List of Indian state and union territory name etymologies: Difference between revisions
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! State name (# on map) !! In State Language !! Meaning !! Notes |
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|[[Andhra Pradesh]] (1) || ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]) || Southern Proviince || ''Andhra'' denotes "south" in [[Sanskrit]], while Pradesh means Province. The ancient Indian epics such as the [[Mahabharata]], mention the Andhra as a tribe whose members fought on the side of both [[Pandavas]] and [[Kauravas]] (see [[Andhra in Indian epic literature]]). The earliest mention of the Andhras is said to be in [[Aitareya Brahmana]], which mentions Andhras as sons of the sage [[Vishwamitra]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}} Satavahanas were Maurya officials titled Andhra-Bhartyah (officers of South). |
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|[[Arunachal Pradesh]] (2) || अरुणाचल प्रदेश ([[Hindi]]) || Land of the dawn-lit mountains. || In Sanskrit, ''aruna'' means "dawn-lit" and ''achal'' "mountains". |
|[[Arunachal Pradesh]] (2) || अरुणाचल प्रदेश ([[Hindi]]) || Land of the dawn-lit mountains. || In Sanskrit, ''aruna'' means "dawn-lit" and ''achal'' "mountains". |
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Revision as of 09:13, 28 February 2014
The Republic of India was constituted in 1947 as a union of states. After the States Reorganization Act of 1956 rearranged state boundaries along linguistic lines, many states were given names in their own languages. The origins of these names can usually be traced back to Sanskrit, excepting Kerala (Malayalam), Tamil Nadu (Tamil) and Karnataka (Kannada). Many states are named due to their geographical characteristics, peculiar history or populations and colonial influences.
States
| State name (# on map) | In State Language | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh (1) | (Telugu) | Southern Proviince | Andhra denotes "south" in Sanskrit, while Pradesh means Province. The ancient Indian epics such as the Mahabharata, mention the Andhra as a tribe whose members fought on the side of both Pandavas and Kauravas (see Andhra in Indian epic literature). The earliest mention of the Andhras is said to be in Aitareya Brahmana, which mentions Andhras as sons of the sage Vishwamitra.[citation needed] Satavahanas were Maurya officials titled Andhra-Bhartyah (officers of South). |
| Arunachal Pradesh (2) | अरुणाचल प्रदेश (Hindi) | Land of the dawn-lit mountains. | In Sanskrit, aruna means "dawn-lit" and achal "mountains". |
| Assam (3) | অসম (Assamese/Bodo) | "Uneven" or from "Ahom" | Indo-Aryan word asama means "uneven". However, most scholars believe that Assam is derived from the Ahoms, who ruled Assam for six centuries. The word Ahom itself may be derived from Shan (Syam in Assamese) or from the Indo-Aryan word "Asama" (uneven, in the sense of "unequal" or "peerless").[1] See Etymology of Assam. |
| Bihar (4) | बिहार (Hindi) | From vihara ("Buddhist monastery") | Foreign invaders often used abandoned viharas as military cantonments; the word Bihar may have come from the large number of viharas thus used in the area. Originally Bihar was name of a town, which was the medieval headquarters of the Muslim invaders in the Magadha region.[citation needed] The town still exists and is called Bihar or Bihar Sharif (Nalanda District). Later on the headquarters was shifted from Bihar to Patana (current Patna) by Sher Shah Suri and the whole Magadha region was called Bihar. |
| Chhattisgarh (5) | छत्तीसगढ (Hindi) | possibly "Thirty-six forts" | Chhatisgarh translates to "36 forts" in Hindi. There are several theories about what the term "36 forts" refers to; see Chhattisgarh#Etymology. According to the various theories, the term may refer to the 36 pillars of a temple, 36 former feudal territories or 36 houses. Another theory says that the term is actually a corruption of the word "Chedisgarh" that refers to the Chedi dynasty. |
