‘Greater’ by any other Kannada name?

The Karnataka government faced backlash from the Opposition and sparked a social media debate for using the English word “Greater”, instead of a Kannada word while christening the newly formed civic entity, Greater Bengaluru Authority.

The uproar prompted Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to invite suggestions for Kannada alternatives to replace “Greater.”

In this context, Kannada writers and thinkers debated the importance of giving the authority a Kannada name and shared their suggestions. While many felt it was best to retain “Bruhat”, a few argued that “Greater” also sounded appealing and easier to pronounce.

Writer G. Ramakrishna stressed that the word “Greater” does not evoke the same emotional resonance as a Kannada word and suggested using “Vistritha” or “Vishala.”

“When you utter a word, its essence is felt within, that is the beauty of language. When naming something significant to our State, the name must carry the soul of our language,” he said, adding that “Greater” does not sound as pleasant as Kannada words.

Banjagere Jayaprakash argued that there is no shortage of Kannada words, so there is no need to rely on an English word, suggesting “Mahaan” instead.

“I agree that our language has widened by absorbing words from others, like Tahsildar from Farsi. But in this case, since the authority is central to Bengaluru and will be referred to daily, it should have a Kannada name,” he said, insisting that the language offers ample alternatives.

Vasundhara Bhupathi highlighted that Bengaluru is visited daily by foreigners and people from across the country, who would naturally pick up Kannada words if such institutions carried native names.

“If you don’t name it in Kannada, you deny people from outside the opportunity to experience and learn from our language,” she argued, suggesting “Unnata”, “Mahonnata”, and “Hiridaada” as possible choices.

K. Marulasiddappa emphasised that “Bruhat” itself is simple, familiar, and widely used, and therefore should be retained. “The name must certainly be in Kannada since it represents our State. Everyone knows Bruhat, so it is the most suitable option,” he said.

In contrast, Kum. Veerabhadrappa said using “Greater” was acceptable, it should be ensured that it was written in Kannada on signboards. “We have adopted many words from other languages, which have only enriched Kannada. It is also a matter of convenience,” he pointed out, citing how words like police and engineer are more commonly used than their Kannada equivalents “Aarakshaka” and “Abhyantararu.”

S.G. Siddaramaiah supported Veerabhadrappa, noting that Bruhat, though a Sanskrit word, has Indo-European roots, making it no different from Greater. “These words are used daily, so let them remain convenient,” he said.

However, countering this, Mr. Ramakrishna argued that words like police and engineer are used simply out of habit, and had Kannada terms been taught from the beginning, they would have been preferred.

Despite differing views, most agreed that Bruhat remains the most suitable word and should continue to be used for the newly formed authority.