Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 18:49:16 -0500
Subject: Re: a query




Hello saeed urrehman:

Thank you so much for your commentary on "udas naslein", title of Abdullah
Hussein's 1963 novel about Partition. The novelist's own English translation of
the title is "Weary Generations" and I find the word "weary" contrary to the
spirit of the novel.

Thanks for the lead on "Vulture the Prince."

Thomas Palakeel


> hello palakeel,
>
> (a) i heard the word from a friend of mine over a phone call to/from
> pakistan. he called me a "cognitariat" when i was working as a research
> assistant in the university. i had never heard of the word before while my
> friend in pakistan took my knowledge of the word for granted because i was
> studying in the "enlightened" "first world" academy. when i asked him about
> the meanings of the term, he thought i was playing naive. then, he told me
> that the word was being used in some cultural analyses in pakistani
> newspapers to show the complexities and porousness of class divisions and
> the roles they are assigned. then i ran a search on altavista.com for the
> word "cognitariat" and found about 30 documents. i could not find any
> document talking about the origin of the word. there were some references
> to Arthur Kroker but nothing specific was mentioned. so i asked the
> question to this list.
>
> (b) yes, i can speak urdu and punjabi. "udas" means, among other things,
> sad/sombre/meloncholy/unconsoled/suffering from
> Weltschmerz/pessimistic/depressed etc....  it is an adjective and the
> meanings/connotations change accoring to the noun following it.
>
> and "naslein" means "generations/races/species." it is the plural form of
> "nasl"
>
> thus, a reductive/literal translation of the phrase would be something like
> "unconsoled/woeful generations." i have read another novel of abdulla
> hussein called "bhagh" but not "udaas naslein". urdu books are not easily
> available in canberra.
>
> if you want to read something that has captured pakistani university
> students' attention then read Bano Qudsia's "Raja Gidh" (Vulture the Prince).
>
> saeed urrehman
> australian national university
>
> At 11:46  1999-08-17 -0500, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >Hello saeed urrehman,
> >
> >Where did you find the term "cognitariat"?
> >
> >By the way, I suspect you'd know Urdu and I would appreciate if you
> >can tell me what "udas naslein" means. This is the title of a novel
> >by Abdullah Hussein.
> >
> >
> >Thomas Palakeel
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> dear list members,
> >>
> >> could anyone please inform me about the origins of the word "cognitariat"
> >> for meaning "the thinking proletariat" or something like the person who
> >> sells his mental labour instead of physical labour?
> >>
> >> saeed urrehman
> >> australian national university
> >>
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> >
> >
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> >
> >
>
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