New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesRe: The meaning
in reply to a message by Trevlyn
So you know three other Trevlyns, and that's the same way their parents chose their name, by their older brothers' name (Trevor)? Just want to make sure I understand how you got your name.
That's very interesting. I don't know of anyone who was named after their sibling (here in the US). Trevlyn's a neat name, though. :)
That's very interesting. I don't know of anyone who was named after their sibling (here in the US). Trevlyn's a neat name, though. :)
1
Replies
Naming siblings (and close cousins) in a common pattern is very common among Bengalis in India. In my family I know a set of sisters Swagata, Sumita, Sanchita, and their cousin Sangeeta. Then I have a cousin who was named Chinmoy because I am Tanmoy, and his brother was named Mrinmoy. My father is one of four brothers: Nani, Phani, Mani, Chuni.
Usually, what is matched is some phonetic element (initial sound, final sound, rhyming) or choosing words (most Bengali names can be used as Bengali words: rarely a common word, but mostly intelligible) that are associated for some reason: my brother-in-law Abir was named 'after' my wife Kumkum, since 'Abir Kumkum' are two commonly occurring ingredients in decorating many idols, and are often mentioned together. The Chinmoy-Mrinmoy set is both rhyming and 'antonyms' in a philosophical context.
Usually, what is matched is some phonetic element (initial sound, final sound, rhyming) or choosing words (most Bengali names can be used as Bengali words: rarely a common word, but mostly intelligible) that are associated for some reason: my brother-in-law Abir was named 'after' my wife Kumkum, since 'Abir Kumkum' are two commonly occurring ingredients in decorating many idols, and are often mentioned together. The Chinmoy-Mrinmoy set is both rhyming and 'antonyms' in a philosophical context.
1
I've been meaning to ask you for years, Tanmoy - what does your name mean? I've never encountered anything like it among South African Indians (who mostly arrived here as indentured labourers in the 19th century when the British Raj decided its population was interchangeable across the Empire) - they might well have mostly come from a different part of India.
1
It is of Sanskrit origin: The pronominal root tad (he/she/it; it is cognate with English that) with a suffix maya denoting 'made of/from'. 'Made up of that' makes no sense in English, but it is the common word for "engrossed" or someone "concentrating on something". The word is old (appears in the post-Vedic literature, e.g., in the Upanishads), and is still in common use as a word in Bengali and Hindi. It started being used as a name in India (probably Bengal, not sure) slightly before I was born (1962), and increased in popularity since then, probably because a famous tabla-player by this name. My parents don't recall where they got tanmaYa from, but it was probably chosen patterned after the older-as-a-name cinmaYa (from cit/kit consciousness/health, originally probably bright etc.: "consisting purely of consciousness", i.e., not corporeal, but spiritual; opposite of that is mRnmaYa, from mRt, mud).
1
Thank you! I like the (probable) meaning of 'focused', and it seems to suit you.
1