The Book of Indian Names

This book brings together a collection of twenty brilliant articles on names in India, based on original studies. The Book of Indian Names brings together a collection of twenty brilliant articles on names in India. All except three are original studies specially written for this volume by specialists and senior academics with the first hand information and in-depth understanding of the subject. The contributors belong to the leading universities and institutes, including Indian Institute of Technology, LBS National Academy of Administration, Adyar Library and Research Centre, besides three American universities: New York, Texas and California. A unique feature of the book is its unusually broad range encompassing a wide variety of Indian names brought under careful scrutiny in a single volume. We have here, for example, personal names, nicknames, surnames, pen names, and place names covering the vast geographical area; nearly ass the language families flourishing in India are represented. The studies included in this volume span several disciplines, methodologies and areas of focus, such as Linguistics, History, Archaeology, Folklore, Social Anthropology and Literature. While most studies are empirically oriented, none are merely descriptive. Attempts have been to examine not only the linguistic form and structural pattern of names but also the various rituals, customs, incidents, attitudes and aspirations associated with names. Each name has a story to tell about its ancestry, socio-cultural matrix, character and power.