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Men's and Women's Names

A Study of a Brahman Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Martine Van Woerkens
Martine Van Woerkens*
Affiliation:
École pratique des hautes études, Paris
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Extract

Kin Milinda asked the sage, “How are you known? What is your name?”

“I was named Nãgasena by my parents, the priests and the others… But Nāgasena is not a separate entity. Just as the different parts of the chariot when they are brought, together form a chariot, so when the constitutive elements of existence are brought together in a body, they form a living being”.

Later the king asked, “What becomes reborn, Nāgasena?”

“The name and the form (nāmarūpa) are reborn”.

“Is it this name and this form that are reborn?”

“No, but through this name and this form, deeds, whether good or bad, are performed, and by these deeds, the karma, another name-and-form is reborn”.

This dialogue from the first century B.C. explains, with a slightly different meaning, a cardinal notion for Hinduism, the principle of individuation. Designated by the composite nāma (name) and rūpa (form), this notion illustrates the consubstantial relationship between the person and his name.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Diogenes , Volume 38 , Issue 151 , September 1990, pp. 104 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

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References

Bibliography

Viviane, Alleton, “Prénoms chinois ou la mémoire du mot”, Orients, Paris, Sudestasie/Privat, 1986, pp. 281–294.Google Scholar
Besnard, Philippe, “Pour une étude empirique du phénomène de mode dans la consommation des biens symboliques: le cas des prénoms”, Archives européennes de sociologie, 1979, Vol. XX, pp. 343–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burguière, A., Klapisch-Zuber, C., Zonabend, F., “Formes de nomination en Europe”, L'homme, 1984, t. XX, no. 4.Google Scholar
Dauzat, A., Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, Paris, Larousse, 1951.Google Scholar
Dupaquier, Jacques, Bideau, Alain, Ducreux, Marie-Elizabeth, Le Prénom, mode et histoire. Entretiens de Mahler, 1980. Paris, Éditions de l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales, 1984.Google Scholar
Genette, Gérard, Mimologiques. Voyage en Cratylie, Paris, Le Seuil, 1976.Google Scholar
Lévi-Strauss, Claude, La Pensée sauvage, Paris, Plon, 1962.Google Scholar
Jacques, Pimpaneau, “Les noms”, Chine, culture et tradition, Paris, Ph. Picquier, 1988, pp. 324–330.Google Scholar
Gennep, Van, Les Rites de passage, Paris, Nourry, 1909, reprinted 1969, Paris, Mouton et Maison des sciences de l'homme.Google Scholar
Bernard, Vernier, “Fétichisme du nom, échanges affectifs intrafamiliaux et affinités électives”, Actes de la recherche, l'amour des noms, June 1989, N° 78, pp. 2–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergaigne, Abel, La religion védique d'après les hymnes du Rig-Veda, Paris, Champion, 1963.Google Scholar
Britto, F., “Personal Names in Tamil Society”, Anthropological Linguistics, 1986, Vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 349–365.Google Scholar
Bhattacharya, Narendra Nath, Indian Puberty rites, New Delhi, Munshiram Manohar Lal Publishers, 1980.Google Scholar
Carter, Antony T., “Hierarchy and the Concept of the Person in Western India”, Concepts of Person, Ostor, A., Fruzzetti, L., Barnett, S., eds. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1982.Google Scholar
Chambard, Jean-Luc, Atlas d'un village indien, Paris, Mouton, 1980.Google Scholar
Census of India, Mahārāshtra, Fairs and Festivals, vratas, 1969.Google Scholar
Dumont, Louis, Une sous-caste de l'Inde du Sud. Organisation sociale et religion des Pramallai Kallar, Paris/La Haye, Mouton, 1957.Google Scholar
Enthoven, , The Folklore of Bombay, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1924.Google Scholar
Herrenschmidt, O., Les Meilleurs dieux sont hindous, Lausanne, L'Âge d'homme/Essais, 1989.Google Scholar
Kane, P.V., History of Dharmasastra (ancient and mediaeval religious and civil law), Poona, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1974.Google Scholar
Karve, I., “Kinship Terminology and Kinship Usages in the Maratha Country”, Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, Poona, 1940.Google Scholar
Karve, I. “Personal Names in India”, Bombay University School of Sociology, Silver Jubilee Volume, 1946.Google Scholar
Lois de Manu, A. Loiseleur Deslongchamps, Paris, Garnier, 1976.Google Scholar
Macdonnell, , The Vedic Mythology, Varanasi, Delhi, Indological Book House, 1971.Google Scholar
Malamoud, Charles, “L'Inde brâhmanique. Karman des hommes, mâyâ des dieux”, in L'Histoire des idéologies, vol. 1, Chatelet, Fr., ed. Paris, Hachette, 1978, pp. 68–81.Google Scholar
