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ArchivesKanapathippilla?
A letter went horribly wrong today. Same street, but it was to be number 39 and not 31 (my number). It was only addressed carrying the last name and when I went online to find where the right recipient of the letter, I found Kanapathippilla listed as the recipients first name.
It looks female and Indian/Sri Lankan to me, given the length on both first- and last name. They were almost equal length. But it could also be Eastern Asian and it's also a very interesting looking name. When I did a Google search on it, it turned up "Kanapathipillai", which looked more as a last name.
So, I'm coming here for help. So if anyone knows to this name, it'll be greatly appreciated.
It looks female and Indian/Sri Lankan to me, given the length on both first- and last name. They were almost equal length. But it could also be Eastern Asian and it's also a very interesting looking name. When I did a Google search on it, it turned up "Kanapathipillai", which looked more as a last name.
So, I'm coming here for help. So if anyone knows to this name, it'll be greatly appreciated.
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Replies
it is a Tamil surname, common in Sri Lanka.
Kanapathi may be related to the name "Ganapati" another name for the Hindu god of good fortune, Ganesh. and "pillai" is the word for a Tamil land-owning fuedal caste.
so the surname may be a combination of respectful homage to a god, and a reference to one's caste.
Kanapathi may be related to the name "Ganapati" another name for the Hindu god of good fortune, Ganesh. and "pillai" is the word for a Tamil land-owning fuedal caste.
so the surname may be a combination of respectful homage to a god, and a reference to one's caste.
This message was edited 1/31/2010, 5:59 PM
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கணபதிப்பிள்ளை Kanapathippillai (note the last dipthong)
Tamil does not have voicing and aspiration as phonemic features (almost), so kaNapathi may just be Indoaryan gaNapati: in Sanskrit, gaNa (from gaN, to count) meaning masses and pati is master or husband. gaNapati or gaNesha, the elephant headed son of Shiva, the destroyer, is the leader of a host (gaNa) of demigods, and is prayed to to remove obstacles at the beginning of all major actions, including ceremonies. He may be considered the god of auspicious beginnings, and is a central figure in some sects of Hinduism: including large swaths of the West and South India.
Pillai, I believe (I know no Dravidian language), is a Dravidian origin Tamil word for small, youth, son, prince, etc., and is used as parts of names denoting various high castes.
I do not know enough Tamil to know why the extra -p- appears and whether this is the correct explanation.
Tamil does not have voicing and aspiration as phonemic features (almost), so kaNapathi may just be Indoaryan gaNapati: in Sanskrit, gaNa (from gaN, to count) meaning masses and pati is master or husband. gaNapati or gaNesha, the elephant headed son of Shiva, the destroyer, is the leader of a host (gaNa) of demigods, and is prayed to to remove obstacles at the beginning of all major actions, including ceremonies. He may be considered the god of auspicious beginnings, and is a central figure in some sects of Hinduism: including large swaths of the West and South India.
Pillai, I believe (I know no Dravidian language), is a Dravidian origin Tamil word for small, youth, son, prince, etc., and is used as parts of names denoting various high castes.
I do not know enough Tamil to know why the extra -p- appears and whether this is the correct explanation.
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