Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Kolkata” come from?

Kolkata is the English name for the city, derived from Bengali কলকাতা, an alternate spelling of Bengali কলিকাতা, whose ultimate origin remains uncertain.

Ancestry of “Kolkata”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Bengaliকলকাতা—
2Bengaliকলিকাতা—

Words derived from “Kolkata”

  • Kolkatan
Every word from Bengali কলিকাতা →