एक

Hindi

**Hindi numbers ^(edit)**
		10
	^{[a], [b]} ← 0	१ 1	2 →	10 →
Cardinal: एक (ek) Ordinal: पहला (pahlā), पहिला (pahilā), प्रथम (pratham) Fractional: पूरा (pūrā)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *éy?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas

Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas

Sanskrit एक (eka)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀏𑀓 (eka)

Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka)

Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka)

Old Hindi एक (eka)

Sanskrit एक (eka)influ.

Hindi एक (ek)

Inherited from Old Hindi एक (eka), from Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka), from Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka), from Sanskrit एक (éka). Reinforced by Sanskrit एक (eka).

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /eːk/
Audio: (file)

Numeral

एक • (ek) (Urdu spelling ایک) (cardinal)

one; 1

Adjective

एक • (ek) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling ایک)

sole, only
united

Article

एक • (ek) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling ایک)

indefinite article (used largely to mean "a certain", but can be used more generally to refer to a noun in its first mention in a conversation)

Derived terms

एक न एक (ek na ek)
एक-दूसरे (ek-dūsre)
एकजुट (ekjuṭ)
एकदम (ekdam)
एकभाषी (ekbhāṣī)

Related terms

इकट्ठा (ikaṭṭhā)

Konkani

**Konkani cardinal numbers**
	एक	दोन >
Cardinal : एक (ek) Ordinal : पयलें (paylẽ)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *éy?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas

Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas

Sanskrit एक (eka)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀏𑀓 (eka)

Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka)

Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka)

Konkani एक (ek)

Inherited from Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka), from Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka), from Sanskrit एक (éka).

Numeral

एक • (ek) (Latin script ek, Kannada script ಎಕ್)

one

Maithili

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *éy?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas

Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas

Sanskrit एक (eka)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀏𑀓 (eka)

Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka)

Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka)

Maithili एक (ēk)

Inherited from Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka), from Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka), from Sanskrit एक (éka).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [eːk]

Numeral

एक • (ek)

one

Marathi

**Marathi numbers ^(edit)**
		10
	← 0	१ 1	2 →	10 →
Cardinal: एक (ek) Ordinal: पहिले (pahile) Adverbial: एकदा (ekdā) Collective: एकटा (ekṭā)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *éy?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas

Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas

Sanskrit एक (eka)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀏𑀓 (eka)

Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka)

Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka)

Old Marathi 𑘊𑘎 (eka)

Marathi एक (ek)

Inherited from Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka), from Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka), from Sanskrit एक (éka).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ek/
Audio: (file)

Numeral

एक • (ek)

one

Derived terms

एकटा (ekṭā, “alone”)
एकपेशीय (ekapeśīya, “unicellular”)
एकी (ekī, “unity”)

References

Berntsen, Maxine (1982–1983) “एक”, in A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary, New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies

Nepali

**Nepali numbers ^(edit)**
		10^{[a], [b]}
	^{[a], [b]} ← 0	१ 1	2 →	10 → ^{[a], [b]}
Cardinal: एक (ek) Ordinal: पहिलो (pahilo), प्रथम (pratham) Adverbial: एकचोटी (ekacoṭī), एकपटक (ekapaṭak)

Etymology

Inherited from Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ekka), from Sanskrit एक (éka).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ek]
Phonetic Devanagari: एक्

Numeral

एक • (ek)

one

Old Hindi

Alternative forms

इक (ika), हेक (heka)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *éy?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas

Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas

Sanskrit एक (eka)

Ashokan Prakrit 𑀏𑀓 (eka)

Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka)

Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka)

Old Hindi एक (eka)

Inherited from Apabhramsa एक्क (ekka), from Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka), from Sanskrit एक (éka).

Numeral

एक (eka)

one
- c. 1500, Kabīr 77.1:
  एक जोति तैं सब उतपंना, कौंण वारंण कौंण सूदा
  eka joti taiṃ saba utapaṃnā, kauṃṇa vāraṃṇa kauṃṇa sūdā
  All have arisen from one light, who is a brāhmaṇa and who is a śūdra?

