November 17, 2008

By any other

While I'm on one of my blogging slowdowns ... something I occasionally think about.

***

Hindi: santra. Finnish: appelsini. Portuguese: laranjeira. English: orange.

French: Londres. Italian: Londra. Icelandic: Lundúnir. English: London.

Hindi: Angrezi. Afrikaans: Engels. French: Anglais. English: English.

German: Deutschland. Danish: Tyskland. Spanish: Alemania. English: Germany.

French: Coup du Monde. Portuguese: Copa do Mundo. Marathi: Vishwa Chashak. English: World Cup.

Japanese: Nippon. Spanish: Japón. Bahasa Indonesia: Jepang. English: Japan.

Greek: Hellas. Dutch: Griekenland. Turkish: Yunanistan. English: Greece.

Swahili: Uingereza. Spanish: Inglaterra. Gaelic: Sostyn. English: England.

Spanish: Estados Unidos. Arabic: al Wilāyat al Muttaḥidah. French: L'Etats Unis. English: United States.

French: Inde. Hindi: Bharat. Turkish: Hindistan. English: India.

***

You can find your own examples.

With all this, what was so objectionable about this?

Hindi: Bambai. Marathi: Mumbai. English: Bombay.

(Apply as appropriate to Kolkata, Bengaluru, etc).

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's a way to find an old timer mumbaikar -- He'll probably call the city "Bombay". But see, even in my last statement, I used the word "mumbai(kar)". Its just the way it comes to me. When I say it in marathi, I don't say "Aamchi Bombay".

Sadly, these trivial things are important matters and eventually decide who rules the state.

And then, there is this prime ministerial candidate who says, proudly, that he'd cut out another state if his party is voted to power. This upsets me. All our leaders, are they just there to take the short way out? Is this a development that we should look forward to? Is it not a pity that the fate of our country is being decided on the basis of what can be done with the name of a town and what new state can be carved out?

Anonymous said...

:-) Loved the way you got the point across. Neat perspective I must say.

Kavi said...

Loved it ! It was built so well, that the punch at the end packed power !!

Are these people listening ? Perhaps they would want to get this translated in Marathi, Kannada, Tamil..whatever !

Unknown said...

Hi, I am an edito at a new magazine from Delhi Press called The Caravan. We are soliciting smart, interesting pitches from new writers and I love your blog. Send me ideas at kv.brown@delhipress.in

Pareshaan said...

About Santara - I always thought that the Indian word for it was naranj/naarangi - which was how the english settled on orange - not that it makes much of a differnce, but thought I'd mention it.

Unknown Indian said...

Great post. Agree fully. This city will always be Bombay (en Angalis)