Word
bombay
Phoneticsbom·bay
/bɑmˈbeɪ/
Definition
n. the old name for Mumbai, a very large city in India.
n. the former official name of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state in India, changed in 1995.
Examples
“My grandfather lived in Bombay for many years.”
“Many older residents still refer to the city as Bombay despite the official name change to Mumbai decades ago.”
“The transition from Bombay to Mumbai reflected a broader movement to reclaim indigenous Marathi identity over the colonial nomenclature established during British rule.”
Examples
simple
“My grandfather lived in Bombay for many years.”
contextual
“Many older residents still refer to the city as Bombay despite the official name change to Mumbai decades ago.”
complex
“The transition from Bombay to Mumbai reflected a broader movement to reclaim indigenous Marathi identity over the colonial nomenclature established during British rule.”
Usage
Often used in historical contexts or by older speakers; Mumbai is the standard modern term.
Teaching tip
While 'Bombay' is still used in specific titles like the 'Bombay Stock Exchange', students should use 'Mumbai' for the city in modern conversation.
Etymology
From Portuguese Bombaim, possibly from Marathi मुंबादेवी (mumbādevī, “goddess Mumba”) or from bom + baim. Most likely a combination of both.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bombay