Karnataka (Kar)
Kan: ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ karnāṭaka
‘Black Country’ [Carnatic, Karanāta, Karanāta-desa]
From Dra/Tam: *kar/karu, ‘black’; Dra/Tam: nāṭu (nadu), ‘land’, ‘country’.
In its English form the name Carnatic has been wrongly applied to other parts of the southern region: the name specifically applies to the land (Karnataka, Carnatic, Karanāta) of the people speaking Kannada/Canarese.
The ‘black country’ is probably a reference to the black cotton soil found throughout Karnataka.
In 1947, this state was formed from the princely state of Mysore and in 1956, the Kannada-speaking regions of neighbouring states were added to what was then called Mysore state. The name was changed to Karnataka in 1973.
Karnataka can justifiably claim to be the ‘Coffee Cup of India’: it grows more of it (71% of India’s production) and drinks more of it than any other state.

Davanagere (Kan)
Kan: ದಾವಣಗೆರೆ dāvaṇagere ‘Wormwood Tank’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Hubballi/Hubli-Dharwad (Kar)
Kan: ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿ hubbaḷḷi ‘Flowering Creeper’, ‘Gateway’ [Hubballi, Pubballi]...
Aihole (Kar)
Kan: ಐಹೊಳೆ aihoḷe 'Aryan Village’ [Ayyavole, Aryapura, Aivalli, Ahivolal]...
Badami/Vatapi (Kar)
Kan: ಬಾದಾಮಿ bādāmi ‘Vatapi’ [Vatapi,Vatapipura] Town, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Bagalkot/Bagalkote (Kar)
Kan: ಬಾಗಲಕೋಟ bāgalakōṭa ‘Fort Gateway’ [Bagadige] City/District, Karnataka...
Ballari/Bellary (Kar)
Kan: ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ baḷḷāri ‘Bush Town’ [Bellary, Vallari,Vallaripuram]...
Belagavi/Belgaum (Kar)
Kan: ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ beḷagāvi ‘Bamboo Village’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar)...
Belur (Kar)
Kan: ಬೇಲೂರು bēlūru ‘Radiant Town’ [Velur, Velapuri, Beluhur] Town, Karnataka...
Bengaluru/Bangalore (Kar)
Kan: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು beṅgaḷūru ‘Venga Tree Town’ City/Capital/District, Karnataka...
Bhadravati (Kar)
Kan: ಭದ್ರಾವತಿ bhadrāvati ‘Bhadra Village’ City, Karnataka (Kar) From Bhadra...
Bidar (Kar)
Kan: ಬೀದರ್ bīdar ‘Halting Place’ City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From Kan:...
Bijapur/Vijayapura (Kar)
Kan: ವಿಜಯಪುರ vijayapura 'Victory City' City/District, Karnataka (Kar) From...
Chikkamagaluru/Chikmagalur (Kar)
Kan: ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು cikkamagaḷūru 'Youngest Daughter’s Town’ City/District/Hill...
Chitradurga (Kar)
Kan: ಚಿತ್ರದುರ್ಗ citradurga ‘Bright Fort’ [Chitaldoorg] ...