Mythologically, we are descendents of clan brought by Lord Parsurama, who created Goa by throwing his axe into the sea,and reclaimed the land mass and arrange to settle ninety six families from ten gothras he had led to the new land. Historically, when the religion was reaching its nadir, the king who had learned that highly educated and spiritual commune can be found in Trihut region (present day Mithila in Bihar), he sent his emissary with a request to loan him such persons for uplift of his subjects. The king of Trihut sent ninety-six (is it a coincidence?) families from ten gothras to the new land to propagate religion and philosophy. These families were settled in two different parts of the region. Thirty families were grouped in one commune,and sixty-six in other. The first commune was known as Tiswadys, and the other Shashatis among themselves, and the locals used to call them as a member of Shanavis. Saha means six and Navi means ninety, and our ancestors were known as a family of ninety-six. The word sahanavi later became Shenvi, and then to modern Shenoy or Shanbhag. There exist regions known as Tisuary and Salcettem (Portuguese pronunciation of Shashasti) in Goa. The families from Trihut mingled with the locals taught them and imparted knowledge for which they were brought, and in return started amassing wealth, buying lands, learnt feudalism and slowly became owners of village and rule over the locals. They built temples, started trading and became one of the locals, but with a difference. The difference was the Name. The strongest survives or rules over, and our ancestors were no different. Pai in our language means foot or leg. The common person who had not amassed wealth or power was known as Pai. Their job was menial in maintaining ledgers, doing clerical and odd jobs. The promotions were also there and your surname will change according to the promotion. The Pai who was writing ledgers, were promoted to become Shanbhags (clerks), and to other titles. A person maintaining statistics was called Karni. Land was called Nadu,and the person maintaining land records was known as Nadkarni, and Kulkarni maintained census, and social register. The main source of income was from agriculture, and the person experienced in soil mechanics, afgro-science was called Kamathi. Mathi means soil and Kama is work, that is working in soil ( Kama + Mathi). In Konkani even today we call kamathi not kamath or kamat. Cultivation of herbs for medicinal purpose was rule of the day. The concoction was prepared and dispensed by Vaidya, and the herbs were cultivated by Kinvis, presently called Kini or Keni. The animals required for tilling, transportation and other works were under Haya- Gade (actually Horse tenderer), modernized to Hegde.The daily requirements of every family for survival, presentations, etc were the responsibility of the Ballo. There is another theory that reveals that the foot soldier with a spear was called Ballo. The soldier Ballo(Baliga) was under the command of Nayak. The Brahmins from Trihutpura became feudal lord, and fancied himself as "The Lord" and was called Prabhu. He lived in a palatial home called mahal, and the caretaker was known as Mahalyar, presently modernized to Mallya. The religion was the center of attraction, and every hamlet, village;town had one or more temples. Poojas were performed in every home almost daily. There used be a congregation in the temple everyday to listen to recitation of puranas or other subjects. The poojas in the big temple and its rituals were under Acharya, and in small temples conducted by Bhat. Every family had exclusive priest to perform the rites, and he was the family Purohit. Puraniks recited the kathas and puranas in the temples. The temples were administered by Mahajans and its stores by Bhandari. The village godown was also under the Bhandari or bhandarkar. Kudva did fabricating tools
and tackles (the village blacksmith). Every hamlet had the same profession and hence the limited family names. To differentiate between two prabhus or pais, the person started calling himself from the particular hamlet or village, such as Gokul Shenvi Kakodkar, or Prakash Pai Angle. The word 'Kar" means "From" or citizen of.Thus kakodkar means person from village kakod. This enabled one to identify the profession and the domicile. The Portuguese invasion made people migrate to Ratnagiri in North and entire coast in the South, and slowly the local influence crept into the culture. In Karnataka, the village of refuge was used as a prefix to call oneself Padbidri Mohandas Prabhu, KARKALA ANANTH KINI, TONSE RAJENDRA KINI, KOTTACHERI DEVDAS SHENOY, or Kinnigoli Ramanath Kamath, et all. The kerala civilization induced the name of the house or the exact area rather than the village, and in some places, the present profession was also added to the name. So we have today, Thayyil Muralidhar Kamath ( Thayyil means tailoring house), or Kannaparambil Gopalakrishna Pai ( Parambil means garden or farm belonging to kannan). Today the name has no links with the profession. Mallya owns land, and Kini is a soldier; prabhu works for kamath, and Pai owns the land. The names are stuck; even tough the profession is not. But then what's in a name. A rose is a rose is a rose, even if called by any other name…!!!!
