Meaning of the Urdu word "Naushad"
Surya Ramaswami
This request is to our friends who are Urdu scholars and experts.
I would very much like to know the meaning of our dear Naushad sahib's
name: Naushad. I googled extensively. Checked in some Urdu dictionaries
on-line and also in hard copies of ghazal dictionaries but could not
find the word at all. The closest was "Naashad" (= depressed). I don't
know the Urdu alphabet letters. So I checked with the Urdu word written
in English.
Generally, as far as I know, Urdu names have beautiful meaning.
If anybody can enlighten me on this, I'll appreciate it very much. Our
RMIM group members are very scholarly, I know for sure.
Thanks in advance!
Surya
Afzal A. Khan
Though most names (amongst Muslims, on the sub-continent)
do have some meaning, it is not necessary, generally speaking,
that proper names should always have an easily explainable
meaning. Two England cricketers in recent years were named
Sidebottom and Underwood. How can these names be explained ?
Although bowlers all over the world really tried hard, they
couldn't quite succeed in "boycotting" Sir Geoffrey.
We are all familiar with the English Dictionary (OED). But
when Dr. Samuel Johnson first compiled it in the 18th
century, it was done in a much more realistic and "down-to-
earth" fashion. For instance, when he reached the word
"scoundrel", he wrote down its meaning as "Someone like
the present Lord Chancellor of London". It was with consi-
derable difficulty that he was persuaded to change this
"meaning".
It may be a good idea for Urdu lexicographers to add the
word "Naushad" to the Urdu Dictionary and give its
meaning as "Name of a great and famous Music Director of
Indian Films (1919-2006)".
Incidentally, one meaning of this word that I can think of
is "Aisa shaKHs jise abhi abhi ya nayee nayee KHushi milee
ho".
When he came on the scene in the forties, his name came to
define the state of mind of filmgoers and listeners of film music
all over the subcontinent. And we are all "Naashaad", now
that he has departed from our midst.
Afzal
skalr...@yahoo.com
On a lighter note, the word Naushad can be "angaram"ed into "Dhaansu",
according to a crossword puzzle compiled many years ago by ??.
Happy Listenings.
Satish Kalra
UVR
> Surya Ramaswami wrote:
> >
> > name: Naushad. I googled extensively. Checked in some Urdu dictionaries
> > on-line and also in hard copies of ghazal dictionaries but could not
> > find the word at all. The closest was "Naashad" (= depressed). I don't
> > know the Urdu alphabet letters. So I checked with the Urdu word written
> > in English.
>
> word "Naushad" to the Urdu Dictionary and give its
> meaning as "Name of a great and famous Music Director of
> Indian Films (1919-2006)".
>
> Incidentally, one meaning of this word that I can think of
> is "Aisa shaKHs jise abhi abhi ya nayee nayee KHushi milee
> ho".
Platts'[1] Urdu and Steingass'[2] Persian dictionary both define
'naushaad' as the "name of a city famous for the beauty of its
inhabitants." So, perhaps, as the name of a person, it means
"a person from the legendary city of Naushad" OR "a person
as beautiful as the residents of Naushad", or something such.
-UVR.
[1] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/d/platts
[2] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/d/steingass
Animesh K
Is it possible that there are "nine types of happiness" defined in some
classical Persian/Urdu literature? Nau could be for nine, but just a guess.
Best,
A
PS: That legendary place may be having all the nine-type of happiness
and hence the name
UVR
> UVR wrote:
>
> > Platts'[1] Urdu and Steingass'[2] Persian dictionary both define
> > 'naushaad' as the "name of a city famous for the beauty of its
> > inhabitants." So, perhaps, as the name of a person, it means
> > "a person from the legendary city of Naushad" OR "a person
> > as beautiful as the residents of Naushad", or something such.
> >
> > -UVR.
> >
> > [1] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/d/platts
> > [2] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/d/steingass
> >
>
> Is it possible that there are "nine types of happiness" defined in some
> classical Persian/Urdu literature? Nau could be for nine, but just a guess.
The problem with your guess is that 'nau' is NOT the Persian
word for 'nine'.
> PS: That legendary place may be having all the nine-type of happiness
> and hence the name
I don't know how many kinds of happiness there are: nine,
fewer than 9 or greater than that, so I couldn't speculate on
whether you're on to something here or not.
-UVR.
Animesh K
Okay, so my guess stands wrong. I was thinking, something like the
origin of "pa~NchakoSha" or "dashendriya" could be the reason for the
word naushaad. But then, like you said, nau is not the Persian nine.
Best,
A
Afzal A. Khan
This meaning given in the two dictionaries may be on the
same lines as that for "Huma". It is a legendary bird.
In Persian and Urdu legends, there are quite a few stories
that are of a mythical nature, e.g. "Ameer Hamza Ki DaastaaN"
and "Tilism-e-Hosh~ruba" etc. If "Naushad" was a real city,
some information should be available about its exact location
or present name.
I think we can conclude that Naushad's musical genius was
virtually impossible to define.
Afzal
UVR
> >>> UVR wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Platts'[1] Urdu and Steingass'[2] Persian dictionary both define
> >>>> 'naushaad' as the "name of a city famous for the beauty of its
> >>>> inhabitants." So, perhaps, as the name of a person, it means
> >>>> "a person from the legendary city of Naushad" OR "a person
> >>>> as beautiful as the residents of Naushad", or something such.
> >>>>
> >>>> -UVR.
> >>>>
> >>>> [1] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/d/platts
> >>>> [2] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/d/steingass
> >>>>
>
> same lines as that for "Huma". It is a legendary bird.
> In Persian and Urdu legends, there are quite a few stories
> that are of a mythical nature, e.g. "Ameer Hamza Ki DaastaaN"
> and "Tilism-e-Hosh~ruba" etc. If "Naushad" was a real city,
> some information should be available about its exact location
> or present name.
There *does* seem to be a real city in present day Afghanistan
called Naushad -AND- it is quite likely that its inhabitants are
possessed of great beauty, but (beauty lies, etc, and) I do tend
to agree with you that the city mentioned in the dictionaries is
more likely than not a mythical one.
> I think we can conclude that Naushad's musical genius was
> virtually impossible to define.
And I think it's virtually impossible for anyone to disagree
with this, regardless of whether they like Naushad's music
or hate its guts! :)
-UVR.
naus...@gmail.com
My given name being the same, I guess my comment should have some extra weight as I sure had carried out my homework some 25 years ago....
Naushad as a single word means 'one who sits among beautiful women' while Nau & Shad taken separately as two words would mean New & Happiness (or Happy).
It is my misfortune that the first and real meaning translates into English as Playboy while the bifurcated meaning does apply to my personality in full. I wonder if Naushad Sahib, the maestro was both :-)
Cheerio,
Naushad
Naseer
guloN meN raNg bhare baad-i-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aa'o kih gulshan kaa kaar-o-baar chale (Faiz Ahmed Faiz)
It is true that "Naushad" is a place name as well. But so is "Naubahar".
Naseer