WBBSE Madhyamik Odia (First Language) key terms

The joining of two adjacent sounds into one form, often across word boundaries, as when a final vowel meets an initial vowel and the two merge or lengthen. It is analysed by the type of sounds involved.

A sandhi occurring when a vowel-ending sound meets another vowel, producing a long vowel, a diphthong, or a substituted vowel according to fixed rules. It is the most frequently tested sandhi type in transformation exercises.

A sandhi arising when a consonant-ending element meets a following sound, often changing the consonant class or inserting a linking consonant. Candidates identify it by the consonant at the junction rather than by vowels.

A compound in which two or more words combine into a single expression whose meaning is read through the relation between the members. Identifying the dominant member decides the compound's classification.

A compound in which the first member qualifies or governs the second, and the whole is named after the final member. The relation may be case-based, such as possession, purpose, or origin.

A compound joining words of equal grammatical status, usually linked in meaning by 'and', with the whole referring to both members together. Each member retains equal weight in the compound.

A compound whose overall meaning points to a third entity possessing the combined members, not to the members themselves. The compound functions like an adjective naming that outside referent.

A compound whose first member is an indeclinable such as a prefix or particle, and which behaves as a single indeclinable expression. The first element governs the sense of the whole compound.

The grammatical role a noun or pronoun plays in relation to the verb of a sentence, such as doer, object, instrument, or recipient. Odia marks these roles with case endings and postpositions.

The doer of the action expressed by the verb, normally the subject of an active sentence. Its case form can vary with verb type and with whether the verb is transitive or intransitive.

The entity directly affected by a transitive verb, typically the direct object. In passive constructions it becomes the grammatical subject while the doer shifts to an oblique form.

The locus of an action, expressing place, time, or occasion where something happens. It is commonly marked by locative endings or postpositions meaning 'in', 'at', or 'on'.

The instrument or means by which an action is carried out, marked by postpositions meaning 'by means of' or 'with'. It answers the question of how the action is accomplished.

The voice of a sentence, showing whether the subject performs or receives the action. Changing voice requires adjusting the verb form and the case marking of the doer and object.

Reported words reproduced exactly as spoken, placed within quotation marks and introduced by a reporting clause. Converting it to indirect speech requires changes in pronouns, tense, and deictic words.

Reported speech that restates a speaker's words without quotation, adjusting pronouns, tense, and place or time words to fit the reporting context. The reporting verb usually governs a linked clause.

A fixed multi-word expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words. Correct use depends on memorising the expression together with its accepted figurative sense and register.

A short traditional saying that conveys folk wisdom or a general observation about life. It differs from an idiom in standing as a complete sentence with a literal-appearing surface meaning.

An adjective formed by compounding several elements, used attributively before a noun. Recognising it helps candidates separate compound structure questions from simple adjective identification.

A unified block of prose developing one controlling idea through linked sentences. In comprehension answers, locating its topic sentence and supporting details guides accurate summarising.

The central point a passage communicates, usually stated or implied in its opening or closing lines. Distinguishing it from supporting examples is the first step in answering passage questions.

A condensed restatement of a passage's essential content in the writer's own words, keeping proportion and omitting illustrative detail. It must not introduce opinion or material absent from the original.

The surrounding words or situation that fixes the meaning of an expression in a passage. Questions asking for word meaning in context require choosing the sense supported by that surrounding material.

The shift in a word's sense depending on its collocation and situation, including literal versus figurative use. Noting such shifts prevents mistranslation in comprehension and idiom questions.

The aesthetic flavour or emotional relish a reader derives from a literary work, classified by the dominant emotion it evokes. Identifying rasa requires linking the portrayed emotion to its corresponding category.

The underlying emotion or feeling that a poem or passage portrays, such as grief, devotion, or heroism. It is the raw emotional state which, when developed, yields the corresponding rasa.

A poetic device that ornaments expression through comparison, sound patterning, or suggestive wording. Candidates identify it by the formal relation between the words, not by the emotion conveyed.

A figure in which one thing is explicitly compared to another of a different kind, usually marked by words meaning 'like' or 'as'. Both the compared object and the standard of comparison must be stated.

A figure in which the compared object and the standard of comparison are identified as one, without a word of comparison. The metaphor is implied through direct equation of the two.

A sound figure produced by repeating the same consonant or consonant cluster at close intervals in a line. Its effect is auditory and is identified by the repetition of sound rather than of meaning.

The metrical pattern of a poem, defined by the number and arrangement of syllables in each line. Identifying the metre helps in scanning verses and in recalling prescribed stanza forms.

A line unit of a verse, often one of four in a stanza, each expected to match the metre and rhyme scheme. Referring to a specific pada helps locate quoted lines precisely.

The way an author builds a character through action, speech, description, and the responses of others. Judging a character requires evidence drawn from these means rather than from labels alone.

The central concern or message a prose piece explores, often stated as a general insight about life. It differs from plot summary in being an abstraction drawn from the whole work.

A structured piece of writing developing a single topic through an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Marks depend on relevance, organisation, and accuracy of language rather than length alone.

A written communication following a conventional layout of address, date, salutation, body, and closing. Formal and informal letters differ in tone, address form, and degree of elaboration.

A factual account of an event or situation written for readers who were not present, usually with a heading and a clear sequence. It favours neutral, third-person phrasing over personal opinion.

A written exchange between two or more speakers, each turn marked by a dash or the speaker's name. Natural dialogue uses short turns and reflects character through speech style.

Narrative writing such as short stories that presents imagined events and characters, often through a plot with conflict and resolution. Questions on it test grasp of sequence, motive, and theme.

The ordered sequence of events in a narrative, moving through setup, complication, climax, and resolution. Retelling a plot accurately requires attention to cause and effect, not merely chronology.