लफ़ंगा

Hindi

FWOTD – 12 September 2021

Etymology

Ultimately from Classical Persian لاف (lāf, “boasting, boast”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /lə.fəŋ.ɡɑː/, [lɐ.fɐ̃ŋ.ɡäː], /lə.pʰəŋ.ɡɑː/, [lɐ.pʰɐ̃ŋ.ɡäː]

Noun

लफ़ंगा • (lafaṅgā) m (Urdu spelling لفنگا)

1. a base person, degenerate
   • 1941 – 2012, अहमद शरीफ़ (पागल आदिलाबादी) :

     इधर तो शहर के गंजे मेरी तलाश में हैं
     उधर तमाम लफ़ंगे मेरी तलाश में हैं।

     idhar to śahar ke gañje merī talāś mẽ ha͠i
     udhar tamām lafaṅge merī talāś mẽ ha͠i.

     here the town's bald men are looking for me
     on the other hand all the depraved are looking for me

2. braggart, boaster

Declension

Declension of लफ़ंगा (masc ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	लफ़ंगा lafaṅgā	लफ़ंगे lafaṅge
oblique	लफ़ंगे lafaṅge	लफ़ंगों lafaṅgõ
vocative	लफ़ंगे lafaṅge	लफ़ंगो lafaṅgo

References

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