| Goa (6) | गोंय (Konkani) | Uncertain, probably related to "cow" | The name Goa came to European languages via Portuguese, but its precise origin is unclear. A number of theories about its origin are centered around the Sanskrit word go (cow).[2] For example, the legend of Krishna names a mountain where he saved the cow; the mountain was named "Gomantak", which later became Goa. For other theories, see Goa#Etymology. |
| Gujarat (7) | ગુજરાત (Gujarati) | Land of "Gurjars" | The Gujjars, who ruled the area around the 8th century.[3][4] |
| Haryana (8) | हरियाणा (Hindi) | "Abode of God" or "Green forest" | Hari refers to the Hindu deity Vishnu or Krishna, ana means "to come". It potentially refers to the coming of Krishna during the Mahabharata war. Another theory traces the name to the words hari (green) and aranya (forest).[5] |
| Himachal Pradesh (9) | हिमाचल प्रदेश (Hindi) | Land of the snow clad mountains | In Sanskrit, hima means "snow" and achal "mountain". |
| Jammu and Kashmir (10) | جموں و کشمی (Kashmiri) | Jammu and Kashmir regions | The word "Jammu" is possibly named after the king Jambu Lochan. "Kashmir" may mean the "Land desiccated by water" (from Sanskrit Ka, water + shimeera, to desiccate) or may be derived from the name of the sage Kashyapa. |
| Jharkhand (11) | झारखंड (Hindi) | Land of jhari or low forest | Jhari means "dense forest" in Sanskrit. Khand means "land." Another term for this area is Vananchal. |
| Karnataka (12) | ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ (Kannada) | Lofty Land | From karu + naad = Karnaad, which means "lofty land", referring to the Deccan plateau. Karnatik is the adjectival form of Karnaad, and means "of Karnaad". In 1947, this state was formed from the princely state of Mysore. In 1956, the Kannada-speaking regions of neighboring states were added to Mysore state. The name was changed to Karnataka in 1973. |
| Kerala (13) | കേരളം (Malayalam) | Land Added on or Land of Cheras | There are two main theories about the derivation of "Kerala". (1) Parts of Kerala were created by Lord Parasurama, who reclaimed the land from the sea. Hence the name is derived from chernna ("added") and alam ("land"), hence the Sanskrit keralam, "the land added on". (2) The Chera dynasty, which ruled most of Kerala from the 1st to the 5th centuries AD, gave its name to the region; Chera alam later became Keralam. This is often disputed in academic circles because the word Kerala existed even before the rule of Cheras. One of Ashoka's inscriptions describes Keralaputhra as a land on the Mauryan border. At independence, this territory was divided between several jurisdictions: primarily the territories of Travancore and Cochin, though the northern part was under the direct rule of Madras Presidency. In 1949, the state of Travancore-Cochin was created. In 1956, this area, with further boundary changes, was renamed Kerala. |
| Madhya Pradesh (14) | मध्य प्रदेश (Hindi) | Middle Province | Prior to independence, the majority of this area was administered by the British as the Central Provinces and the Central Indian States. At independence, several of these districts were joined together as the Central Provinces and Berar. In 1950, these two regions were merged with Makrai and Chhatisgarh and the term "Central Provinces" was translated to Hindi as Madhya Pradesh ("Middle Province"). |
| Maharashtra (15) | महाराष्ट्र (Marathi) | Uncertain; possibly Maha- (Great) + Sanskritized form of Ratta dynasty | The most widely accepted theory among scholars is that the words Maratha and Maharashtra ultimately derive from a compound of maha (Sanskrit for "great") and rashtrika.[6] The word rashtrika is a Sanskritized form of Ratta, the name of a tribe or dynasty of petty chiefs ruling in the Deccan region.[7] Yet another theory is that the term is derived from maha ("great") and rathi or ratha (charioteer).[7] Another theory states that the term derives from the words maha ("Great") and rashtra ("nation/dominion"). However, this theory has not found acceptance among modern scholars who believe it to be the Sanskritized interpretation of later writers.[6] |
