Anadda (Bengali:আড্ডা) is a term inBengali referring to when several individuals 'Hangout'. This originally took place between members of the same socio-economic strata, but the process has become more heterogeneous in modern times.[1]
Adda was incorporated into theOxford English Dictionary in 2004.
This word is both a standalone noun and a noun in a noun-verb compound, inBengali. Thenominalization of the word has two senses — one being the Hindi sense, and the other being the place of ritual meeting and/or conversation of a group of people (i.e., a symposium). Theverb form means informal conversation among a group of people, often for hours on end, and usually accompanied by food.[2]
InHindi, adda is anoun, with the nominal form of the word meaning the location or nest of a group or community. The etymology can be traced to the original meaning of the word, which means the "perching spot or perch for birds".[2]
In2011, filmmakersSurjo Deb andRanjan Palit made a documentary on the subject.[3] The film,Adda: Calcutta, Kolkata, has been screened at several festivals around the globe and won theGolden Palm Award at theMexico International Film Festival 2012.[4][5][6]