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Bangalore is the English name. My city is called Dublin in English and Baile Átha Cliath in our native language of Irish. As an Irishman I understand better tha

Bangalore is the English name. My city is called Dublin in English and Baile Átha Cliath in our native language of Irish. As an Irishman I understand better than most the resentment towards the English but really this is not a battle worth fighting. Both names are correct in their respective languages.

vesh 8y ago
I don't have any resentment towards English. The city has been around for as long as the English language and nobody local never called it with the anglicized name if anything it would be more of a correction.
- rorykoehler 8y ago
  My point was more that every language uses different names for places. It's like saying we can't call Germany Germany anymore because Germans call it Deutschland.
- sharmi 8y ago
  My take on this: Though Bangalore is a relatively new name, it has been deeply ingrained in recent collective memory and literature. So it needs some time to change. Other cases in point, Bombay -> Mumbai. Madras -> Chennai, Calcutta -> Kolkata. While these changes have been adopted in some circles, the anglized form is still in use in many places. Especially, places and instances that have history pertaining to the past few centuries. Also, in IT field, Bangalore symbolizes more than the city. It is a standin for the Indian IT industry and it's boom in general. It has a certain connotation and degree of recognizability that may be lost when using Bengaluru. Still with time, it too would change.
keerthiko 8y ago
Bengaluru is now the official name in the English language. Bangalore is the British Empire's English name. It is a relic of colonization that is worth leaving behind. This battle is completely worth fighting. If Ireland officially lists Dublin as Baile Atha Cliath for addresses, the airport, and for international English references, I will use that. This is not about two different languages, but of erasure.
- ignoramous 8y ago
  > It is a relic of colonization that is worth leaving behind. It costs the ex-chequer a lot of money to fund such renames. In the midst of 600,000,000 people living below the income of $2 a day, funding renaming cities to rid of British heritage should be least of India's problems. Such vitriol has never done anyone any good and is a sign of society embroiled in misplaced priorities, imo.
- radmuzom 8y ago
  As an Indian, I take the opposite stance. For example, I strongly insist on calling my hometown Calcutta as it is part of the heritage of the city and my own upbringing. If you want to erase the colonial past, then work towards making the country better. These nonsensical gimmicks do not help anyone.
- sumedh 8y ago
  > It is a relic of colonization that is worth leaving behind. Should the name India be changed to Hindustan or Bharat as well? Instead of wasting tax payer money on changing names maybe the govt should focus on actual issues.
  - keerthiko 8y ago
    It is the prerogative of the nation and its people to choose official naming for international usage. If India, like Myanmar (formerly Burma) wanted to choose a native name as their English representation through a formal process, it is disrespectful bordering on hostile to ignore that, especially as a foreign entity like YC. Nobody is saying anyone should change any names, but once they have, it is important it is respected. This is a complicated initiative, but it's clear that most people do not recognize the impact or meaning of a choice like this. It is considered equally hostile and rude to, for example: - refer to a divorcee by their ex family name after an official name change - refer to a transgender person by the name they had previously after an official name change It's up to the individual what their name is, and making a name official is clearly indicating what they would like to be referred to. It really shouldn't be that much trouble for outside entities to respect that.

vesh 8y ago

I don't have any resentment towards English. The city has been around for as long as the English language and nobody local never called it with the anglicized name if anything it would be more of a correction.

rorykoehler 8y ago
My point was more that every language uses different names for places. It's like saying we can't call Germany Germany anymore because Germans call it Deutschland.
sharmi 8y ago
My take on this: Though Bangalore is a relatively new name, it has been deeply ingrained in recent collective memory and literature. So it needs some time to change. Other cases in point, Bombay -> Mumbai. Madras -> Chennai, Calcutta -> Kolkata. While these changes have been adopted in some circles, the anglized form is still in use in many places. Especially, places and instances that have history pertaining to the past few centuries. Also, in IT field, Bangalore symbolizes more than the city. It is a standin for the Indian IT industry and it's boom in general. It has a certain connotation and degree of recognizability that may be lost when using Bengaluru. Still with time, it too would change.

keerthiko 8y ago

Bengaluru is now the official name in the English language. Bangalore is the British Empire's English name. It is a relic of colonization that is worth leaving behind. This battle is completely worth fighting. If Ireland officially lists Dublin as Baile Atha Cliath for addresses, the airport, and for international English references, I will use that. This is not about two different languages, but of erasure.

ignoramous 8y ago
> It is a relic of colonization that is worth leaving behind. It costs the ex-chequer a lot of money to fund such renames. In the midst of 600,000,000 people living below the income of $2 a day, funding renaming cities to rid of British heritage should be least of India's problems. Such vitriol has never done anyone any good and is a sign of society embroiled in misplaced priorities, imo.
radmuzom 8y ago
As an Indian, I take the opposite stance. For example, I strongly insist on calling my hometown Calcutta as it is part of the heritage of the city and my own upbringing. If you want to erase the colonial past, then work towards making the country better. These nonsensical gimmicks do not help anyone.
sumedh 8y ago
> It is a relic of colonization that is worth leaving behind. Should the name India be changed to Hindustan or Bharat as well? Instead of wasting tax payer money on changing names maybe the govt should focus on actual issues.
- keerthiko 8y ago
  It is the prerogative of the nation and its people to choose official naming for international usage. If India, like Myanmar (formerly Burma) wanted to choose a native name as their English representation through a formal process, it is disrespectful bordering on hostile to ignore that, especially as a foreign entity like YC. Nobody is saying anyone should change any names, but once they have, it is important it is respected. This is a complicated initiative, but it's clear that most people do not recognize the impact or meaning of a choice like this. It is considered equally hostile and rude to, for example: - refer to a divorcee by their ex family name after an official name change - refer to a transgender person by the name they had previously after an official name change It's up to the individual what their name is, and making a name official is clearly indicating what they would like to be referred to. It really shouldn't be that much trouble for outside entities to respect that.