Konkani Language - Appellations

Appellations

It is quite possible that Old Konkani was just referred to as Prakrit by its speakers. Reference to the name Konkani is not found in literature prior to 14th century. We have first reference to the name Konkani in the abhanga 263,of the 14th century Marathi saint poet, Namadeva(1270–1350). Konkani has been known by a variety of names: canarim, concanim, gomantaki, bramana, goani. It is called amchi bhas (our language) by native speakers, and govi or Goenchi bhas by others. Learned Marathi speakers tend to call it Gomantaki.

Konkani was commonly referred to as lingua canarim by the Portuguese. while it was also known as lingua brahmana by the Catholic missionaries. Portuguese later started referring to Konkani as Lingua Concanim.

The name canarim or lingua canarim, which is how the 16th century European Jesuit, Thomas Stephens refers to it in the title of his famous grammar Arte da lingoa Canarim has always been intriguing. It is possible that the term is derived from the Persian word for coast,kinara; if so, it would be means the language of the coast.The problem is that this term overlaps with Kanarese or Kannada.

All the European authors, however, recognized in Goa two forms of the language: the plebeian,called canarim, and the more regular, used by the educated classes, called lingua canarim brámana or simply brámana de Goa. Since the latter was the preferred choice of the Europeans, and also of other castes, for writing, sermons and religious purpose