तोताचश्म

Hindi

FWOTD – 30 September 2023

Etymology

Bahuvrīhi compound of तोता (totā, “parrot”) +‎ चश्म (caśma, “eyes”), meaning parrot-eyed. A parrot is supposedly said to be disloyal as at the right opportunity it leaves its owner even after being done good to.

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /t̪oː.t̪ɑː.t͡ʃəʃ.mᵊ/, [t̪oː.t̪äː.t͡ʃɐʃ.mᵊ]

Adjective

तोताचश्म • (totācaśma) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling توتاچَشْم)

of someone who shuns others in need; treacherous, disloyal
- Rabindranath Tyagi (1996) Bhādrapada kī sān̐jha‎^[1], page 110
  तोते को तोताचश्म कहना ग़लत है, तोता तो हमेशा वफ़ादार होता है ।
  tote ko totācaśma kahnā ġalat hai, totā to hameśā vafādār hotā hai .
  It's wrong to say a parrot faithless, a parrot is always loyal.
- Malaya Jaina (1969) Ḍhāka ke tīna pāta‎^[2], page 110
  बड़े-बड़े अपराधों मे लोग चश्मदीद होकर भी तोताचश्म हो जाते हैं, फिर यह तो छोटी सी बात है।
  baṛe-baṛe aprādhõ me log caśmadīd hokar bhī totācaśma ho jāte ha͠i, phir yah to choṭī sī bāt hai.
  In felonies people become disloyal even after being eye-witness, then this is only a small thing.
- Narendra Kohalī (2001) क्षमा करना जीजी‎^[3], page 24
  बाप का साया सिर से उठा नहीं कि तुने आखें फेर लीं, तोताचश्म!
  bāp kā sāyā sir se uṭhā nahī̃ ki tune ākhẽ pher lī̃, totācaśma!
  The thought of your father's death hasn't left the mind and you have already shunned me, You faithless!
of an opportunist without consideration for good done to; ungrateful
- Sunil Gangopadhyay (2007) Sudoor Jharne Ke Jal Mein‎^[4], page 11
  यह कमबख़्त तो बड़ा तोताचश्म निकला । अभी थोड़ी देर पहले , मैंने उसे इतनी महँगी कमीज़ थमाई , इसके लिए बूँद भर भी कृतज्ञता नहीं है
  yah kambaxt to baṛā totācaśma niklā . abhī thoṛī der pahle , ma͠ine use itnī mahaṅgī kamīz thamāī , iske lie bū̃d bhar bhī kŕtajñatā nahī̃ hai
  This bastard came out to be very ungrateful. Just before i handed him a shirt, for this he has not a drip of gratitude.
inconsiderate
of a turncoat

Derived terms

तोताचश्मी (totācaśmī)

References

Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “तोताचश्म”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha
McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “तोता”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press