Dhivehi edit

Etymology edit

From earlier 𑤞𑤢𑤳𑤝𑤳𑤩𑤳 (dhabuduvu /⁠daᵐbuduvu⁠/, Dhanbidhoo, India),[1] from Prakrit 𑀚𑀁𑀩𑀼𑀤𑀻𑀯 (jaṃbudīva), from Ashokan Prakrit 𑀚𑀁𑀩𑀼𑀤𑀻𑀧 (jaṃbudīpa), from Sanskrit जम्बुद्वीप (jambudvīpa, India, Asia, the world); equivalent to ދަނބު (daᵐbu, jambu tree) +‎ ދޫ (, island).

In modern Dhivehi, this compound would be formed with the plural ދޫތައް (dūtak̊), but in Early Dhivehi, the bare noun stem can be used as a plural.[2]

Pronunciation edit

Proper noun edit

ދަނބިދޫ (daᵐbidū)

  1. Dhanbidhoo (an island in the Maldives)

Descendants edit

  • English: Dhanbidhoo, Dambidu

References edit

  1. ^ Jost Gippert (2013) “An unusual account of the Miʿrāǧ”, in Elisabetta Raganin, Jens Wilkins, editors, Kutadgu Nom Bitig: Festschrift für Jens Peter Laut zum 60. Geburtstag (Veröffentlichungen der Societas Uralo-Altaica; 87), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 169.
  2. ^ Sonja Fritz (2002) “Morphology”, in The Dhivehi language - a descriptive and historical grammar of Maldivian and its dialects (Beiträge zur Südasienforschung; 191), Würzburg: Ergon Verlag, page 69