Puneet Varma (Editor)

Kar (suffix)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

Kar (Marathi: कर Kar, Konkani: कार Kār) is a suffix used after village names in Western Coastal India, forming the most common types of surnames used by Marathi and Konkani people, in Maharashtra, Goa, and some parts of Karnataka.

Contents

Kar is the surname of mostly Brahmins of Kashmir,Maharashtra and Odisha.

Etymology

The suffix Kar comes from the Sanskrit Kār, which means "making, doing, lord of", later modified to mean "hailing from" or "belonging to" in Prakrit-based languages.

In the modern day Hindi Language, "kar" means "tax". "Google Translate". . This explains the fact that the "kar"s of Maharashtra served as tax collectors of their regions in past days.

Usage

Such surnames are commonly used by communities of Konkani and Marathi ethnicities all over India. Most of them identify themselves with a place their ancestors hailed from, or sometimes with new places to which they have migrated. For example, if a person hails from the village of Borim in Goa, his surname would be Borkār; this custom is also followed by Konkani migrants to Karnataka. If a person hails from the town of Sirsi, the surname used would be Sirsekār.

References

Kar (suffix) Wikipedia


Similar Topics