Bengali: ফণী

[Chamanao]

Hello,

ফণী is a cyclone name in the Indian Ocean. I looked up an online Bengali dictionary and it said that ফণী means 'snake'. I'd like to know if it's true. I searched the word for the pictures on Google and no snake pictures but people pictures appeared.

 

[Dib]

Hi Chamano, ফণী does mean "snake", but it is a literary/poetic word - actually more of a "kenning" (one who possesses a hood/ফণা). However, it is common as an element in Bengali Hindu names with religious significance, e.g. ফণীন্দ্র (The lord of the snakes = Vasuki), ফণিভূষণ (For whom snakes are ornaments = Shiva), etc. In everyday situations, people with such names tend to be called simply as ফণী| This is why you saw pictures of people when you searched on google.

 

[Chamanao]

Does the word have its origin from an Indo-Aryan (e.g. Sanskrit) word (rather than an Indo-Iranian -- e.g. Persian -- word)?

 

[mundiya]

Does the word have its origin from an Indo-Aryan (e.g. Sanskrit) word (rather than an Indo-Iranian -- e.g. Persian -- word)?

It's a Sanskrit word. I think you meant to ask about "Iranian -- e.g. Persian" rather than Indo-Iranian. I'm not aware of any Persian or other Iranian cognates of this word.

 

[Chamanao]

Thank you for your replies.