कथा

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit कथा (kathā).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [kəˈt̪ʰa(ː)]

Noun

कथा • (kathā) f (Urdu spelling کتھا)

story, narrative
Synonyms: कहानी (kahānī), अफ़साना (afsānā)

वह जटिल लघु कथाएँ लिखता और प्रकाशित करता है।
vah jaṭil laghu kathāẽ likhtā aur prakāśit kartā hai.
He writes and publishes intricate short stories.

Declension

Declension of *कथा* (fem ā-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	कथा kathā	कथाएँ kathāẽ
oblique	कथा kathā	कथाओं kathāõ
vocative	कथा kathā	कथाओ kathāo

Derived terms

परी कथा (parī kathā, “fairy tale”)

References

Bahri, Hardev (1989) “कथा”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
Platts, John T. (1884) “कथा”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.

Marathi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit कथा (kathā).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kə.t̪ʰa/
Audio: (file)

Noun

कथा • (kathā) f

story

References

Berntsen, Maxine (1982–1983) “कथा”, in A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary, New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies
Molesworth, James Thomas (1857) “कथा”, in A dictionary, Marathi and English, Bombay: Printed for government at the Bombay Education Society's Press

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

kathā (Latin script)
𑀓𑀣𑀸 (Brahmi script)
কথা (Bengali script)
කථා (Sinhalese script)
ကထာ or ၵထႃ (Burmese script)
กถา or กะถา (Thai script)
ᨠᨳᩣ (Tai Tham script)
ກຖາ or ກະຖາ (Lao script)
កថា (Khmer script)
𑄇𑄗𑄂 (Chakma script)

Noun

कथा f

speech, story, talk

Declension

Declension table of "कथा" (feminine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	कथा (kathā)	कथायो (kathāyo) or कथा (kathā)
Accusative (second)	कथं (kathaṃ)	कथायो (kathāyo) or कथा (kathā)
Instrumental (third)	कथाय (kathāya)	कथाहि (kathāhi) or कथाभि (kathābhi)
Dative (fourth)	कथाय (kathāya)	कथानं (kathānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	कथाय (kathāya)	कथाहि (kathāhi) or कथाभि (kathābhi)
Genitive (sixth)	कथाय (kathāya)	कथानं (kathānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	कथाय (kathāya) or कथायं (kathāyaṃ)	कथासु (kathāsu)
Vocative (calling)	कथे (kathe)	कथायो (kathāyo) or कथा (kathā)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

কথা (Assamese script)
ᬓᬣᬵ (Balinese script)
কথা (Bengali script)
𑰎𑰞𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀓𑀣𑀸 (Brahmi script)
ကထာ (Burmese script)
કથા (Gujarati script)
ਕਥਾ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌕𑌥𑌾 (Grantha script)
ꦏꦡꦴ (Javanese script)
𑂍𑂟𑂰 (Kaithi script)
ಕಥಾ (Kannada script)
កថា (Khmer script)
ກຖາ (Lao script)
കഥാ (Malayalam script)
ᡬᠠᡨᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
𑘎𑘞𑘰 (Modi script)
ᢉᠠᠲᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
𑦮𑦾𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
𑐎𑐠𑐵 (Newa script)
କଥା (Odia script)
ꢒꢢꢵ (Saurashtra script)
𑆑𑆡𑆳 (Sharada script)
𑖎𑖞𑖯 (Siddham script)
කථා (Sinhalese script)
𑩜𑩬𑩛 (Soyombo script)
𑚊𑚚𑚭 (Takri script)
கத²ா (Tamil script)
కథా (Telugu script)
กถา (Thai script)
ཀ་ཐཱ (Tibetan script)
𑒏𑒟𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
𑨋𑨚𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Nominalized from the interrogative कथा (kathā, “how; whence; why”) (compare कथम् (katham)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kátʰaH (“in what way”), from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *kʷós (compare similar formations: यथा (yathā) from *HyátʰaH (“in which way; as”) and तथा (tathā) from *tátʰaH (“in that way; so”)). The Sanskrit root is कथ् (kath).

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /kɐ.tʰɑ́ː/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /kɐ.t̪ʰɑː/

Noun

कथा • (kathā́) stem, f

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of कथा
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कथा (kathā)	कथे (kathe)	कथाः (kathāḥ)
accusative	कथाम् (kathām)	कथे (kathe)	कथाः (kathāḥ)
instrumental	कथया (kathayā) कथा¹ (kathā¹)	कथाभ्याम् (kathābhyām)	कथाभिः (kathābhiḥ)
dative	कथायै (kathāyai)	कथाभ्याम् (kathābhyām)	कथाभ्यः (kathābhyaḥ)
ablative	कथायाः (kathāyāḥ) कथायै² (kathāyai²)	कथाभ्याम् (kathābhyām)	कथाभ्यः (kathābhyaḥ)
genitive	कथायाः (kathāyāḥ) कथायै² (kathāyai²)	कथयोः (kathayoḥ)	कथानाम् (kathānām)
locative	कथायाम् (kathāyām)	कथयोः (kathayoḥ)	कथासु (kathāsu)
vocative	कथे (kathe)	कथे (kathe)	कथाः (kathāḥ)

¹Vedic
²Brāhmaṇas

Derived terms

कथासरित्सागर (kathāsaritsāgara)
कथावार्त्ता (kathāvārttā)

Descendants

→ English: kathak, katha
→ Kannada: ಕತೆ (kate), ಕಥೆ (kathe)
→ Malayalam: കഥ (katha)
Pali: kathā
- → Khmer: កថា (ka’tʰaa)
- → Tagalog: katha
- → Malay: kata
  - > Indonesian: kata (inherited)
- → Minangkabau: kato
→ Punjabi: ਕਥਾ (kathā)
→ Tamil: கதை (katai)
→ Telugu: కథ (katha)

References

Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “kathā‍”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 135
Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 295