Puducherry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A union territory on the southeastern coast of India known for its French colonial heritage; a coastal region featuring beaches, historical buildings, and a blend of Indian and French cultures; an administrative division combining multiple non-contiguous enclaves governed directly by the central government
2. An Indian union territory located along the Bay of Bengal distinguished by its former status as a French colony; a scenic area popular for tourism with unique architectural styles and cultural influences; a centrally administered territory composed of several separate pockets of land
3. A south Indian territory that was formerly part of French India, now governed as a union territory by India; a tourist destination noted for its colonial architecture and coastal environment; a political entity consisting of several distinct geographical segments under central administration

Etymology: Puducherry is a place name, and its story is one of a town renamed twice over. The Tamil name "putuccēri" means "new town" or "new settlement," and it is the name the place still bears today. The English form Pondicherry came to dominate through European usage, which reflected the French and British presence there. Only in the twenty-first century did the Tamil name become the official one, and the English spelling "Puducherry" was adopted to match it more closely. The town's history explains why it had two names. Its French rule, which lasted into the mid-twentieth century, gave it a colonial identity that the English form Pondicherry continued to signal long after the territory's transfer to India. Readers encountering the place in older maps, books and travel writing will therefore meet both spellings, each pointing to a different chapter of its past.

Synonyms: Pondicherry, union territory