This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

Re: What does the Indian (Bengali/Sanskrit) name Kinnira mean?
Thanks for the explanation. This name belongs to a Bengali NRI girl whose wedding invitation I came across. It seemed to me a made-up name but I was curious if it was correct or not.
vote up1vote down

Replies

Yes, I have started seeing the occasional kreativ spelling in Indian names as well, usually in the US. Just came across a Bhasweti, who explained to me that the spelling in Bengali was also creative (of Bhaswati, from the Sanskrit root bhA, which , though originally related to speech (cognate with English ban), but through the sense of appearance, also meant to be bright or to shine; and bhAsvatI, was the feminine adjective meaning shining; the pronunciation became -shw- in Bengali; the word shvetI, a feminine word meaning and cognate with white is probably unrelated since it is associated with leprosy and unlikely to be a name forming element). She named her daughter with a creative name as well: Jolly but the first vowel pronounced as in the English goal.But, sometimes, these are not creative spellings, but common in expatriate communities (e.g., in S. Africa, Indonesia, W. Indies, Fiji, etc.) which have diverged enough to have their own pronunciation systems better expressed by their own spellings. I have been aware of this for some time, but it would be nice if someone systematically studied these expatriate Indian names.
vote up1vote down
Sorry, double checked; the daughter's name is also spelt Johlea, pronounciation as I indicated before. The name does seem to have prior usage.
vote up1vote down