View Message

Both nandanA and nandinI come from the same root nand, to gladden. nandanA is the typical feminine of the gerundial nandana (or nandan since the last -a is not pronounced today) in its adjectival sense of rejoicing or gladdening. The word nandana soon took on the meaning son, but the word for daughter was nandinI (from the noun nanda, happiness + -in indicating possessor or giver). Thus, you hear raghunandana and janakanandinI. Other common terms from the same root for relatives are the irregularly formed Rgvedic nanA as a term of endearment for mother, and nanAndR (later nanandR) for husband's sister, literally meaning one who pleases repeatedly (don't know if this Rgvedic term was sarcastic :-), and nandinI was also used for this sister-in-law.

---

As a name, I have heard nandinI, not nandanA; but the latter is also a common word, albeit in a different sense.