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Kim?

kailum
kaleem
kalem
kallum
kalum
karam
kareem
karim
http://www.vue8residences.sg

There is a name from India not in the database here. Kumkum (f). The origin in India is from Sanskrit kuMkuma, where the a is a schwa (as in English about) and I use M to represent a velar nasal (like English "ng") and it meant Crocus sativus, the source of saffron. The etymology of this is not clear, but similar words exist in many languages in a belt from the eastern Mediterranean to India: κρόκος, כרכום, ܟܟܘܪܟܟܡܡܐ, كركم, all of which lead to words for yellow substances (mainly either turmeric or saffron) which were domesticated in this region. The pollen of saffron flowers was used as a beauty product to accentuate women's nipples in ancient India, but kumkum in modern India changed to mean a yellow-orange-red pigment originally created by putting turmeric into slaked lime (yellow turmeric turns red in alkaline medium), but rarely today also from mercury compounds like cinnabar. Currently, it is mainly used by married, sometimes unmarried, but almost never widowed, women to decorate their foreheads (usually a dot); it symbolizes the goddess of beauty and wealth; and there is cultural symbolism of mutual respect in exchanging or gifting kumkum to or between married women. Variants of the word exist in both north Indian and south Indian languages, and the cultural significance is broadly similar.

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When used as a name, it is used for women. I have heard it more in north India than in the south.

On this site:

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http://www.behindthename.com/names/pattern/k*m

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and for submitted names:

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http://www.behindthename.com/submit/names/pattern/k*m

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--elbowin

KIM & KAREEM...