A grab from bhojpuria.com

Jamshedpur, Aug. 18: Seeking the English equivalent of Bhojpuri words in a jiffy? You can now do it at the click of a mouse.

A city-based portal has developed the first online Bhojpuri-English and English-Bhojpuri dictionary, which will soon be available on its website, www.bhojpuria.com.

Initially, about 1,000 common Bhojpuri words and their English meanings will be posted on the web. The portal proposes to rope in browsers to increase its word bank, Bhojpuria Shabd Kosh.

The first online Bhojpuri dictionary, say makers of the portal, will help popularise the language among the masses. It will also help tourists, both domestic and foreign, acquire a basic understanding of the language.

From now on, tourists will not be stumped by words such as kahwan (where), kekra (whom), kauna (whose) or kaise (how), which are in common use in Bihar and Jharkhand.

They can refer to the online dictionary, the software for which has been developed by the portal itself, whenever need be.

“Our online dictionary will also help browsers get the Bhojpuri equivalent of an English word. The software is user-friendly and will save people the trouble even if they are not tech-savvy. Launch preparations are in the last leg and the dictionary will be available within the next 10 days,” said Sudhir Kumar, the managing director of Infogate Exporters Private Limited, which owns the portal.

The dictionary will have an interactive section, where users can add new words.

It will also offer surfers the option of adding the meaning of a word if the search engine fails to find its equivalent.

“Users will be invited to add new English and Bhojpuri words. We will post the name of an user, who has added 10 words or more, on our portal. We hope people will come forward and provide the required impetus to our unique endeavour. We are sincerely looking for help to increase our Shabd Kosh,” Kumar said.

The Infogate portal happens to be the first Bhojpuri site aiming to promote the local language and culture with the help of technology.

It was also declared the best cultural portal in the country and won the prestigious Manthan Award two years ago.