| Manipur (16) | মণিপুর (Manipuri) | Jewelled Land | Mani ("jewel") + pur ("city") |
| Meghalaya (17) | Megahalaya (Khasi) | The abode of clouds | From Sanskrit, Megha ("clouds") and alaya ("abode"). |
| Mizoram (18) | Mizoram (Mizo) | Land of the highlanders | Mi means "people" and zo means "highlander" |
| Nagaland (19) | Nagaland (English) | Land of the Nagas | |
| Odissa (20) | ଓଡ଼ିଶା (Oriya) | Land of the Odias | The name of the state is derived from the Sanskrit Odra Vishaya or Odra Desa that referred to the Odra people who inhabited the central part of the region. Sanskrit and Pali literatures mention the Odra people as Odrah and Oddaka. |
| West Bengal (21) | পশ্চিমবঙ্গ (Bengali) | West part of Bengal | The term West Bengal originated after the Partition of Bengal province in 1905 by the colonial administration. The origin of the word "Bengal" itself is uncertain (see Bengal#Etymology). Possible origins include the name of a tribe that settled in the area around 1000 BCE and the Austric word for the sun god. |
| Punjab (22) | ਪੰਜਾਬ (Punjabi/Gurmukhi) | Land of five rivers | A combination of the Indo-Iranian words punj ("five") and āb ("water"). The five rivers are the Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. |
| Rajasthan (23) | राजस्थान (Hindi) | Land of Kings | Raja means King in Sanskrit. During British rule, this area was known as Rajputana, "land of the Rajputs".[8] |
| Sikkim (24) | सिक्किम (Limbu) | New Palace | The most widely accepted origin of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two words in Limbu: su ("new") and khyim ("palace" or "house"), in reference to the palace built by the state's first ruler, Phuntsog Namgyal. The Tibetan name for Sikkim is Denjong, which means "valley of rice". |
| Tamil Nadu (25) | தமிழ்நாடு (Tamil) | Tamil country | Nadu in the Tamil language means "homeland" or "nation" hence Tamil Nadu means "homeland of Tamils". The origin of the world "Tamil" itself is uncertain: theories range from "self speech" to "sweet sound" (see Tamil language#Etymology). |
| Tripura (26) | ত্রিপুরা (Bengali) | Uncertain | Several theories exist pertaining to the origin of Tripura's name (see Tripura#Name). Possible origins are from Kokborok (tui, "water" + pra, "near") and Sanskrit (tri, "three" + pur, "city"). |
| Uttar Pradesh (27) | उत्तर प्रदेश (Hindi) | Northern Province | Prior to independence, the majority of the territory now comprising Uttar Pradesh was administered by the British under various names—the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, the United Provinces of British India, and simply United Provinces. The latter name was retained at independence. In 1950, the commonly used initials U.P. were preserved by adoption of the name Uttar Pradesh, meaning "Northern Province." |
| Uttarakhand (28) | उत्तराखण्ड (Hindi) | North Section | In 2000, the new state of Uttaranchal ("northern mountains") was split from Uttar Pradesh. In 2007, the name was changed to Uttarakhand ("northland"). |
Union Territories
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
- Andaman: Italian traveler Niccolò de' Conti (c. 1440) mentioned the word Andaman meant "Island of Gold". A theory that became prevalent in the late 19th century and has since gained momentum is that the name of the islands derives from Sanskrit via the Malay Handuman, named for the deity Hanuman.[9]
- Nicobar: The name "Nicobar" is probably derived from the Chola dynasty name for the islands, Nakkavaram (literally, "naked man" in Tamil) which is inscribed on the Tanjore inscription of AD 1050.[10][11]
- Chandigarh: "Chandi's fort". No actual fort ever existed; a large Chandi temple "protected" the locals, hence the name. The goddess Chandi appears as a form of the goddess Kali or Parvati.
