punjabi speech is aspirated and is tonal (one of the very few languages that are aspirate and tonal). But most other languages – English for example, are accentual. An English speaker is so used to accentuating the words that in so doing he finds it hard to slightly aspirate as well. When the words are accentuated, there is not enough time for aspirating the word.

So Sarbjeet S when someone from UK says Paaji and writes Paaji, he means "Bhaji"

[mundasingh123]

In Punjabi, the word for brother is Bhaji ( not Paaji) . Sarbjeet S is right in that in Punjabi speech the word Paaji is generally used for father, or grandfather. It seems that people born in U.K, who mainly speak English, have difficulty in pronouncing Punjabi sound "Bh" correctly. They often pronounce the "Bh" sound as "P" sound. So they also tendto write it as they hear and pronounce it. Quite a few of them write "Bhaji" (Bhaaji) as "Paaji" and "Bhenji" (sister) as "penji".

Sometime back a linguist explained to me that Punjabi speech is aspirated and is tonal (one of the very few languages that are aspirate and tonal). But most other languages – English for example, are accentual. An English speaker is so used to accentuating the words that in so doing he finds it hard to slightly aspirate as well. When the words are accentuated, there is not enough time for aspirating the word.

So Sarbjeet S when someone from UK says Paaji and writes Paaji, he means "Bhaji"

and what about sikhs in India/Canada/Norway/Ausetc. Are sikhs in Uk different from sikhs in India or elsewhere !

[SarabjeetS]

In Punjabi, the word for brother is Bhaji ( not Paaji) . Sarbjeet S is right in that in Punjabi speech the word Paaji is generally used for father, or grandfather. It seems that people born in U.K, who mainly speak English, have difficulty in pronouncing Punjabi sound "Bh" correctly. They often pronounce the "Bh" sound as "P" sound. So they also tendto write it as they hear and pronounce it. Quite a few of them write "Bhaji" (Bhaaji) as "Paaji" and "Bhenji" (sister) as "penji".

Sometime back a linguist explained to me that Punjabi speech is aspirated and is tonal (one of the very few languages that are aspirate and tonal). But most other languages – English for example, are accentual. An English speaker is so used to accentuating the words that in so doing he finds it hard to slightly aspirate as well. When the words are accentuated, there is not enough time for aspirating the word.

So Sarbjeet S when someone from UK says Paaji and writes Paaji, he means "Bhaji"

even me and most of the sikhs I know pronounce "bh" as "p" , sometimes even in Baani !

for eg :bhoot as poot

[Guest RavindaSingh]

Hello Bhaji SarabjeetS :D

[VanHelsingh]

if u respect , call me beta ( son ) ... makes me feel younger ! In any case , I hate getting called uncle !

Beta? You're only a few years younger than me! I'm not even out of my 20s yet!

[SarabjeetS]

Beta? You're only a few years younger than me! I'm not even out of my 20s yet!

then call me bhai or veerji !