Pur (placename Element)

Oikonyms in Western, Central, South, and Southeast Asia can be grouped according to various components, reflecting common linguistic and cultural histories. Toponymic study is not as extensive as it is for placenames in Europe and Anglophone parts of the world, but the origins of many placenames can be determined with a fair degree of certainty.
One complexity to the study when discussing it in English is that the Romanization of names, during British rule and otherwise, from other languages has not been consistent.

Common affixes

Common affixes used in South Asian oikonyms can be grouped based on their linguistic origin: (with examples from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and elsewhere such as in Sanskrit-influenced Indonesia):

* Dravidian:
*;''wal'', ''wali'', ''wala'', ''warree'', ''vli'', ''vadi'', ''vali'', ''pady'' and ''palli'': hamlet — e.g. Dombivli; Kasan Wala; Sandhilianwali

*;''Kot'': fort — Pathankot; Sialkot
*;''Patnam'', ''patham'', ''pattana'': "city", or "city of" — e.g. Visakhapatnam'

* Indo-Aryan:
*;''Alay'': Abode; from Sanskrit ā-laya. e.g. Meghalaya, Lokā-laya (settlement).
*;''Desh'': village, land, country; from Sanskrit देश (desa) for " country" — e.g. Bangladesh. In Indonesia it becomes ''Desa'' which is another Indonesian word for "village".
*;''Nagar'': city, land, country, village; from Sanskrit नगर (nagara) — e.g. Ahmednagar. In Indonesian, the word ''Negara'' means " country" and the word '' Nagari'' is a term used in West Sumatra referring to "village".
*;''Pur'': village, town, state, country; from Sanskrit पुर (pura) — e.g. Jamalpur; Kanpur; Khanpur; Janakpur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur. In Southeast Asian countries, it is known as ''pura'', e.g. Singapura, and Indonesian cities such as Jayapura, Siak Sri Indrapura, Amlapura, Sangkapura, Semarapura, etc. In Indonesia, '' pura'' also refers to a Hindu temple.
*;''Pind'':literally "lump" or a small altar of sand
*;''Garh'': fortress — Chandigarh

* Persian or Arabic:
*;''Abad'' (): "dwelling of" or "town of", combined with a person's or group's name (usually the founder or primary inhabitant(s)) — e.g. Ahmedabad; Ordubad; Shirabad; Islamabad; Khorramabad; Mirza Abad. Being a generic and an ambiguous term referring to small isolated farms, village (but not city) on one hand, and towns and cities, on the other hand. See also abadi (settlement).
*;''Bandar'': port ( wikt:بندر) — e.g. Bandar Abbas; see
*;''Dasht'': field, desert ( wikt:دشت) — e.g. Hulandasht; see
*;''Kuy'': neighborhood ( wikt:کوی) — e.g. Kordkuy; see
*;''Mazar'': (in various languages) shrine, grave, tomb, etc. (from wikt:مزار), cf. " Mazar (mausoleum)". The placename usually refers to a grave of a saint, ruler, etc.: Mazar-i-Sharif; see
*;''Mazra'' or ''Majra'': hamlet, also "farm" ( wikt:مزرعة, /maz.ra.ʕa/), "field" ( wikt:مزرع, /maz.raʕ/)
*;''Shahr, shehr'':city — e.g. Bulandshahr
*;''Kale'', '' Kaleh'', '' Qala'', '' Qalat'', '' Qila'': fort, fortres, castle; see also " Qalat (fortress)"
*;''Ganj'', ''gunj'', ''gunge'': Persian-Urdu, taken to mean neighborhood in Indian context.
*;''Basti'': a granted habitat, also sanctuary from the Persian suffix, ''bastī''''— e.g.'' Basti Maluk, Azam Basti,
*;''Nahri'': (irrigation) canal
*;''Nahr'': wikt:نهر, river, e.g., Nahr-e Mian; see
*;''Dera'': tent — e.g. Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan
*;''-Stan, Estan'': "a place abounding in...", "place of..." Quote= ستان (p. V2-0030) ستان (۲) Suffix meaning 'a place abounding in'. Ex. گلستان a flower or rose-garden. Syn. زار See گازار Note. This suffix is pronounced stan or setan after a vowel, as in بوستان boostan, a garden, and هندوستان hendoostan, India; and estan after a consonant. Ex. گلستان golestan, and ترکستان torkestan. However, for poetic license, after a consonant also, it may be pronounced setan. Ex. گلستان golsetan — e.g. Afghanistan; Pakistan

See also

* Glossary of Arabic toponyms
* Place names in India, for a more in-depth explanation of various place names in India.

References

Sources

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Further reading

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Western and South Asia, Oikonyms in
Toponymy
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Oikonyms
English suffixes