ދަނބިދޫ

Dhivehi

Etymology

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 (dū, “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

IPA^(key): /ˈd̪aᵐbid̪uː/

Proper noun

ދަނބިދޫ • (daᵐbidū)

Dhanbidhoo (an island in the Maldives)

Descendants

→ English: Dhanbidhoo, Dambidu

References

^ 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.
^ 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

[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

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