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

Re: Chandrakal
in reply to a message by ADT
You probably meant chandrakala.Yes, candra is a Sanskrit word meaning the moon, and is probably related to the Indoeuropean root of English "shine".kalA is a Sanskrit word of unclear etymology which means a bit. (It also has the meaning art and a few others, but I do not know the relation between these meanings). In particular it often means the 16th part, so chandrakala is about the amount the moon's crescent changes in a day. From this usage, the lunar crescent on the day before or after the new moon, or a similar nail mark, is called candrakalA.
vote up1vote down

Replies

Thanks! But I meant Chandrakal, that is the name in the article.
vote up1vote down
No, that is the spelling in the picture caption, but in the body of the article it is spelt Chandrakala twice. I suspect that the picture caption is a typo.
vote up1vote down