- Delhi: The etymology of "Delhi" is uncertain. The very common view is that its eponym is Dhillu or Dilu, a king of the Mauryan dynasty, who built the city in 50 BC and named it after himself.[12][13][14] The Hindi/Prakrit word dhili ("loose") was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because the Iron Pillar built by Raja Dhava had a weak foundation and was replaced.[14] Coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal.[15] Some other historians believe that the name is derived from Dilli, a corruption of dehleez (Persian: دهليز) or dehali (Sanskrit: देहली). Both terms mean "threshold" or "gateway" and are symbolic of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain.[16][17] Another theory suggests that the city's original name was Dhillika.[18]
- Lakshadweep: "Hundred Thousand Islands". In Sanskrit, laksha means "a hundred thousand" and dweep means "island".
- Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry: from Puducheri, from Tamil pudu "new" + cheri "settlement" or "camp".[19]
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli: From the towns of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
- Daman and Diu: From the towns of Daman and Diu.
References
- ^ Suresh Kant Sharma (ed.). Discovery of North-East India. Vol. 3. Mittal. p. 1. ISBN 978-81-8324-037-6.
- ^ Teotonio R. De Souza (1990). Goa Through the Ages: An economic history. Concept Publishing Company. p. 5. ISBN 978-81-7022-259-0.
- ^ Gujrat Government. "Gujrat state official site".
The State took its name from the Gujara, the land of the Gujjars, who ruled the area during the 700's and 800's.
- ^ Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (1954). The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. p. 64.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthor=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Bijender K Punia (1994). Tourism management: problems and prospects. APH. p. 18. ISBN 978-81-7024-643-5.
- ^ a b Maharashtra State Gazetteers: General Series. Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications. 1967. p. 208. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ^ a b K. Balasubramanyam (1965). the mysore. Mittal Publications. p. 174. GGKEY:HRFC6GWCY6D. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ^ John Keay (2001). India: a history. Grove Press. pp. 231–232. ISBN 0-8021-3797-0.
Colonel James tod, who as the first British official to visit Rajasthan spent most of the 1820s exploring its political potential, formed a very different idea of "Rashboots".....and the whole region thenceforth became, for the British, 'Rajputana'.
- ^ William Wilson Hunter, James Sutherland Cotton, Richard Burn, William Stevenson Meyer (1908). "Imperial Gazetteer of India". Great Britain India Office, Clarendon Press.
... The name has always been in historical times some form of Andaman, which more than probably represents Handuman, the Malay from Hanuman, treating the islands as the abode of the Hindu mythological monkey people or savage aboriginal ...
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ John Keay (2001). India: A History. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-3797-5.
... and 'Nakkavaram' certainly represents the Nicobar islands ...
- ^ The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1998. ISBN 978-0-85229-633-2. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
... The name Nicobar probably is derived from Nakkavaram ("Land of the Naked") ...
- ^ "Chapter 1: Introduction" (PDF). Economic Survey of Delhi, 2005–2006. Planning Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. pp. pp1–7. Retrieved 21 December 2006.
{{cite web}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ Bakshi, S.R. (1995) [2002]. Delhi Through Ages. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. p. 2. ISBN 81-7488-138-7.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|chapterurl=(help) - ^ a b Smith, George (1882). The Geography of British India, Political & Physical. J. Murray. pp. 216–217. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|chapterurl=(help) - ^ "Our Pasts II, History Textbook for Class VII". NCERT. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
- ^ A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English
- ^ Cohen, Richard J. (October–December 1989). "An Early Attestation of the Toponym Dhilli". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 109 (4): 513–519. doi:10.2307/604073. JSTOR 604073.
- ^ Austin, Ian. "Chauhans (Cahamanas, Cauhans)". The Mewar Encyclopedia. mewarindia.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2006.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Statoids.com.