Salam, Namaste, Unakam and Sasriyakant

[JPablo]

I found that "Salam" or "Salaam" (in India) is "Hello" in Urdu. And "Namaste" is "Hello" in Indi.

So I extrapolate that "Unakam" and "Sasriyakant" must mean "Hello" in some other Indian language (as the person uttering these greetings is from India...)

Anyone know the languages for these last two greetings?

(And also, confirm or deny what I am saying above, as I am not that sure either...)

Thank you for your assistance!

[sosia]

there are some indians in the forum. Hope they answer.
I have found nothing in google about "Unakam and Sasriyakant" so...

greetings:
http://www.wikihow.com/Say-Hello-in-Different-Languages
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

saludos :D

[JPablo]

Thank you for the links, Sosia. Hopefully our Indian foreros will say something!

[Rusty]

namaste, Hindi
namaskaar, Hindi
pranaam, Hindi
sasriyakal (sat sri akal), Punjabi
vanakkam, Tamil
adaab, Urdu
naman
salaam
asalaam alaikum
kem cho, Gujarati

(spelling variations exist)
Corrections or additions welcome.

[JPablo]

Thank you, Rusty. So that (sasriyakal) is Punjabi...
Unakam, or Vanakkam is the Tamil...
So, that kind of make sense. Thanks.

[Anoosh]

actually salaam is an arabic word means (peace) asalaam alaikum (peace be upon you) and it's an islamic greeting.

[JPablo]

Thank you, Anoosh... :)
But isn't used in "Urdu" as well?
(I only know that Urdu uses an Alifat similar to Arabic, right? So, I guess they may have some borrowed words?) (Just guessing here... your fully qualified data will be greatly appreciated.)

[poli]

I was in business with an Urdu-speaking gentleman who used asalaam
alaikum. His family members did so as well.

[JPablo]

Alaikum asalaam, my dear Poli.

Or the way the Morroco people (Larache, maybe not everywere) "Aleike asalaam" (the verbal way I got the response to "Asalaam aleikum")

So, it looks like Urdu may have more in common with Arabic that what I suspected...

Thank you, Poli. (Always open to more data on the subject, although I don't think I am going to learn Urdu very soon... it is always an interesting language...)

[poli]

Urdu is written in a visually appealing alphabet that looks like Arab script. Many Urdu speakers are proud of their calligraphy. Urdu uses a different alphabet from it's sibling language Hindi.

[Anoosh]

Yes, they use asalaam alaikum.
Wa aleike asalaam is a response for asalaam alaikum . wa means and in Arabic, So it's like saying ( and peace be upon you too)
I have some friends who speak farsi and Urdo. I can understand a few words when they speak Farsi but I cannot understand a thing when they speak Urdo.
So i guess Farsi has more common words with Arabic than Urdo. The Urdo script has more letters than Arabic and some letters that look like Arabic are pronounced differently. (I can read Farsi very well, but I can't really read Urdo)
Good Luck in learning Urdo. It's an interesting language.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Urdu is written in a visually appealing alphabet that looks like Arab script. Many Urdu speakers are proud of their calligraphy. Urdu uses a different alphabet from it's sibling language Hindi.

Could it be a borrowed expression from Arab?

[JPablo]

@Anoosh, wa aleike asalaam!
Thank you for the data!

@Angelica, sounds like that's the case.

وداع

[poli]

Yes Angélica. I am sure that is true.

[Ashis]

kem cho is more appropriate with ' How are you'. Namaskar is also used in Bengali ( I'm Bengali). another greeting word of India is Urzu urzu durkut. it is Kashmiri language, means Long live with standing on your legs firm"! Yes, that's the real meaning; which further means...Long live with standing on your legs firm"! Yes, that's the real meaning; which further means... "Live healthily with your own support throughout". kashmir is surrounded by The mountain Himalaya. you need to have your knee strong if you want to walk properly. that's why they greet people by saying 'Urzu urzu durkut' instead of hello.

[JPablo]

Hey, thank you Ashis! Well, Urzu urzu durkut! ;) :D