Etymology of Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was an Indian nationalist leader and statesman who became the first prime minister of independent India in 1947. Born in a Kashmiri Pandit family, Nehru was educated in England as a lawyer. Let’s look at the etymology of his name.

jawāhar

Hindi/Urdu /jawāhar/ जवाहर is from Arabic word, جَوهَر (jawhar) which in turn is from Persian گَوهَر (gawhar). They all mean jewel / precious stone.

lāl
Hindi/Urdu /lāl/ लाल is considered polysemous in this name. On one hand it can be in the sense of indic origin /lāl/ लाल (dear/ darling/ dear son) from Sanskrit /lālya/ लाल्य via लालनीय /lālanīya/ (to be caressed or fondled or indulged). And on the other hand, lāl can mean ‘ruby’ from the Perso-Arabic word لعل la‘l ‘ruby’.

nehru
Nehru नेहरु is derived from Arabic / Persian نهر  (nahr) = Hindi-Urdu नहर (nehar) = canal / brook / river (one of Nehru’s ancestors lived near a canal in Delhi.)