You must have heard of Marco Polo - most people have.
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You might also have heard of Giovanni Boccaccio.
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However, most people have not heard of Giovanni's great-uncle (grandfather's brother) Roberto Boccaccio. Roberto was Marco Polo's contemporary, more or less. He was from Florence, and like the Venetian Marco, was a traveller and trader. While Marco went to China, Roberto concentrated on India - and mostly Bengal. He was a frequent visitor to the ancient port of Tamluk, and to the nearby university town of Kharagpur. In fact he set up his residence in Kharagpur, where he built a grand hall with Florentine flamboyance. This in due course came to be known as Roberto's Kharagpur Hall of Residence, or RK Hall. During his frequent stays in Kharagpur, Roberto made many friends, old and young.
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As the years passed, the older friends died one by one, or in batches, and soon Roberto was left with mostly younger friends, who called him Boccaccio-da. (As you may know, "da" is a Bengali suffix of sorts, added to a man's name to show that you love and respect that person as your elder brother. The love and respect portion is often dubious, but the usage is authentic.) And then, on one of his frequent returns to Italy and Florence, Roberto died. The news reached Kharagpur within a few years. Needless to say, his friends were saddened or at least moved. Several Condolence Meetings were held in various parts of Kharagpur - people talked of all they knew about their favourite Boccaccio-da, using memory and imagination. A commemorative statue was erected near RK Hall, while a couple of rich friends set up the "Boccaccio-da Fund" for mentally challenged students.
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As time passed, the term "Boccaccio-da" became a part of the Bengali language. It was used to describe a) a revered person, as in "our teacher so and so was a big Boccaccio-da"; b) a beloved friend as in "hey Boccaccio-da, what's up?" or c) a newcomer to the university, as in "aare fresher Boccaccio-da, welcome, welcome! 50 sit-ups!"
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It is time we revive and introduce this noble word to the world. Friends .... er.... umm ... Boccaccio-das .... say Boccaccio-da to all the people you meet and explain to them its true, pure meaning. You can also send a shawl to your local politician and have this benevolent greeting embroidered upon its Brahminical front.
