Bengali, the seventh most spoken language in the world, is the official language of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Bengali has a rich history, with a diverse vocabulary that has been shaped by various cultural and linguistic influences over the centuries.
One of the significant influences on Bengali vocabulary is Persian, a language that was widely spoken in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era (1526-1857). Persian was the court language of the Mughals, who ruled over India for more than three centuries, and it had a profound impact on the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region.
Persian influence on Bengali vocabulary can be traced back to the early medieval period. During this time, Bengali was influenced by Arabic and Persian words, which were introduced to the region by Muslim traders and scholars. Later, during the Mughal era, Persian words became even more prominent in Bengali, as the Mughal emperors and their courtiers used Persian as their primary language of communication.
The influence of Persian on Bengali can be seen in the similarities between the two languages’ vocabularies. Many words in Bengali have Persian roots, with some even being borrowed directly from Persian.
12 words in Bengali borrowed from Persian
1.আঙুর aŋur (‘grape’) -From Persian انگور ængur (‘grape’).
Replaces the native Indo-Aryan reflex of Sanskrit द्राक्षा drā́kṣā. Compare dialectal Hindi, Maithili, Punjabi-Lahnda, West Pahari dākʰ, Kashmiri daćʰ, Shina ẓac̣, Kalasha drac̣, Gawarbati lak, Romani drakʰ, Domari drak etc. all of which preserve tadbhava forms; cf. also, Nuristani forms such as drāṣ, rásik etc.
Indo-European cognates of Sanskrit द्राक्षा drā́kṣā can be found in French fraise, Italian frago(la) etc. from Latin fragum (‘strawberry’) as well as Albanian dredhëz (‘strawberry’).
2.শিন্নি sinni or শির্ণী sirni (‘liquid to be drunk as blessing in Hindu rituals’).
From Persian شیرینی širini (‘(edible) sweet’, ‘candy’, ‘sweet pastry’ etc.), an ezafe construction from شیرین širin (‘sweet’, ‘pleasant’) as in the Persian name Širin.
3.খানা -kʰana, found in words like কারখানা karkʰana (‘factory’), পায়খানা paekʰana (‘toilet’), ডাক্তারখানা ḍaktarkʰana (‘dispensary’) etc.
Note that some of these -খানা -kʰana words are direct loans from Persian, like কারখানা karkʰana ← کارخانه karxaneh, while others, like ডাক্তারখানা ḍaktarkʰana, are made in Bengali, in the case of this particular example, by attaching the suffix to the English loan ডাক্তার ḍaktar ← doctor.
4.বুজরুক buzruk (‘impostor’, ‘trickster’).
From Persian بزرگ bozorg (‘big’, ‘great’).Funny how the meaning of this word in Bengali is almost the opposite of the original Persian 
More commonly seen as বুজরুকী buzruki (‘trickery’).
5.কম kåm (‘few’, ‘less’, ‘little’).
From Persian کم kæm (‘few’, ‘less’, ‘little’, ‘small’).
6.চাকর cakor (‘servant’).
From Persian چاکر cakær (‘servant’).
7.তক্তা tåkta (‘(wooden) plank’).
From Persian تخته tæxteh (‘plank’, ‘board’).
8.দূরবীন durbin (‘binoculars’).
From Persian دوربین durbin (‘binoculars’, ‘camera’).
9.ডেকচী ḍekci (‘pot used for cooking’).
From Persian دیگ dig (‘pot’) with the diminutive suffix چی- -ci.
Like –চী -ci and –খানা -kʰana (mentioned above), Bengali has plenty of derivational affixes of Persian origin.
10.পেঁচ pæ̃c (‘twist’).
From Persian پیچ pic (‘twist’, ‘curve’).
11.খ’দ্দের kʰodder (‘customer’).
From Persian خریدار xæridar (‘buyer’) from the verbal root -خرید xærid- (‘to buy’).
12.পছন্দ påcʰåndo (‘liked’).
From Persian پسند pæsænd (‘liked’)
While the influence of Persian on Bengali vocabulary is significant, it is important to note that Bengali has also been influenced by other languages, such as Sanskrit, Arabic, and English. Bengali’s diverse vocabulary is a testament to the region’s rich history and cultural heritage, and it is one of the reasons why Bengali is such a unique and fascinating language.
In conclusion, Persian has played a crucial role in shaping the Bengali language’s vocabulary, and many Bengali words have Persian roots. These words have become an integral part of the Bengali language and are used interchangeably with their Bengali counterparts. The influence of Persian on Bengali is a testament to the region’s cultural and linguistic diversity and highlights the importance of cross-cultural interactions in shaping language and culture.
