Arundhati

Part of speech: proper noun

Definitions

1. Characterized as a name of Indian origin often used for girls, it signifies qualities of excellence and uniqueness
2. Referring to a notable figure in mythology, particularly associated with loyalty and devotion in Hindu culture
3. Denoting a term that may also relate to botanical or geographical references in specific contexts

Etymology: Arundhati is a Sanskrit name borrowed into English, and in Sanskrit the word "arundhatī" is the name of a star, the wife of the sage Vasiṣṭha, and a model of devotion in Hindu tradition. Its roots are usually analysed as "a-" (not) and "rundh" (to obstruct or hold back), though the exact sense of the compound is debated among scholars, so the literal meaning should be treated with caution. In English the name is used as a proper noun, most often for the Indian novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, whose name readers encounter far more often than the star or the mythological figure.