Descendants

Hindustani: ek
Hindi: एक

Urdu: ایک

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

eka (Latin script)
𑀏𑀓 (Brahmi script)
এক (Bengali script)
එක (Sinhalese script)
ဧက or ဨက or ဢေၵ (Burmese script)
เอก or เอกะ (Thai script)
ᩑᨠ (Tai Tham script)
ເອກ or ເອກະ (Lao script)
ឯក (Khmer script)
𑄃𑄬𑄇 (Chakma script)

Numeral

एक

Devanagari script form of eka (“one”)
- c. 500 AD, Kaccāyana, Pālivyākaraṇaṃ [Pali Grammar]‎^[1] (overall work in Pali), page 252; republished as Satish Chandra Acharyya Vidyabhusana, editor, Kaccayana's Pali Grammar (edited in Devanagari character and translated into English), Calcutta, Bengal: Mahabodhi Society, 1901:
  सब्बेसं तिण्णं पठममज्झिमुत्तमपुरिसानं एकाभिधाने परो पुरिसो गहेतब्बो। सो च पठति, ते च पठन्ति, त्वञ्च पठसि तुम्हे च पठथ, अहञ्च पठामि = मयं पठाम; सो पचति, ते च पचन्ति, त्वञ्च पचन्ति, तुम्हे च पठथ, अहञ्च पचआमि = मयं पचाम एवं सेसासु विभत्तीसु परो पुरिसो योजेतब्बो॥
  Sabbesaṃ tiṇṇaṃ paṭhamamajjhimuttamapurisānaṃ ekābhidhāne paro puriso gahetabbo. So ca paṭhati, te ca paṭhanti, tvañca paṭhasi, tumhe ca paṭhatha, ahañca paṭhāmi = mayaṃ paṭhāma; so pacati, te ca pacanti, tvañca pacasi, tumhe ca pacatha, ahañca pacāmi = mayaṃ pacāma. Evaṃ sesāsu vibhattīsu paro puriso yojetabbo.
  With all three, third, second, and first persons, in one expression, the last person is to be taken. He reads, they read, thou readest, you read, and I read = we read; he cooks, they cook, thou cookest, you cook , and I cook = we cook. The last person is to be applied thus for other endings.

Declension

Declension table of "एक" (masculine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	एको (eko)	एके (eke)
Accusative (second)	एकं (ekaṃ)	एके (eke)
Instrumental (third)	एकेन (ekena)	एकेहि (ekehi) or एकेभि (ekebhi)
Dative (fourth)	एकस्स (ekassa)	एकेसं (ekesaṃ) or एकेसानं (ekesānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	एकस्मा (ekasmā) or एकम्हा (ekamhā)	एकेहि (ekehi) or एकेभि (ekebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	एकस्स (ekassa)	एकेसं (ekesaṃ) or एकेसानं (ekesānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	एकस्मिं (ekasmiṃ) or एकम्हि (ekamhi)	एकेसु (ekesu)
Vocative (calling)	एक (eka)	एके (eke)

Declension table of "एका" (feminine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	एका (ekā)	एकायो (ekāyo) or एका (ekā)
Accusative (second)	एकं (ekaṃ)	एकायो (ekāyo) or एका (ekā)
Instrumental (third)	एकाय (ekāya)	एकाहि (ekāhi) or एकाभि (ekābhi)
Dative (fourth)	एकिस्सा (ekissā) or एकिस्साय (ekissāya)	एकासं (ekāsaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	एकाय (ekāya)	एकाहि (ekāhi) or एकाभि (ekābhi)
Genitive (sixth)	एकिस्सा (ekissā) or एकिस्साय (ekissāya)	एकासं (ekāsaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	एकाय (ekāya) or एकायं (ekāyaṃ) or एकिस्सं (ekissaṃ)	एकासु (ekāsu)
Vocative (calling)	एके (eke)	एकायो (ekāyo) or एका (ekā)

Declension table of "एक" (neuter)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	एकं (ekaṃ)	एकानि (ekāni)
Accusative (second)	एकं (ekaṃ)	एकानि (ekāni)
Instrumental (third)	एकेन (ekena)	एकेहि (ekehi) or एकेभि (ekebhi)
Dative (fourth)	एकस्स (ekassa)	एकेसं (ekesaṃ) or एकेसानं (ekesānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	एकस्मा (ekasmā) or एकम्हा (ekamhā)	एकेहि (ekehi) or एकेभि (ekebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	एकस्स (ekassa)	एकेसं (ekesaṃ) or एकेसानं (ekesānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	एकस्मिं (ekasmiṃ) or एकम्हि (ekamhi)	एकेसु (ekesu)
Vocative (calling)	एक (eka)	एकानि (ekāni)

