Marathi Language: Grammar, Usage and Literary Terms
What the Marathi paper tests
The Marathi section of the Talathi exam checks control over प्रमाण मराठी, not conversational Marathi. Expect items on वर्णमाला and spelling, संधी, समास, शब्दसिद्धी through उपसर्ग and प्रत्यय, लिंग-वचन-विभक्ती, वाक्यरचना and वाक्यशुद्धी, म्हणी versus वाक्प्रचार, समानार्थी and विरुद्धार्थी शब्द, plus a light dose of साहित्य (अलंकार, रस, छंद, लेखक-कृती जोड्या).
Rules that decide most marks
- संधी joins two words. स्वरसंधी when a vowel meets a vowel: विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय (दीर्घ, अ + आ = आ); सूर्य + उदय = सूर्योदय (गुण, अ + उ = ओ); एक + एक = एकैक (वृद्धी, अ + ए = ऐ). व्यंजनसंधी: सत् + जन = सज्जन. विसर्गसंधी: निः + चय = निश्चय.
- समास compresses a phrase into one word; name it from the relation between the members: अव्ययीभाव (प्रतिदिन), तत्पुरुष (राजपुत्र = राजाचा पुत्र), कर्मधारय (नीलकमल = निळे कमळ, विशेषण + विशेष्य), द्विगू (चौमासा, पहिले पद संख्यावाचक), द्वंद्व (आईवडील), बहुव्रीही (दशानन, चतुर्भुज - the word names a third person who possesses those parts).
- म्हण is a complete traditional sentence carrying a moral; वाक्प्रचार is a phrase used with a verb, e.g. डोळे झाकणे = जाणीवपूर्वक दुर्लक्ष करणे.
Worked example
Identify the समास in चतुर्भुज. Step 1: split - चतुर् (four) + भुज (arm). Step 2: does the word mean four, or arm? Neither; it names a person having four arms (विष्णू). Step 3: a compound that names a third entity through a feature its possessor carries is बहुव्रीही. Contrast नीलकमल: the word still means the lotus that is blue, so it is कर्मधारय.
Traps that cost marks
- Guessing बहुव्रीही whenever a number appears; द्विगू also opens with a number.
- Labelling a वाक्प्रचार as a म्हण because both look idiomatic.
- Missing hidden विभक्ती प्रत्यय: घरात is अधिकरण, घरास is संप्रदान/कर्म.
- Writing सूर्योदय as सूर्यउदय, i.e. failing to apply the संधी at all.