Question about city names that are being renamed

[Lakhan GUSAIN]

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Here some of my observations:

 

How names are “originated” may be a part of long debate, but
how they are “changed or modified” also needs a deep understanding of the
history of the subject (City, state, or nation). Sometimes, it might be to “restore”
old glory, besides many other factors, of the subject under question. Name
change, after all, psychologically gives a sort of “mental satisfaction” to “fix”
the past or “restore” or “acquire” a desired glory.

 

Factors may be many: linguistic, political, religious, etc

 

Political factors: are already under debate….like
Bombay/Mumbai, Chennai/Madras, Calcutta/Kolkata….

 

Linguistic: The only reason was their (New comers or just
say learners) inability to pronounce the name (the way natives pronounce) of
the person, place, or product: examples: Dilli (Native): Delhi (British): Dehli (Moguls etc)

Rama (Ram), Krishna (Krishan), Yoga(Yog), Mantra(Mantr),
karma(Karm), HinDi(Hindi), HinDoo(Hindu), UrDoo (Urdu), Moslem(Muslim), Koran(Qur’an),
Dacca(Dhaka), Cawnpore(Kanpur), Singapore(Singhpur), Bombay(Mumbai), Jaypore (Jaipur),
Adzmeire (Ajmer), Bandhna (Bandana), Shampoo (Champoo), CuDhy (Curry)…..list is
very long…

 

South Asians are also not champion in pronunciations in
foreign tongues: First one is SA Pronunciation and the original in parenthesis:
JaagaT (Jacket), Kaartuus (Cartridge), baalTi (Bucket), baTaaTaa(potato=came via
arab traders as P=B there, a domestic problem), waaskuT (Waist Coat), and the
finally, Bakwaas (F*** Wash)…


 

Religious factors: (Native/original word in parenthesis):  Faisalabad (Lyallpur),
Allahabad (Prayag or Kashi), Patna
(Patliputra), Bihar (Vihaar)….to name a few

 

Hope it helps….

 

Regards a lot,

 

Lakhan (Original was “Lakshman)




------------------ 
Lakhan Gusain, PhD
Coordinator, South Asian Language Program
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies [SAIS]
The Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036-2213

 
Phone: 202 663 5753; Fax: 202 663 5764; Cell: 202 361 4473 
Email: lgusain1 at jhu.edu; Web: http://www.sais-jhu.edu/faculty/directory/bios/g/gusain.htm
-------------------



Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 10:13:15 -0400
From: athr at LOC.GOV
Subject: Re: Question about city names that are being renamed
To: VYAKARAN at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU

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          John Peterson, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
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Calling Chennai/Madras 'patnam' has parallels, such as the ancient Roman reference to Rome as just "urbs," " the city," preserved in the Pope's Christmas and Easter blessing "urbi et orbi," "to the city and the world," and New Yorkers' habit of referring to their city as "the city," which one occasionally hears applied to Washington nowadays.  Presumably the modern Turkish name of Istanbul/Constantinople, literally "up to the city," comes from the Turks regarding the great city on the Bosporus as THE city.  Any other parallels? Allen Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.Senior Reference Librarian and Team CoordinatorSouth Asia TeamAsian DivisionLibrary of CongressWashington, DC 20540-4810USAtel. 202-707-3732fax 202-707-1724The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Library of Congress.      		 	   		  
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