The syllables — Dha, Tin, Kat, Tirekite — that name tabla strokes. Each maps to a physical action, so a composition can be spoken, written, memorized, and only then played. The mapping is honest: composite syllables like Dha name composite strokes (Na plus Ge).
Bols are the tradition's notation and its pedagogy at once. Recitation (padhant) is a discipline in its own right, because a phrase that cannot be spoken cleanly at speed generally cannot be played cleanly either. Pronunciation varies by gharana; the underlying vocabulary is shared.