Very well put, Manoj.
I had to read the whole email twice to understand what you were trying to
convey.
The main thrust of what I was also trying to say to Chandan-da was if we feel
so sensitive of how Assam is referred to (as, Axom, Asom, Oxom, Osom),
shouldn't we also afford the same kind of sensitivities to the Oriya's or
Odiyas? The other examples of different cities are mentioned by both also.
How can we make a judgement call on how people should refer to their own
language or state, worse still, call their decision dumb?
About Assamese and Sanskrit, this is how Banikanta Kakati quoted of Dr. Nathan
Brown on the footnote (inserted by Dr. Golokchandra Goswami) of his book:
"Assamese: Its Formation and Development".
".........finding so large a proportion of words common to both
Bengali and Assamese, and not considering that this
similarity necessarily results from the derivation of these
languages from Sanskrit, the common parent of both,
.............(pp ix-x)".
The reference here was when some people thought that Assamese came. From
Bengali, then Dr. Banikanta Kakati referenced Dr. Nathan Brown who clearly
stated that Sanskrit is the parent of both. I understand both these well
respecteds INTELLECUALs clearly established this fact. If history was
rewritten, then I don't know.
> Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:04:31 +0530
> From: dasm...@gmail.com
> To: assam@assamnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Parliament approves new name for Orissa
>
> Rajenda
>
> Very well analysed.
>
> Name is nothing but a sign. In management parley, its also called
> brand, and we may have positive or negative brand equity, depending on
> the usage, exposure and value attached and perception in public mind.
>
> Sometimes we change names to shed some negative equity/image. In Assam
> many communities adopted new names, new spellings to redeem pride or
> reposition themselves. British had problem in spelling Indian names.
> Many British legacies were shed later, e.g. Gauhati became Guwahati,
> Baroda became Vadodara. Orissa was a British assigned spelling and
> adoption of new spelling will ultimately help people to pronounce
> correctly through continuous reminder.
>
> In any case English is a funny language, in one Bollywood movie
> Dharmendra was teasing an over jealous 'jijaji' Om Prakash- 'to', 'tu'
> hota hain 'go', 'gu' kyon nahin hota.
>
> Cheers!
> Manoj
>
> On 4/10/11, Rajen Barua <baru...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Sondon
> > Now that I am thinking, changing the name Orissa (r = ro) to Odissa (d=dore
> > ro) is real dumb if they mean to keep the pronunciation same as Orissa. Now
> > nobody would pronounce it Orissa, and everybody would pronounce it Odisa. (
> > This also shows how Sanskrit is still controlling the ignorant
> > intellectuals).
> >
> > In Assamese it is what we call, 'Gorom bhator dhwai khwa.' or 'Burir kam
> > nai, xakot bon di base'.
> >
> > Anyhow this is a good answer to the opponents of the spelling Oxom who claim
> > that nobody would pronounce X as Assamese XO. If Oriyans can write D and
> > expect people to pronounce it as R, Assamese also can write X and expect
> > people to pronounce it as XO.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Rajen
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> From: cmaha...@gmail.com
> >> Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 10:33:26 -0500
> >> To: assam@assamnet.org
> >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Parliament approves new name for Orissa
> >>
> >> >Could be! but isn't it the same thing that some of us want Assam to be
> >> > written as Oxom, or Asom (some like and some hate).
> >>
> >> **** Not soooo fast , A ! Did you really think I did not attempt to even
> >> think this thru :-)? Different issues here.
> >>
> >> This is how:
> >>
> >> ASOM is neither Assam, an ancient name of our region, nor is it Oxom, as
> >> the predominantly known sound of the
> >> geographical area thus named. ASOM is a misguided ( to put it mildly) and
> >> ignorant ( to say it like it is) way to transliterate
> >> the Oxom name in Roman script. ASOM does NOT sound anything like Oxom. And
> >> the ONLY reason for attemting to re-name
> >> Assam to ASOM, is based on the IGNORANT argument that Assam was a colonial
> >> term, coined by the British.
> >>
> >> See the difference?
> >>
> >> I don't know HOW the Oriyas pronounce the name of their state: as Orissa,
> >> or Orisha or Odisha or some other form.
> >> But if I am unaware of the peculiarity of this 'd' letter representing an
> >> 'rd' sound, then I would pronounce Odisha's 'd'
> >> as in Godiva, completely turning the intent behind the change on its head.
> >>
> >>
> >> c-da
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mar 26, 2011, at 9:59 AM, Alpana B. Sarangapani wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Could be! but isn't it the same thing that some of us want Assam to be
> >> > written as Oxom, or Asom (some like and some hate). It may not make
> >> > sense to others but it does to us.
