Dissecting Bengali Personal Names - Part 4 of 7
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We take a deep dive in to the fascinating world of Bengali names. This is the 4th of 7 posts we've written on the subject. Each post is written in the form of notes and observations on the subject.
Worship and Rituals
The aesthetic side of worship and rituals has always appealed to the Bengali sensibility and this is clearly demonstrated by the choice of personal names: Arpita ('offered to the gods', fem.), Artho, Aaroti ('worship rituals with lights and bells', fem.), Pushpanjali ('ritual with flowers in folded hands, fem.), Kala ('flower garland, fem.), Nirmallo ('ritual with garlands'), Pronoti (fem.), etc.
Light & Sources of Light
A prolific source of personal names is light and the various concepts associated with it. Of the 40 odd names we list the more typically Bengali ones: Aalo (light), Deepika (lamp, fem.), Deepannita (festival of lamps, fem.), Shikha (flame, fem.), Bonhi (flame, fem.), Orunabho (red associated with the rising sun), Anol (fire), Krishanu (fire), Bornali (spectrum, fem.), Dipon (brightness).
Victory, War & Peace
There are more than thirty names drawn from these concepts; the more typical of these are Samar (war), Orijit (victorious in war), Sujoy (auspicious victory), Subir (good warrior), Probir (warrior), Bijita (conquered, fem.).
