WBCHSE HS First Language Urdu flashcards
WBCHSE HS First Language Urdu · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Nasr
- Urdu term for prose. In the WBCHSE course, nasr lessons are prescribed essays and sketches studied for author, theme, and style.
- Islah-e-muashara
- Social reform, a frequent theme in nineteenth-century Urdu prose. Lessons with this theme criticise custom and advocate education and rational conduct.
- Takhallus
- The pen name a poet adopts and inserts in the ghazal's final couplet (maqta). It identifies the poet within the poem itself.
- Matla
- The opening couplet of a ghazal, in which both lines share the qafiya and radif. It sets the rhyme pattern for the whole poem.
- Maqta
- The closing couplet of a ghazal, usually containing the poet's takhallus. It often states a personal or concluding thought.
- Radif
- The word or phrase repeated after the qafiya at the end of both lines of the matla and the second line of every following couplet.
- Qafiya
- The rhyming element that precedes the radif in a ghazal. It must match across couplets, while the radif stays identical.
- Sher
- A couplet of two lines that forms a complete unit of meaning in a ghazal. Each sher can stand alone thematically.
- Bait
- A single line of Urdu poetry. Two baits make one sher; confusing the two is a common exam error.
- Marsiya
- A long elegiac poem, classically on the martyrs of Karbala. Its sections include chehra, sarapa, and rukhsat.
- Qasida
- A long mono-rhymed panegyric poem. It opens with tashbib (a lyric prelude), moves to madh (praise), and may close with a prayer.
- Masnavi
- A long narrative poem in rhyming couplets with the pattern aa bb cc. It is used for romances and didactic tales, unlike the ghazal.
- Rubai
- A four-line stanza with the rhyme scheme aaba. It usually carries a single philosophical or lyrical idea.
- Tashbeeh
- Simile in Urdu rhetoric. It compares two things using an explicit comparison word such as jaise, maanind, or tarah.
- Istiara
- Metaphor in Urdu rhetoric. The comparison word is dropped and the image is transferred directly to the subject.
- Nazm-e-mu'arra
- Blank verse in Urdu poetry, written without qafiya or radif. It is common in modern nazm and is identified by the absence of end-rhyme.
- Mubaligha
- Hyperbole in Urdu rhetoric, an intentional exaggeration used for emphasis or satirical effect in nazm and prose.
- Ism-e-khas
- A proper noun in Urdu grammar, naming a specific person, place, or thing. It is distinguished from ism-e-aam, the common noun.
- Fail-e-nahi
- The prohibitive verb form in Urdu, expressing 'do not'. It is formed with 'na' plus the subjunctive verb form.
- Tazkeer-o-tanees
- Grammatical gender agreement in Urdu. Verbs and adjectives must match the noun's masculine (muzakkar) or feminine (muannas) gender.
- Muhavara
- An Urdu idiom, a fixed phrase whose meaning is figurative rather than literal. Its words cannot be freely substituted.
- Tashih
- Correction of grammatical errors in Urdu. Exam items test gender agreement, plural formation, postposition choice, and tense consistency.
- Précis
- A condensed restatement of a passage in about one-third of its length, in your own words, with a suitable title.
- Rasmi khat
- A formal Urdu letter addressed to officials or institutions. It uses formal salutations and a fixed layout of address, date, and closing.
- Tamheed
- The introduction of an Urdu essay, stating the topic and approach before the main points are developed.
- Natija
- The conclusion of an Urdu essay, summarising the argument and offering a final judgement or recommendation.
- Markazi khayal
- The main idea of a passage, expressed in one sentence. Comprehension questions often ask for it directly.
- Lafzi maani
- The literal meaning of a word or phrase. It is contrasted with majazi maani, the figurative meaning used in poetry.
- Wali Deccani
- An early Deccani poet credited with raising the Urdu ghazal to literary status. He is a standard name in literary-history questions.
- Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek
- The Progressive Writers' Movement, founded in 1936, which advocated literature for social reform. Associated writers include Faiz and Premchand.
- Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq
- A Lahore literary circle founded in 1939 that opposed the Progressives, favouring aesthetic and experimental poetry. Meeraji was associated with it.
- Aligarh movement
- Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's nineteenth-century reform movement, which promoted simple, rational Urdu prose and didactic writing by Nazir Ahmed and Hali.