Sanskrit

**Sanskrit numbers ^(edit)**
		10^{[a], [b]}
	← 0	१ 1	2 →	10 → ^{[a], [b]}
Cardinal: एक (eka) Ordinal: प्रथम (prathama) Multiplier: एकधा (ekadhā) Distributive: एकशस् (ekaśas)

Alternative scripts

এক (Assamese script)
ᬏᬓ (Balinese script)
এক (Bengali script)
𑰊𑰎 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀏𑀓 (Brahmi script)
ဧက (Burmese script)
એક (Gujarati script)
ਏਕ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌏𑌕 (Grantha script)
ꦌꦏ (Javanese script)
𑂉𑂍 (Kaithi script)
ಏಕ (Kannada script)
ឯក (Khmer script)
ເອກ (Lao script)
ഏക (Malayalam script)
ᡝᡬᠠ (Manchu script)
𑘊𑘎 (Modi script)
ᠧᢉᠠ (Mongolian script)
𑦪𑦮 (Nandinagari script)
𑐊𑐎 (Newa script)
ଏକ (Odia script)
ꢍꢒ (Saurashtra script)
𑆍𑆑 (Sharada script)
𑖊𑖎 (Siddham script)
එක (Sinhalese script)
𑩐𑩔𑩜 (Soyombo script)
𑚆𑚊 (Takri script)
ஏக (Tamil script)
ఏక (Telugu script)
เอก (Thai script)
ཨེ་ཀ (Tibetan script)
𑒋𑒏 (Tirhuta script)
𑨀𑨄𑨋 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *éy?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas

Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas

Sanskrit एक (eka)

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *Háykas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háykas, from Proto-Indo-European *(H)óykos (“one, single”).

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɐ́j.kɐ/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /eː.kɐ/

Numeral

एक • (éka)

one

Adjective

एक • (éka) stem

(with and without एव (eva)) alone, solitary, single, happening only once, that one only
the same, one and the same, identical
one of two or many
single of its kind, unique, singular, chief, pre-eminent, excellent
sincere, truthful
little, small
(sometimes used as an indefinite article) a, an
(in the plural) some, certain ones

Declension

Masculine pronominal a-stem declension of एक
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	एकः (ékaḥ)	एकौ (ékau) एका¹ (ékā¹)	एके (éke)
accusative	एकम् (ékam)	एकौ (ékau) एका¹ (ékā¹)	एकान् (ékān)
instrumental	एकेन (ékena)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकैः (ékaiḥ) एकेभिः¹ (ékebhiḥ¹)
dative	एकस्मै (ékasmai)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकेभ्यः (ékebhyaḥ)
ablative	एकस्मात् (ékasmāt)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकेभ्यः (ékebhyaḥ)
genitive	एकस्य (ékasya)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकेषाम् (ékeṣām)
locative	एकस्मिन् (ékasmin)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकेषु (ékeṣu)
vocative	एक (éka)	एकौ (ékau) एका¹ (ékā¹)	एके (éke)

¹Vedic

Feminine pronominal ā-stem declension of एका
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	एका (ékā)	एके (éke)	एकाः (ékāḥ)
accusative	एकाम् (ékām)	एके (éke)	एकाः (ékāḥ)
instrumental	एकया (ékayā) एका¹ (ékā¹)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकाभिः (ékābhiḥ)
dative	एकस्यै (ékasyai)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकाभ्यः (ékābhyaḥ)
ablative	एकस्याः (ékasyāḥ)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकाभ्यः (ékābhyaḥ)
genitive	एकस्याः (ékasyāḥ)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकासाम् (ékāsām)
locative	एकस्याम् (ékasyām)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकासु (ékāsu)
vocative	एके (éke)	एके (éke)	एकाः (ékāḥ)

¹Vedic

Neuter pronominal a-stem declension of एक
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	एकम् (ékam)	एके (éke)	एकानि (ékāni) एका¹ (ékā¹)
accusative	एकम् (ékam)	एके (éke)	एकानि (ékāni) एका¹ (ékā¹)
instrumental	एकेन (ékena)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकैः (ékaiḥ) एकेभिः¹ (ékebhiḥ¹)
dative	एकस्मै (ékasmai)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकेभ्यः (ékebhyaḥ)
ablative	एकस्मात् (ékasmāt)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकेभ्यः (ékebhyaḥ)
genitive	एकस्य (ékasya)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकेषाम् (ékeṣām)
locative	एकस्मिन् (ékasmin)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकेषु (ékeṣu)
vocative	एक (éka)	एके (éke)	एकानि (ékāni) एका¹ (ékā¹)

