Kaur

Kaur (Punjabi: ਕੌਰ (Gurmukhi), Punjabi: کور (Shahmukhi) English: crown prince) (sometimes spelled as Kour), is a surname given to women of the Sikh faith. "Kaur" is also sometimes translated as "lioness", not because this meaning is etymologically derived from the name, but as a parallel to the Sikh male name "Singh," which means "lion." "Kaur" is recognized as “Princess” or "Spiritual Princess".

For other uses, see Kaur (disambiguation).

Guru Gobind Singh derived Kaur from the combination of two Sanskrit words, Kumgra, meaning Prince, and Kuwari, meaning unmarried or single girl.[1] It also goes back to Sanskrit word "Kumari" meaning girl or daughter, which was abridged to "Kuar" and then changed into "Kaur" by metathesis.[2]

Kaur is a common name in the Sikh community. In a tradition that began more than 300 years ago, the name Kaur is given to every baptized female Sikh. Some use Kaur as middle names, while others use them as their last names.

History

The tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, introduced Kaur and Singh when he administered Amrit to both male and female Sikhs; all female Sikhs were asked to use the name Kaur after their forename, and male Sikhs were to use the name Singh.

The adoption of Kaur and Singh as religious surnames was also intended to reduce caste-based prejudice. Because familial last names often signal a person's caste status (or for women who adopted their spouse's surname, the caste of their spouse), substituting Kaur and Singh allowed Sikhs to implement the Sikh religion's rejection of the caste system.

Singh is also used by some non-Sikh women, because 'Singh' can be a surname in several other cultural communities. It is the most common surname used by Sikhs. Sikhs are not required to change their surnames after receiving Amrit, but many choose to do so.

Punjabi Transliteration English translation

ਭੰਡਿ ਜੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਨਿੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਮੰਗਣੁ ਵੀਆਹੁ ॥
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੰਡਹੁ ਚਲੈ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
ਭੰਡੁ ਮੁਆ ਭੰਡੁ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੰਧਾਨੁ ॥
ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੀ ਭੰਡੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥

Bẖand jammī▫ai bẖand nimmī▫ai bẖand mangaṇ vī▫āhu.
Bẖand mu▫ā bẖand bẖālī▫ai bẖand hovai banḏẖān.
So ki▫o manḏā ākẖī▫ai jiṯ jamėh rājān.
Bẖandahu hī bẖand ūpjai bẖandai bājẖ na ko▫e.

From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to a woman he is engaged and married.
Woman becomes his friend; through a woman, the future generations come.
When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to a woman he is bound.
So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
From woman, a woman is born; without a woman, there would be no one at all.

See also

References
  1. Kaur, Meeta. Her Name Is Kaur. She Writes Press. p. 307. ISBN 9781938314711.
  2. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. p. 284. ISBN 9780199771691.
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