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Friday, October 17, 2008

Naam-Karan

Indian names might come across as rather funny (or scary, depending on your POV) as JV, one of my favourite bloggers, once pointed out. Fair enough. They're hard to pronounce, have all these hi-fundoo meanings, a million variations in spelling and well, for someone used to a much simpler nomenclature system, they can be quite daunting.

But... (There has to be a but, of course, but of course!) Who said we Indians ourselves had to have it any easier? Okay perhaps not easier, but... in anyway different. There are a few names out there which leave you absolutely puzzled, when the meaning is taken into consideration. Such as:

Abhinetri: What?! Who would name their child 'actress'??!! And why??!!!

Suvidha: Really? Seriously?! You want to name your child 'facility'?! G's response when I told her about this one was "Imagine someone calls her and she isn't around... they'd get this message: Yah Suvidha is waqt upalabdh nahi hai, kripaya thodi der baad koshish karen.'"

Adhunika (Galadriel's contribution): She tells me it relates to technological development... I cannot think of any suitable retort to it actually.

And let's not even go into whether and how people do live up to their names, or not.

My sanskrit teacher once said that 'Savita' was technically a male name. I'm yet to confirm this, but if it's true... then all thr women we know called 'Savita' are in for a big jolt :P

You got any funny names to contribute?

21 comments:

  1. adhunik is modern.. but is general used in terms of modern technology.. even if it really meant modern as in pertaining to thoughts and ideas, why would you call your kid modern? can i call mine traditional then? :P

    also.. the only savita i know is savita bhabhi!!! :D

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  2. Yup, Galadriel said it: Adhunik = modern.

    Savita comes from Savitru, which is a name for Sun.

    Yeh Suvidha... is too funny. I am out to find a girl called Suvidha just so I can crack that joke now :D

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  3. Galadriel: Ahh thanks for the correction :) Apne bacche par reham karo, give him/her an acceptable name!!! And paavi, have some sharam, khulle aam talking about Savita Bhabhi :P

    Amey: Fanks! For ze clarification. Try searching on orkut for 'Suvidha'... mil jaayegi :D :P

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  4. Oh yaa I heard the same about Savita.

    Here is 1-- avantika = avan-tikka in kannada get it? = his butt
    Same for ree tika, nee tika

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  5. for your reading pleasure

    http://www.twisted-dna.com/2006/06/05/i-name-thee-bleep/

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  6. savita is this really sweet gurl i know at hungama.
    ok... my contributions:
    tomu. *not a nickname, REAL name*
    sulabh. *as in, the shauchalaya????*

    erm... and galadriel blogs about savita bhabhi. used to, rather. when she wasn't on a self-imposed hiatus.

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  7. hahahaha

    Funny...yeah, indian names can be pretty hilarious :p!
    The funniest is when parents name their 3rd daughter, Seema :p! Get it :P?

    Keep Writing!

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  8. ha - abhinetri - i've never known anyone to name their child taht. but western names are just as funny at times. i'm so glad i got a name that i love.

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  9. Can't say. I might get the response "This facility is not available for you."

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  10. akka...
    adhunika= modern as in technology..so she might be a test tube baby...OR..adhunika might also mean she might have been after adhunik thantragnyana of contraceptives failed...!!! :P :P henge??

    and..one girl here in the big city is named parineetha..!!i mean..WTF.y will a mother name her child some1 else's woman antha...!??

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  11. Anonymous6:28 PM

    oh....LVLs comment cracked me up hard :D :D

    When I was working there was once an emp who joined and reported as "Kiruthika" (and not Krithika) - I couldnt stop laughing at it !!

    So also, there is a woman here named Swatika and I cant be myself around her!!!!

    And Savita is a male name?! *swoons*

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  12. HAD to come here and post this.
    got introduced to a guy called ANAL today. (pronounced as a-null; but can u really expect people to get that...?)

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  13. @SSDS: parineeta means married woman.. not someone else's woman. :)

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  14. Anonymous10:40 PM

    Oh, yeah..the wierd names that the unfortunate little ones of this age have to suffer, thanks to their 'modern' parents !

    One very good family friend of ours named his newborn son 'vidyuth' .Such derth of good/creative names that we name our baby 'electricity' now!

    So, instead of 'long live' blessings to that boy, the elders could use ' May your fuse last forever' ;-)

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  15. Anonymous2:41 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  16. At the risk of being labelled pedantic, I feel the need to post this comment because most (note most, not all) of the people commenting here have no clue about hindi and are essentially in the same league as those who idiotically name their kids, let me clarify a few things.

    Vidyut doesnt mean electricity. It is a bright flash of light that is very short lived, hence has been used in Hindi for electricity. Naming someone vidyut is perfectly fine.

    Avantika means something or someone thats eternal. I'm guessing you know that too. But as much you'd hate someone making fun of a kannada name, I do hate people taking a piss at my language, which certainly doesnt sound like a 5 rupee coin in an empty steel tumbler.

    Savita is the name given to the daughter of Sun. Much like Saumitra, (laxman for the uninitiated) which comes from Sumitra (Laxman's mother). Your sanskrit teacher knew just sanskrit, nothing more.

    To my pleasure galadriel did point it out that it was parineeta, coming from parinay, which means a holy relationship, not exactly marriage but often used as a subsitute.

    Funnier still, I have seen so many people from south india adding letters to their name that make no sense. Especially the tendency of the southies to add an extra h or a in places it doesnt even fit! Keep a name that spawns in your language and then we'll see

    PS: dont go to my blog, its shite

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  17. Anonymous9:59 PM

    WOW - I just blogged about someone asking me why we South Indians put a 'h' in our names!

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  18. Yah Suvidha is waqt upalabdh nahi hai, kripaya thodi der baad koshish karen.'" ROFL..MAN!! who wudve ever thought of that one!

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  19. There was a girl in my class named 'Tilotamma'. She was short, stumpy and rather un-pretty. I asked her what Tilotamma meant, she said she didn't know but that it was the name of an apsara. K, first off, she was most un-apsaraish. Secondly, why would you name a baby girl after a seductive apsara?

    Kamakshi- It means sexy eyes :-D (kama + askshi)

    Anamika- She who has no name :-D

    Anasuya- Not jealous. (ana- not, asuya- jealous)

    'Suvidha' is hilarious!!

    I have heard a variation of 'Adhunik'- 'Adhuna' which means 'now'. It is Farhan Akhtar's wife's name.

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  20. One of the funniest names I've heard is Anal. It's a Gujju name, and is pronounced A-Null...but seriously...Anal?

    Another dignity-destroying name is Pinal, also Gujju. Man, these people really don't like their kids!

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  21. hey dewdrop been a long time.. donno if u still remember us...

    the post is hilarious.. btw, some of the funniest names come are English words used to name Indian people..

    I knew a girl called SILKY. another named FERN.
    But something else just takes the cake...
    Have you heard what Nafisa Ali's husband is called..
    His name is BUBBLES!
    I need say no further.

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