¹Vedic

Noun

एक • (éka) stem, n

unity, a unit (at the end of a compound)

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of एक
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	एकम् (ékam)	एके (éke)	एकानि (ékāni) एका¹ (ékā¹)
accusative	एकम् (ékam)	एके (éke)	एकानि (ékāni) एका¹ (ékā¹)
instrumental	एकेन (ékena)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकैः (ékaiḥ) एकेभिः¹ (ékebhiḥ¹)
dative	एकाय (ékāya)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकेभ्यः (ékebhyaḥ)
ablative	एकात् (ékāt)	एकाभ्याम् (ékābhyām)	एकेभ्यः (ékebhyaḥ)
genitive	एकस्य (ékasya)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकानाम् (ékānām)
locative	एके (éke)	एकयोः (ékayoḥ)	एकेषु (ékeṣu)
vocative	एक (éka)	एके (éke)	एकानि (ékāni) एका¹ (ékā¹)

¹Vedic

Derived terms

ऐक्य (aikya)

Descendants

Due to the indistinctive Middle Indo-Aryan vocable *ea ~ *ia resulting from the natural lenition of एक (eka), it was overwhelmingly replaced by the form *ekka in descendant languages.

Dardic:
- Kalami: [script needed] (ak), [script needed] (akh)
- Gawar-Bati: یَک (yak)
- Indus Kohistani: [script needed] (ak)
- Kalasha: ek
- Kashmiri:
  - Arabic script: اَکھ (akh)
  - Devanagari script: अख (akh)
- Khowar: اِ (i)
- Phalura: آکھ (āk), آ (ā)
- Shina: ایٗک (aík)
- Savi: [script needed] (yak), [script needed] (ek)
- Shumashti: [script needed] (yek)
- Tirahi: [script needed] (īk)
- Torwali: [script needed] (ē), [script needed] (ēk)
- Ushojo: اک (ak)
Eastern:
- Ardhamagadhi Prakrit:
  - Assamese: এক (ek), এ- (e-)
  - Bengali: এক (ek)
  - Bhojpuri: एगो (ēgō)
  - Maithili: एक (ēk)
  - Odia: ଏ (e)
  - Rohingya: [script needed] (ek)
Southern:
- Elu:
  - Dhivehi: އެއް (ek̊)
  - Sinhalese: එක (eka)
- Maharastri Prakrit:
  - Konkani: एक (ēk)
  - Marathi: एक (ek)
Pali: eka
- → Burmese: ဧက (eka.)
- → Khmer: ឯក (ʼaek)
- → Lao: ເອກ (ʼēk)
- → Thai: เอก (èek)
Central:
- Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ekka)
  - Apabhramsa: एक्क (ekka)
    - Central:
      - Old Hindi: एक (eka), इक (ika), हेक (heka)
        Hindustani: ek
        Hindi: एक
        Urdu: ایک
    - Northern:
      - Garhwali: यक (yak)
      - Nepali: एक (ek)
      - Dogri:
        Devanagari script: इक (ik)
        Dogra script: 𑠂𑠊 (ika)
    - Northwestern:
      - Punjabi:
        Gurmukhi script: ਇੱਕ (ikka)
        Shahmukhi script: اِکّ (īkk)
    - Western:
      - Saurashtra: ꢫꣂꢔ꣄ (yōg)
      - Gujarati: એક (eka)
      - Romani: jekh, ekh, yek, ek, äk, ăc
        Angloromani: yek
  (see there for further descendants)
Northern:
- Sindhi: هڪ (hik)
- Lahnda: [script needed] (hekk), [script needed] (hikk)
- Kumaoni: एक (ek)
→ Old Javanese: eka
- Javanese: ꦲꦺꦏ (éka)
- → Balinese: ᬏᬓ (éka)
→ Kannada: ಏಕ (ēka)
→ Malay: ايک (eka)
- Indonesian: eka
→ Malayalam: ഏക (ēka), ഏകം (ēkaṁ)
→ Santali: ᱮᱠᱚ (ekô)
→ Telugu: ఏకము (ēkamu)
→ Thai: เอก (èek)
→ Prasuni: [script needed] (ipin)
→ Waigali: [Term?] (ew)

References

Monier Williams (1899) “एक”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0227/3.
Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 262-3