PUNJABI HISTORY Names, meaning and evidence Teacher guide A source-literacy lesson separating a dictionary headword, a documented person’s name, spelling variation and an individual’s naming intention. Suggested group: Secondary learners and adult family-history groups Session: approximately 45 minutes Goal: Write a name record that distinguishes documented use, lexical evidence and a meaning that has not been established. Preparation: Use the named examples in the pack. Learners may choose one of these examples instead of discussing their own name. Native forms are shown with their recorded source; recognising or pronouncing either Punjabi script is not a prerequisite. READINGS Aman: a name in Punjab’s public records https://punjabihistory.com/names/aman/ Article ID: PH-NAM-0001 Anand: joy and a documented public-name form https://punjabihistory.com/names/anand/ Article ID: PH-NAM-0009 Arjan: a historical name, a Guru and a modern bearer https://punjabihistory.com/names/arjan/ Article ID: PH-NAM-0010 Balraj: an actor’s name in film and Punjabi literary records https://punjabihistory.com/names/balraj/ Article ID: PH-NAM-0015 ACTIVITIES 1. Three questions for one name (12 minutes) Read the Aman and Anand entries. Build a table with three headings: documented use; dictionary evidence; personal intention. Fill only the fields supported by the cited records. Use ‘not established in these sources’ wherever evidence is missing. Find the evidence: Aman: a name in Punjab’s public records — Meaning remains a separate field https://punjabihistory.com/names/aman/#meaning-limits Anand: joy and a documented public-name form — A documented Punjabi word https://punjabihistory.com/names/anand/#evidence-1 Guidance for discussion: Check that an institutional record is used for documented use and a dictionary is identified as lexical evidence. A learner should not fill an unknown field by turning an attractive English association into the bearer’s intended meaning. 2. Keep a spelling with its source (12 minutes) Compare the Arjan and Balraj entries. Record one full public-name form and the source that supplies it. If a variant or native form appears, identify whether it comes from a dictionary, an institutional record or a particular person. Explain why those are different claims. Find the evidence: Arjan: a historical name, a Guru and a modern bearer — A name recorded in an early dictionary https://punjabihistory.com/names/arjan/#evidence-1 Balraj: an actor’s name in film and Punjabi literary records — A Punjabi publication with a spelling detail https://punjabihistory.com/names/balraj/#evidence-3 Guidance for discussion: A good answer preserves the full form and exact source locator. A lexical native form should not be assigned to an individual as their preferred spelling unless the evidence actually says so. Variant spellings should not create separate identities without supporting evidence. 3. Make a small evidence record (11 minutes) Choose one of the four entries. Write a record of no more than 80 words containing the name, one supported statement about its use, one evidence limit and a source ID. Exchange it with a partner and check whether every statement can be traced to the cited record. Find the evidence: Anand: joy and a documented public-name form — Anand at the start of a recorded public name https://punjabihistory.com/names/anand/#evidence-2 Arjan: a historical name, a Guru and a modern bearer — A different bearer and a commemorated full name https://punjabihistory.com/names/arjan/#evidence-3 Guidance for discussion: Accept a short record with an explicitly unknown meaning. Do not reward unsupported certainty, identity inferred from spelling, or the amount of personal information included. The goal is a clear, traceable record with its limits intact. REFLECTION Which of the three questions—use, lexical meaning or personal intention—was hardest to answer from the available evidence, and why? EXTENSION Use the names explorer to compare a record with documented lexical evidence and one whose meaning remains unestablished. Identify the different source types; do not rank the names by how complete their records are. This is an English guided-reading resource. Timing is a suggestion; adapt the reading load. Article citations and limitations remain part of the activity. This pack does not certify attainment or imply external curriculum approval. SOURCE TRAIL PH-NAM-0001: Aman: a name in Punjab’s public records PH-NAM-0001-S1: Association for Democratic Reforms / MyNeta. Aman Arora: Punjab 2017 affidavit archive. Heading “Punjab 2017”, candidate name, Sunam (Sangrur) fields and disclaimer. