The ending "Amma" for men

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

You have the fomous scientist nAyuDamma.

Ending in amma for kRSNa seems to be a term of endearment
for Lord KRSNa.
We have the telugu folk song

" kiSTammA! gOpAlabAlA kiSTammA!
bhaja nanadAkumAra bAlakiSTammA - gOpAlabAlA kiSTammA!"

I think kRSNamanIdu is also a usage.

regards,

sarma.

At 05:11 PM 11/11/98 PST, you wrote:
>  In Southern India, the name "Amma" is normally used as an ending for
>the first names of women. However, one does see the ending "amma" for
>men also( examples I know mainly consist of the ending "kr*SNamA" as
>in the names kr*SNamA-cAri,( there is also the name kr*SNACAri, which
>makes me think that the name "kr*SNamAcAri is from kr*SNamA and not
>kr*SNa), gOpAlakr*SNamma, zivarAmakr*SNamma, EccamA( apparently a folk
>hero in the Rayalaseema area of Andhra Pradesh), LakshmA/Laxma( a fairly
>common name in Telangana as in Laxma Reddy/Laxma Goud) etc..
>I would like to know if
>1. Any other male names ending in "Amma".
>2. The reason for this i.e. why is it that some male names have an
>ending that is typically feminine? ( One reason that I heard some time
>ago( besides the obvious "mere coincidence") is that parents, who had
>hitherto lost male progeny, would take a vow to bring up a male child as
>a female IF he survived ; as a part of the process they would give the
>new born male a feminine name...This would be analogous to names like
>nAthUrAm( rAm with a "nath"i.e. nosering) in Northern India..In
>addition to this, is there any other reason?....
>
>Looking forward to your replies,
>Regards,
>Krishna
>
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