Finally, I could take it no longer! So here's a post clarifying the mystery. For the clueless, Reetu / Ritu means season.
My name is Reetu. It says so on my passport and on all my valid documents which could pass as various forms of proofs of identity in many countries. This is thanks to the lady who was registering me as a 4-year old into the school records. I imagine the conversation to have been something like this:
Lady (in a bored voice): So, what's the little angel's name?
Dad: Ritu
Lady: Huh?
Dad (and this is probably what he shouldn't have done): Ri-tu
Lady: Ah! Ok!
And so, amidst smiles and general feelings of a job well done, I was registered as Reetu. When we realised the mistake and tried to change it, we were politely informed that we would have the chance when I appeared for my board exams (which would be about 11 years later from the unfortunate mishap). And don't you think that 11 years is enough time to get used to something? :) Besides, I just had to ensure that I signed as "Reetu" while my family and close friends continued to call me "Ritu". Finally, when the time came, we realised that it was just too much trouble - petitioning to a court, announcing in the newspapers apart from all the paperwork involved. I decided that I could live with "Reetu" - it meant the same thing and moreover, it was a part of my identity now.
Doesn't make much of a difference really.
11 comments:
I beg to differ on the "Reetu / Ritu means season" point. Season, in Hindi, is spelt RUtu and I know of guys who have that name. So you can attribute your name to a whole other origin.. and remember to have fun with creativity. :)
hehehe ... but ou are indeed lucky ! the lady could have written it as "W-r-i-t-u" or "r-i-t-o-o" ! Eitherways whats in a name ?
@ bee_theag: :O Of course Ritu means season in Sanskrit and is a feminine word. That's how you have the poem Ritu Samhaaram and seasons are called "varsha ritu" (rainy season) or "vasanth ritu" (spring)...
@ Smack D: Always look at the bright side, I say :)
atleast ur names got some meaning...rather...."one" meaning.
Nitin on the other hand is all confusing. I infact spent good 15 mins in crossword reading books on Baby Names to understand what my name means. No...amma doesnt know the meaning either...said she liked the "sound" of it!!!
Anyways, to cut a long story short, I got some 4 meanings of my name...the search is on!!!
Nitin! You have the luxury of so many meanings to dodge behind, while here I am justifying that Ritu does in fact mean what it does. ;)
You totally missed the point.. the fact that you choose to spell your name with an "i" is just a matter of convenience. If you were to go to the source and phonetically spell out your name, it would have a 'u', not 'i'.
Muahahha @ bee_theag... I am going to drown you with the technicalities now ;)
The (vowel) alphabet used in Sanskrit to spell Ritu is the same one as for Rishi. You don't say Rushi for the same thing now, do you? Rutu might be a (masculine?) variation of the name (wiki seems to agree with me on this) which is used mainly in South India and is used to name boys. In North India, the boys are named with "sandhi" form of the word - as in Rituraj or Ritesh.
u r lucky in one more sense .. if u told me ur name in public then the chances of me getting ur name correct is nearly 100%. In my case I become abhijit, abhijeet, vivek, vijay, bijit, bhijit etc ... n rarely does somebody get is as Vijeth !!!
Ritu! Dearest, for me, your name means one particular season....summertime.....because you are always bright and sunny Ritu!
@ Smack D: heheh... I know what you mean. I become Preetu too, sometimes.
@ Pepy: Thanks dear! :)
I know exactly how you feel!
My parents intentionally named me Reetu though they say it as Ritu
They said it was coz they didn't want people to say Ry-tu. But I'm like, it still gets pronounced incorrectly all the tme! I'm so sick of people saying Reeeee-tu, and when I tell them it's actually pronounced Ri-tu, they say then why does it have two e's, and I have to repeat the whole story..gahhh i hate it so much!
At lest your parents didn't intentionally spell your name Reetu.
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