Chatelet, Fr. ed., La Dette, coll. Purusartha, Paris, EHESS, 1980.Google Scholar
Masani, R.P., Culture, Folk Reflected in Names, Bombay, Popular Prakashan, 1966.Google Scholar
Östor, A., Fruzetti, L., Barnett, S., Concepts of Person, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1982.Google Scholar
Les Questions du roi Milinda, tr. from the Pali by Finot, Louis, Paris, Boccard, 1963.Google Scholar
Renou-Filliozat, , L'Inde classique, II, Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1953.Google Scholar
Stevenson, Margaret Sinclair, Les Rites des deux-fois nés, Paris, Le Soleil Noir, 1920, reprinted 1982.Google Scholar
Zimmer, H. Mythes et symboles dans l'art et la civilisation de d'Inde, Paris, Payot, 1951.Google Scholar
Viviane, Alleton, “Prénoms chinois ou la mémoire du mot”, Orients, Paris, Sudestasie/Privat, 1986, pp. 281–294.Google Scholar
Besnard, Philippe, “Pour une étude empirique du phénomène de mode dans la consommation des biens symboliques: le cas des prénoms”, Archives européennes de sociologie, 1979, Vol. XX, pp. 343–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burguière, A., Klapisch-Zuber, C., Zonabend, F., “Formes de nomination en Europe”, L'homme, 1984, t. XX, no. 4.Google Scholar
Dauzat, A., Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, Paris, Larousse, 1951.Google Scholar
Dupaquier, Jacques, Bideau, Alain, Ducreux, Marie-Elizabeth, Le Prénom, mode et histoire. Entretiens de Mahler, 1980. Paris, Éditions de l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales, 1984.Google Scholar
Genette, Gérard, Mimologiques. Voyage en Cratylie, Paris, Le Seuil, 1976.Google Scholar
Lévi-Strauss, Claude, La Pensée sauvage, Paris, Plon, 1962.Google Scholar
Jacques, Pimpaneau, “Les noms”, Chine, culture et tradition, Paris, Ph. Picquier, 1988, pp. 324–330.Google Scholar
Gennep, Van, Les Rites de passage, Paris, Nourry, 1909, reprinted 1969, Paris, Mouton et Maison des sciences de l'homme.Google Scholar
Bernard, Vernier, “Fétichisme du nom, échanges affectifs intrafamiliaux et affinités électives”, Actes de la recherche, l'amour des noms, June 1989, N° 78, pp. 2–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergaigne, Abel, La religion védique d'après les hymnes du Rig-Veda, Paris, Champion, 1963.Google Scholar
Britto, F., “Personal Names in Tamil Society”, Anthropological Linguistics, 1986, Vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 349–365.Google Scholar
Bhattacharya, Narendra Nath, Indian Puberty rites, New Delhi, Munshiram Manohar Lal Publishers, 1980.Google Scholar
Carter, Antony T., “Hierarchy and the Concept of the Person in Western India”, Concepts of Person, Ostor, A., Fruzzetti, L., Barnett, S., eds. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1982.Google Scholar
Chambard, Jean-Luc, Atlas d'un village indien, Paris, Mouton, 1980.Google Scholar
Census of India, Mahārāshtra, Fairs and Festivals, vratas, 1969.Google Scholar
Dumont, Louis, Une sous-caste de l'Inde du Sud. Organisation sociale et religion des Pramallai Kallar, Paris/La Haye, Mouton, 1957.Google Scholar
Enthoven, , The Folklore of Bombay, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1924.Google Scholar
Herrenschmidt, O., Les Meilleurs dieux sont hindous, Lausanne, L'Âge d'homme/Essais, 1989.Google Scholar
Kane, P.V., History of Dharmasastra (ancient and mediaeval religious and civil law), Poona, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1974.Google Scholar
Karve, I., “Kinship Terminology and Kinship Usages in the Maratha Country”, Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, Poona, 1940.Google Scholar
Karve, I. “Personal Names in India”, Bombay University School of Sociology, Silver Jubilee Volume, 1946.Google Scholar
Lois de Manu, A. Loiseleur Deslongchamps, Paris, Garnier, 1976.Google Scholar
Macdonnell, , The Vedic Mythology, Varanasi, Delhi, Indological Book House, 1971.Google Scholar
Malamoud, Charles, “L'Inde brâhmanique. Karman des hommes, mâyâ des dieux”, in L'Histoire des idéologies, vol. 1, Chatelet, Fr., ed. Paris, Hachette, 1978, pp. 68–81.Google Scholar
Chatelet, Fr. ed., La Dette, coll. Purusartha, Paris, EHESS, 1980.Google Scholar
Masani, R.P., Culture, Folk Reflected in Names, Bombay, Popular Prakashan, 1966.Google Scholar
Östor, A., Fruzetti, L., Barnett, S., Concepts of Person, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1982.Google Scholar
Les Questions du roi Milinda, tr. from the Pali by Finot, Louis, Paris, Boccard, 1963.Google Scholar
Renou-Filliozat, , L'Inde classique, II, Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1953.Google Scholar
Stevenson, Margaret Sinclair, Les Rites des deux-fois nés, Paris, Le Soleil Noir, 1920, reprinted 1982.Google Scholar
Zimmer, H. Mythes et symboles dans l'art et la civilisation de d'Inde, Paris, Payot, 1951.Google Scholar