Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c10.41

c10.41

There has been some discussion on the derivation of the name *Bengal*.¹ But the conclusions are not satisfactory. Since the emergence of modern Hindi from its Apabhraṃśa stage, the speakers of Hindi and other languages have been calling the Bengali-speaking area by the name *Vaṅgāl* (without the final *a* in the last consonant), which has been transliterated by the English in their script as *Bengal*. The Muslims first came to India when the final *a* in the last consonant of Sanskritic words in North Indian dialects was pronounced. The earlier pronunciation of *Vaṅgāl*, as is well known, was *Vaṅgāla* which was naturally transliterated by the Muslims in their script as *Bangālah* (pronouncing *Bangāla*). This Muslim pronunciation of the name is directly responsible for the name *Bāngālā* now applied by the Bengalis to their country. The first *ā* in the name is comparable to the first *ā* in Bengali words like *hājār* (thousand) derived from Persian *hazār*. The change of *a* into *ā* is due to the fact that *a* pronounced outside East India resembles *ā* as pronounced by the Bengalis. The last *ā* in the name is again comparable to Bengali words like *khānā* derived from *khānah*.² The people of Bengal is known elsewhere in India as *Vaṅgāli* which the English transliterated as *Bengali* or *Bengalee* and which the Bengalis have made *Bāngāli* in their language. This word is also influenced by such Muslim words as *Kābuli*.³ It is interesting to note in this connection that, according to a general ethnological principle, the specific name of a tribe often originates among neighbouring tribes and is eventually adopted by the tribe to which it is applied.