TEASER - 16
NEW DELHI OR NEWDELHI
New Delhi is the capital city of India. In 1912, during British Raj the Delhi (which was the capital city of India during Moghul Raj), was expanded and the expanded part of city was named as New Delhi, probably to reflect the new development and to distinguish it from old city of Delhi at that point of time.
Let us assume that another expansion of New-Delhi on same style is again undertaken today and expanded part of city is proposed to be renamed in same manner as was done earlier so that it reflects new development. If that happens New Delhi would be called as?
(a) New New Delhi
(b) New Newdelhi
(c) Brand New New Delhi
THE EXPLANATION:
During Moghul raj, Delhi was the capital city of India. In 1912, British Raj moved the capital of India from Calcutta to metropolis of Delhi. They constructed a new city adjacent to Delhi which was completed in 1931 and was named as New Delhi, because this side of city was new at that time. The New, prefixed to the name of Delhi was adopted, perhaps to reflect the new development and also keeping in line the new trend prevailing during those days.
Literally, new means recent but how recent cannot be known, it can only be sensed relatively. Like new year becomes old within few weeks and new baby becomes old within few months. Time does not stop for any one, today’s new is tomorrow’s old, therefore New added by British raj to Delhi may not convey same meaning today, as it would have conveyed at the time of its naming.
Since its formation, New Delhi has expanded in all direction, virtually adding several new city to it. If new regime decides to name the expanded part of the city in same way as was done earlier why it can’t be re-named as New New Delhi (or New Newdelhi) again?
With the passage of time, New and Delhi may not remain separate words in same sense as it was thought initially but both may merge and become a single word Newdelhi in same way as Newton or Newman are single words, having no relation with the literal meaning of new Imagine that if an old city, named after Newton, is to be renamed in same way as that of Delhi to reflect new expansion, it would be called New Newton and old part of the city would always be called as old Newton.
NEW CITY AND OLD CITY SIDE BY SIDE
If New Delhi becomes Newdelhi, (a new word) with no relation with its literal meaning, the expanded and new part of the city can be easily renamed again as New Newdelhi and old part can continued to be called Old Newdelhi.
CLUSTER OF NEW & OLD CITY SIDE BY SIDE
This process can continue till big cities stop growing and adding new cities.
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