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.myneta.info/punjab2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=754 PH-NAM-0001-S2: Aam Aadmi Party. Aman Arora. Name heading and Biography paragraphs 1–3. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://aamaadmiparty.org/aman-arora/ Evidence limits: This record separates what the cited documents establish from wider claims about origins, identity or universal practice. Human review was waived by the owner; source checking was AI-assisted. PH-NAM-0009: Anand: joy and a documented public-name form PH-NAM-0009-S1: Bhai Maya Singh; Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. The Panjabi Dictionary: anaṇd. Original 1895 printed pages 31; full-scan PDF pages 49; right column, ANAND/ANAND entry; complete paired forms and examples. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/singh_query.py?qs=%E0%A8%85%E0%A8%A8%E0%A9%B0%E0%A8%A6&searchhws=yes&matchtype=exact PH-NAM-0009-S2: Harvard Film Archive. Prisoners of Conscience / A Narmada Diary. 21 September 2002 event heading and distinct directing credits for the two films. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://harvardfilmarchive.org/calendar/prisoners-of-conscience-2002-09 PH-NAM-0009-S3: Georgia Korossi; British Film Institute. Portraits of India: interview with Anand Patwardhan. 21 February 2013 heading/byline; introductory identification, first answer about essay form and answer about UK film connections. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/earth-vision-interview-anand-patwardhan Evidence limits: The dictionary establishes a lexeme; archive credits and the interview establish a particular public name. They do not explain a family-name history or the filmmaker’s original naming, language or community identity. PH-NAM-0010: Arjan: a historical name, a Guru and a modern bearer PH-NAM-0010-S1: Bhai Maya Singh; Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. The Panjabi Dictionary: arjan. Original 1895 printed pages 45; full-scan PDF pages 63; left column, ARJAN entry at bottom. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/singh_query.py?qs=%E0%A8%85%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%A8&searchhws=yes&matchtype=exact PH-NAM-0010-S2: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Page title and opening two paragraphs: full name, Goindwal and Fifth Nanak identification. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://sgpc.net/ten-guru-sahibs/guru-arjan-sahib/ PH-NAM-0010-S3: Ministry of Defence, Government of India; Press Information Bureau. IAF Pays Tribute to the Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh DFC. Notice dated 15 April 2022: opening, birth, rank and Air Force Station renaming paragraphs. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1816949&lang=2®=48 Evidence limits: The SGPC profile is an institutional religious account, used here for its name forms and identification. The Air Force notice documents a different bearer and does not establish a family naming link to the Guru. PH-NAM-0015: Balraj: an actor’s name in film and Punjabi literary records PH-NAM-0015-S1: Film Heritage Foundation. Restoration of Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin (1953) to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Synopsis identifying Balraj Sahni as Shambhu; “Cast and Crew Details”; restoration-process section. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://filmheritagefoundation.co.in/the-criterion-collection-and-janus-films-in-collaboration-with-film-heritage-foundation-restored-bimal-roys-classics-do-bigha-zamin-1953-two-acres-of-land/ PH-NAM-0015-S2: India Habitat Centre. Annual report: Habitat Film Festival centenary tribute to Balraj Sahni. Festivals narrative and Annexure 09, May: “Centenary Tribute Retrospective, Balraj Sahni (1913–1973)”, printed pp.49–50. Accessed 2026-11-05. https://indiahabitat.org/assets/user/img/pdf/pub-annual-reports/ihc_annual_report_2012-13.pdf PH-NAM-0015-S3: Sahitya Akademi. Balraj Sahani Da Rachna Sansar: publication record. Details of Books table: title, national seminar dates, editor, language, ISBN and extent. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/publications/book-56.jsp Evidence limits: The seminar catalogue, festival programme and restoration announcement were inspected; the full seminar volume and original film titles were not. The catalogue’s spelling Sahani is preserved only when describing its title, without being generalized to every bearer.