The lexical variants presented in the note below are arranged according to their frequency of occurrence in the survey data-from most frequent to least frequent.

In languages, specific words are used to indicate the correlation and direction of a person, object, or place in relation to a reference point. These words are referred to as locative/deictic words. The provided note highlights a variety of words that were noted for the concepts of 'above,' 'in the middle/midst,' and 'below' in different dialects of Marathi.

For ‘above,’ the following variation of lexical items was recorded: wər, wərti, worti, wəri, wərtə, wərt, wərʰə, wərʰe, wərya, wərlakəḍ, wərla, wərte, uccə, uče, uppər, upər, ar, er rib, ɡər, wə, etc.

For ‘below,’ the following variation of lexical items was recorded: kʰali, kʰal, kʰalti, kʰaltə, kʰalta, kʰalte, kʰale, kʰala, nicə, nice, nicce, niče, ničče, heṭʰ, heṭe, yeṭa, heṭla, buḍi,buḍ, buṭe, kʰalya, səkəl, skʰəil, paṭ, kʰalo, baš, bas, neḷu, neḍu etc.

For ‘in the middle/midst,’ the following variation of lexical items was recorded: mədʰye, mədi, məde, mədʰe, mdʰi, mədde, mədʰai, mədʰ, məndi, məder, mədit, məndat, məndiko, məndʰat, mədat, mədʰat, mədin, mədʰyəbʰaɡi, mədʰomədʰ, mədʰyəseṇṭər, mədyəbʰaɡi, mədʰyənbʰaɡi, mədoməd, mədʰybʰaɡat, bicat, bičme, bičməndi, bič, bičʰaməde, bicməṅde, bičmədʰi, misme, məjar, məjarma, mədar, məjaru, məǰma, məjma, məjʰat, məǰərma, mədʰəma, mədima, mədʰma, wəsama, wəčče, wəčma, wəčʰəme, mədyəntəri, mədʰyəntər, mine, mənə, bʰərməde, bʰərmədi, bʰərmədhi, seṇṭər,senṭrla etc.

Above

In the SDML survey, the word wər was recorded predominantly in all parts of Maharashtra, followed by the word wərti. wərtə was attested in Vidharbha region while the word wərya was elicited infrequently in Bhiwapur taluka of Nagpur district and in Tumsar taluka of Bhandara district. Both of these regions are closer to the Hindi-speaking region.

Similarly, the word wəri was documented widely in Marathwada region. It was elicited exceptionally in Jalgaon and Washim districts. Along with this, the words wərlakəḍ and wə were reported sporadically in Beed district.

The suffix -er was noted in the Sawantwadi taluka of Sindhudurg district which is adjacent to the state of Goa. Further, the suffix -ar was attested sporadically in Katta village of Malvan taluka in Sindhudurg district.

In the middle/midst

The word mndi was reported in various districts of Maharashtra along with its phonetic məde, məndi, mədʰe, and məndʰi.

The word mədʰat is prevalent in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. Further, it was also reported in Mangalwadi village of Jalgaon taluka and in Wadali village of Raver taluka in Jalgaon district. The following phonetic variants of this word were noted: məndʰat, mədat, mjʰat, məjat, məddit etc. Of these, the variant məndat was mostly noted in the Vidarbha region and sparsely in Waghari village of Jamner taluka in Jalgaon district. The word mine was reported by speakers belonging to the Catholic Samvedi community and the word mən was reported by the Wadwal community in Palghar district.

Similarly, the word mədʰyəbʰaɡi was noted throughout Maharashtra. Its phonetic variants include, mədebʰaɡi, mədʰyəbʰaɡat, mədyamədi, mədebʰaɡat.

mədoməd was mainly noted in Nashik district followed by in Kolhapur and Chandrapur districts. The word mədyasti was recorded infrequently in Thar village of Wardha district. Similarly, mədʰyəseṇṭər was reported in Khupire village of Karvir taluka in Kolhapur district. The word məndiko was recorded in Bhiwapur village of Nagpur taluka in Nagpur district. The words bičla and bičwr were reported by the Korku community in Kusumkot (Khurd) and Kasmar villages of Dharni taluka in Amravati district. mwmẹnda was reported infrequently by the speakers belonging to the Mahadev Koli community of Raigad district.

bič and its variants - bicme, bičme, bičat, bicmədi, bičməndi, bičmədʰi, bičmədat, bičla, bičwər, bičʰat, biobič were mostly noted in Vidarbha (-at is the locative suffix). Of these, the word bičme was observed in the Muslim and Chambhar communities in Jalgaon, Nanded and Sindhudurg districts.

məjar was recorded exceptionally in northern Maharashtra and Gadegaon village of Varud taluka in Amaravati district. Phonetic variations məar, məǰʰar, məjər, mədar were noted for this word. The word məǰarma was documented in Khede and Songir villages of Dhule taluka in Dhule district. məarma and məǰərmə are the phonetic variants of this word. The variant məǰərma was reported by Ahirani speakers in Khandbara village of Navapur taluka and in Dhanora village of Nandurbar taluka in Nandurbar district. Similarly, məǰəma was primarily elicited in Nandurbar district as well as in Shingave village of Sakri taluka in Dhule district.

The word wəč was recorded widely in Prakasha village of Nandurbar district which is home to significant amount of people from the Gujar community. Its phonetic variations are wəčče, wəčmə, wəčəme, and wəčma. The word wč was also reported in the Dhodiya community and by Gujarati speaking community called Dubla.

In specific villages located in the southern districts of Maharashtra, namely Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, and Solapur, as well as to some extent in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts of the Vidarbha region, the word mədʰyəntər (along with its variations mədʰyəntəri and mədyantari) was documented.

The word seṇṭər (English ‘centre’) was attested in various districts of the state in addition to region-specific words which refer to the same concept.

Below

The word kʰala was noted in the Roman Catholic community of Vengurla and Sawantwadi taluka in Sindhudurg district as well as among Samvedi Brahmins of Vasai in Palghar district. The word kʰal was noted in the Katkari community of Palghar, Nashik, Raigad, and Pune district. Similarly, the word kʰale was reported widely in Palghar district; infrequently in Jalgaon and Gondia districts, and sporadically in Nashik, Jalgaon, and Nandurbar districts. kʰal, a phonetic variant of this word was attested in Raigad, Hingoli, Nashik and Dhule districts.

The words səkl and səkʰəil were recorded only in Kolgaon, Satarda and Ayi villages of Sindhudurg district which are near the state border of Goa. niče was noted primarily in the Muslim community of Sindhudurg district. Its use was infrequent in Palghar and Nandurbar districts. While its phonetic variants nicce and nice were observed in Nandurbar district.

The word heṭa was noted in the Mahadev Koli community of Murud taluka in Raigad district as well as in the Bhil community of Nandurbar and Dhule districts with phonetic variants such as heṭe, heṭʰ, heṭla. neḍu and its phonetic variant neḷu were noted only in the Pawra community of Vaijapur village in Jalgaon district.