While finding the name for Kahani Takbak, finding the name for ePublishing venture was more challenging. When I turned to friends and family, the response was instantaneous but unfruitful especially because Sridhar Millerpuram, Kahani Takbak’s rocket booster no 2, had already given guidelines on his to choose a name.
- Check the meaning of the name
- Google the name to see if it already exists.
- Choose the name carefully lest it leads to a banned site.
Most of the names had already been taken while some ended up as surnames of people.
I spent days researching on the internet with no result and put away the name searching in the backburner until Kahani takbak’s rocket booster no 3, Jayant Huddar entered the picture. His diktat was clear. Shortlist ten names and he would help me make the choice. I told him it would take me only a day as I had already eliminated dozens of names. What I thought would be a simple task turned out to be a harrowing adventure.
It took a week of searching and googling the names to come up with the shortlisted names given below.
a) Fingo Astrum( Fingo – create; Astrum- star(both Latin words))
b) Bobu( books for budding writers)
c) Kaajva(Firefly in Marathi- the firefly stands for hope, guidance, new ideas, creativity and inspiration)
d) BFBD( Books For Budding Disciples)
e) Nibiri(Somalian word for a whale which symbolizes creation)
f) Ira (one of the names of the Indian Goddess of studies, Saraswathy which also happens to be the name of my late mother in law))
g) Dipika(light)
h) Leon( lion in Nigerian language. The creature symbolizes strength, wisdom and power)
i) Kaza (Goat in Latvian language; Goat symbolizes seeking new heights)
j) Kataba(Arabic word for write)
JAYANT Hudar shortlisted three names- Leon, Kaajva and Kataba.
Sridhar pointed out Leon was the name of a French town. It was also a much preferred name among people.
A few friends said the name “Kaajvaa reminded them of the cashew sweet “Kaju Katli”. A sweet was not what I wanted people to think about when I mentioned Kaajvaa.
It was my husband who found the name Kataba from An online website. When I cross checked the name for its use and meaning with Arabic speaking friends, confusion prevailed. Was it meant to be Kathaba, Kataba…. Finally it was left to my Chennai based friend, S to help me solve the dilemma. After three days, he got in touch with an Arabic scholar who lay to rest all our confusions and gave his approval for Kataba.
But I couldn’t let go of the firefly which stood for everything the epublishing venture stood for. So, I decided to incorporate the firefly in the name.
Thus the name Kataba got embedded with a firefly.
A lot of people were uncomfortable with the name ‘Kahani Takbak’ and asked me to change it.
When Vidya Venkat, author of Pickle Mania came visiting to Mumbai recently, she pointed out Kataba looked like it was derived from Kahani Takbak. A mere coincidence! A divine intervention! I don’t know!
A lot of people were uncomfortable with the name ‘Kahani Takbak’ and asked me to change it. There were too many entities with ‘Kahani” in their name and Takbak was getting pronounced as Take back, Talk bake and what not. So, instead of waiting till eternity, I decided to slowly replace Kahani Takbak with Kataba. For now I know Kataba just fits right into our present and future plans.