Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to Bengal, its people, or their culture. This describes something originating from or characteristic of the Bengal region in South Asia.

2. Noun:

   • An Indo-Aryan language: The official language of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, spoken by the Bengali people.
   • A member of an ethnic group: A person who is ethnically Bengali, typically living in Bangladesh and eastern India (mainly West Bengal).
   • (In Hinduism): A member of a predominantly Hindu people living in Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She wore a beautiful Bengali sari to the festival.
  • The Bengali cuisine is known for its use of fish and mustard oil.

• Noun (Language):

  • He is fluent in Bengali and English.
  • The poem was originally written in Bengali.

• Noun (Person):

  • As a Bengali, she celebrates both Pohela Boishakh and Durga Puja.
  • Many Bengalis have contributed significantly to literature and the arts.

Advanced Usage

• "Bengali Renaissance": Refers to a period of socio-cultural and intellectual reform in Bengal during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • Rabindranath Tagore was a central figure in the Bengali Renaissance.

Variants and Related Words

• Bengal: (Proper Noun) The region in South Asia comprising Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
• Bangla: (Noun) Another name for the Bengali language.
  • "Bangla" is the endonym for the Bengali language.

Synonyms

• Bangladeshi: (Noun/Adjective) Specifically relating to the country of Bangladesh. (Note: Not all Bengalis are Bangladeshi, as many live in India).
• Bangla: (Noun) Synonym for the Bengali language.

Related Phrases

• Bengali script: The writing system used for the Bengali language.
  • Learning to read the Bengali script is the first step.
• Bengali calendar: The luni-solar calendar used in the Bengal region.
  • The new year, Pohela Boishakh, follows the Bengali calendar.

Adjective

1. of or relating to or characteristic of Bengal or its people
   • Bengali hills

Noun

1. a Magadhan language spoken by the Bengali people; the official language of Bangladesh and Bengal
2. an ethnic group speaking Bengali and living in Bangladesh and eastern India
3. (Hinduism) a member of a people living in Bangladesh and West Bengal (mainly Hindus)