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ArchivesRe: The name Atreyu
in reply to a message by Cleveland Kent Evans
Could you please provide a reference for the `receptacle of glory' bit?
Standardly, atri is derived from a root ad cognate with and meaning to eat. Atreya is simply generally related to, but more specifically, descendant of, atri. I am, therefore, confused by the second bit ... (Is it supposed to be a mythological bit, or a literal meaning?)
Standardly, atri is derived from a root ad cognate with and meaning to eat. Atreya is simply generally related to, but more specifically, descendant of, atri. I am, therefore, confused by the second bit ... (Is it supposed to be a mythological bit, or a literal meaning?)
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That's from The Penguin Book of Hindu Names by Maneka Gandhi. She claims that the "exact or literal meaning" of Âtreya is "receptacle of glory; crosses the three worlds." She gives the "exact or literal meaning" of the female name Âtreyî as "receptacle of glory; crosses the three worlds; belonging to Atri." She gives the "exact or literal meaning" of Atri as "who devours; overcomes; progresses; prosperous and glorified."
If scholars of Sanskrit in India don't think Maneka Gandhi's work is very good, please tell me. In the preface to the book she claims to have consulted many "pandits and Sanskrit teachers who corrected my mistakes", but perhaps she didn't consult the right ones. :) As an American I have no way of knowing how her work is received in India and am just assuming that a book published in New Delhi with a list of over 140 ancient Sanskrit sources in the back would be more likely to have accurate derivations of Indian names than a book published in the USA. But I certainly could be wrong there.
If scholars of Sanskrit in India don't think Maneka Gandhi's work is very good, please tell me. In the preface to the book she claims to have consulted many "pandits and Sanskrit teachers who corrected my mistakes", but perhaps she didn't consult the right ones. :) As an American I have no way of knowing how her work is received in India and am just assuming that a book published in New Delhi with a list of over 140 ancient Sanskrit sources in the back would be more likely to have accurate derivations of Indian names than a book published in the USA. But I certainly could be wrong there.
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Thanks, I can now try to follow up and see where she got it from. Since I do not own the book, could you also let me know if she gives any reference for this (to any of the 140 sanskrit sources in her bibliography :-) As an aside, Indian books are not necessarily better about the meanings of Indian names: in fact, for very old names like this people with an in depth knowledge of the old language of the vedas, Indian or not, are more likely to provide a clearer etymology. Some of the leading linguists with expertise in that language actually are not Indian, and quite a few of them work in the USA. The name books you find here are not written by them, though, but neither are the ones written in India. The Indian name books are more likely to be correct about more modern (compared to this at least 3000 year old one) names.
The meaning of atri as the devourer is clear, the other meanings as literal meanings I cannot fathom. Atri is a very famous mythological holy man, who, whose wife, and whose descendants appear in many stories. He is also counted as the religious ancestor by many, so myths about his name are likely to be common. One can argue that such meanings are no less correct, just not etymological. How can a folk etymology which the parents, say, believed in when they named their child be incorrect? It would be interesting, though, to know where these meanings originate.
Just for the record, I checked a couple of dictionaries, and none of them show any alternate meaning for either atri or AtreYa/AtreYI, nor do I know of any direct mythological basis for any of the alternate meanings. I will look more and post it here if I find anything.
The meaning of atri as the devourer is clear, the other meanings as literal meanings I cannot fathom. Atri is a very famous mythological holy man, who, whose wife, and whose descendants appear in many stories. He is also counted as the religious ancestor by many, so myths about his name are likely to be common. One can argue that such meanings are no less correct, just not etymological. How can a folk etymology which the parents, say, believed in when they named their child be incorrect? It would be interesting, though, to know where these meanings originate.
Just for the record, I checked a couple of dictionaries, and none of them show any alternate meaning for either atri or AtreYa/AtreYI, nor do I know of any direct mythological basis for any of the alternate meanings. I will look more and post it here if I find anything.
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Sorry ... can't edit, so following up. I wrote: I checked a couple of dictionaries, and none of them show any alternate meaning for etc. What I meant was that nothing remotely like the meanings under discussion. AtreYI is obviously the name of a river and a woman who has bathed after her period, or a brahmin woman, or a bunch of other meanings, but nothing that I thought was even vaguely related.
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Ms. Gandhi divides the entries in her name dictionary into 3 sections:
1. exact or literal meaning
2. intended meaning
3. location of the name in mythology, history, or literature
Unfortunately it is only in the third part that she references the works in her bibliography (and not always then).
If you want to try to purchase this book to evaluate it for yourself, the ISBN is 0-14-012841-7.
1. exact or literal meaning
2. intended meaning
3. location of the name in mythology, history, or literature
Unfortunately it is only in the third part that she references the works in her bibliography (and not always then).
If you want to try to purchase this book to evaluate it for yourself, the ISBN is 0-14-012841-7.
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Thanks
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