> >> >
> >> > There are some other Indian words that are spelt with a 'd' but
> >> > pronounced as 'r'. These words only come to my mind right
> >> > now...Kadai-chicken and Kodai-kanal.
> >> >
> >> > Now I am not sure if I am doing a 'khugi gaali-khuwa' work from you this
> >> > morning :), C'da, but had to say this as you seem to understand the need
> >> > for Oxom(?), but did not Odisha.
> >> >
> >> > It would be difficult to keep up with all these name changes, Odisha,
> >> > Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, and hopefully 'Oxom', someday, no?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> From: cmaha...@gmail.com
> >> >> Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 09:07:17 -0500
> >> >> To: assam@assamnet.org
> >> >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Parliament approves new name for Orissa
> >> >>
> >> >> It is a matter for the Odiyas. But somehow I fail to understand how the
> >> >>
> >> >> 'r' replaced with 'd' will feel them any more Odiya than Oriya,
> >> >> considering
> >> >> the fact that few English speakers would know the difference or care.
> >> >>
> >> >> It is, at best, a demonstration of ethnic insecurity.
> >> >>
> >> >> cm
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On Mar 26, 2011, at 12:02 AM, Bidyananda Barkakoty wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Parliament
> >> >>> approves new name for Orissa
> >> >>>
> >> >>> PTI – Thu, Mar 24, 2011
> >> >>> 2:36 PM IST
> >> >>>
> >> >>> New Delhi, March 24 (PTI) Orissa will hereafter
> >> >>> be called ''Odisha'' and the Oriya language will be known as ''Odia''
> >> >>> with
> >> >>> Parliament giving approval to amendment of the Constitution and also
> >> >>> passing
> >> >>> the related bill.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> The Rajya Sabha passed the Orissa
> >> >>> (the Alteration of Name) Bill and adopted the Constitution (113th)
> >> >>> Amendment
> >> >>> Bill after a brief debate with members from all parties hailing the
> >> >>> move as
> >> >>> "historic" for people of the state.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Supported by all parties, including
> >> >>> the Biju Janta Dal, the Constitution Amendment Bill was adopted by all
> >> >>> 169
> >> >>> members present and voting.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Such a bill requires support of at
> >> >>> least two-third of members present and voting. Besides, the majority
> >> >>> of the
> >> >>> strength of the House should be present for voting. The Upper House
> >> >>> has a
> >> >>> strength of 245 members.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Lok Sabha has already adopted these
> >> >>> measures after the Centre received the resolution passed by the state
> >> >>> Assembly.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> While there was all round support
> >> >>> for the measure, BJP and Congress members sought to target Chief
> >> >>> Minister
> >> >>> Naveen Patnaik charging him with non-performance and heading a
> >> >>> government
> >> >>> facing scams.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> The bills were piloted by Home Minister P Chidambaram.
> >> >>> However, the electronic voting system witnessed glitches during the
> >> >>> division so
> >> >>> much so that even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s vote was also cast
> >> >>> wrongly.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Participating in the debate,
> >> >>> members said the name change was the process of decolonisation as
> >> >>> Britishers
> >> >>> had changed the Indian names of cities and states.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Pyarimohan Mohapatra (BJD) said it
> >> >>> was a "great moment" for people of the state and added that with the
> >> >>> change of name, they are getting back their pride.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> R C Khuntia (Cong) rued that the
> >> >>> state, which was prosperous once, has become poverty-stricken. He,
> >> >>> however,
> >> >>> hoped the change of name will fulfil aspirations of people.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> He said the state was facing many
> >> >>> scams and corruption charges in the present rule.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Rudra Narayan Pany (BJP) charged
> >> >>> the Orissa
> >> >>> Chief Minister with non-performance and said Patnaik could not speak
> >> >>> even the
> >> >>> local language. His colleague Chandan Mitra said, "Orissa regains its
> >> >>> prestige and sense of history."
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Mitra said while India''s heritage
> >> >>> was revered in many parts of the world, "we have forgotten our own
> >> >>> heritage."
> >> >>>
> >> >>> There have been many cities and
> >> >>> states that have been renamed after independence. These include
> >> >>> Thiruvananthapuram
> >> >>> (Trivandrum), Mumbai
> >> >>> (Bombay), Chennai
> >> >>> (Madras), Kolkata
> >> >>> (Calcutta), Pune (Poona), Kochi
> >> >>> (Cochin) and Bangaluru (Banglore).
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> _______________________________________________
> >> >>> assam mailing list
> >> >>> assam@assamnet.org
> >> >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> assam mailing list
> >> >> assam@assamnet.org
> >> >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > assam mailing list
> >> > assam@assamnet.org
> >> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> assam mailing list
> >> assam@assamnet.org
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> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
> --
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>
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