বাগড়ী

Bengali

Etymology

Unknown. Inconclusively suggested by Chatterji to be from Middle Bengali *বাগডী (*bagoḍi) with rhotacization, from Old Bengali *বাঘডী (bāghaḍī) with deaspiration, from Magadhi Prakrit *𑀩𑀸𑀖(𑀯)𑀟𑀻 (*bāgha(va)ḍī), from Early Eastern Prakrit *𑀯𑀸𑀕𑁆𑀖𑀅𑀟𑀻 (*vāgghaaḍī), from Sanskrit व्याघ्रतटी (vyāghrataṭī, literally “tiger-coast”), a compound of व्याघ्र (vyāghra, “tiger”) +‎ तटी (taṭī, “coast”), referring to the former abundance of tigers in the delta. Note that the eastern part of the delta was called Samatata (সমতট (śomotoṭ)), a Sanskritic compound from सम (sama, “equal”) +‎ तट (taṭa), literally “equal coast”, which supports the possibility of derivation of this word from a compound with that ending.

Some derive it from Sanskrit वकद्वीप (vakadvīpa, literally “crane-island”), a compound of वक (vaka, “crane”) +‎ द्वीप (dvīpa, “island”), but Chatterji claims this to be phonologically inadmissible.

Proper noun

বাগড়ী • (bagoṛi)

1. Bengal Delta