Serendipity: a happy accident, a pleasant surprise.
In Sanskrit scriptures, Serendip was the name of what is currently called Sri Lanka ('dip' meaning an island). As the British could not pronounce the word, it became Ceylon.
Etymology Dictionary has this to say about serendipity:
1754 (but rare before 20c.), coined by Horace Walpole (1717-92) in a letter to Mann (dated Jan. 28); he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes "were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of." The name is from Serendip, an old name for Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), from Arabic Sarandib, from Skt. Simhaladvipa "Dwelling-Place-of-Lions Island."-----------------
Charu wrote:
Oh, that "SwarnaDweep", Golden Island in which you take a dip and get galvanized in gold foil, as in the picture. But oh, where is that place?
1 comment:
Bhai,
Oh, that "SwarnaDweep", Golden Island in which you take a dip and get galvanized in gold foil, as in the picture. But oh, where is that place?
love charu
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