The Conversation: What is the Meaning of Kamala?

Karen Michele Nikos — August 14, 2024 - 9:32am

Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris became a presence on the national scene, her name — a common one for women in India — has attracted a lot of attention, most specifically for its pronunciation.

The three-syllable word should be pronounced “Come-a-laa” (Kamalā), with the final long “a” signaling a feminine noun in Sanskrit. In the United States, it is often enunciated with stresses placed on the first or second syllable.

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The Conversation: What is the Meaning of Kamala?