घ्रा

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

Of uncertain origin.

Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *gʰʷreh₂, whence Ancient Greek ὀσφραινομαι (osphrainomai, I smell, perceive) (compare Greek όσφρηση (ósfrisi, (sense of) smell); however, this is controversial.

Alternatively, Seebold compares the root to Old English brǣþ (smell; steam), whence English breath.

Another theory compares the root to Latin frōns (brow, front); noses are frontal organs responsible for smelling and breathing.

Pronunciation

Root

घ्रा • (ghrā)

  1. to smell, perceive odor
  2. to perceive
  3. to snuffle at
  4. to kill

Derived terms

Sanskrit terms belonging to the root घ्रा (0 c, 2 e)
Category Terms derived from the Sanskrit root घ्रा not found
Primary Verbal Forms
  • जिघ्रति (jíghrati) (Present)
  • घ्राति (ghrāti) (Present)
  • घ्रास्यति (ghrāsyáti) (Future)
  • घ्राता (ghrātā́) (Periphrastic Future)
  • अघ्रात् (ághrāt) (Aorist)
  • अघ्रासीत् (ághrāsīt) (Aorist)
  • घ्रायात् (ghrāyāt) (Benedictive)
Secondary Forms
  • घ्रापयति (ghrāpayati) (Causative)
  • अजिघ्रपत् (ajighrapat) (Causative Aorist)
  • जेघ्रीयते (jeghrīyate) (Intensive)
Non-Finite Forms
  • घ्रात (ghrātá) (Past Participle)
  • घ्रात्वा (ghrātvā) (Gerund)
  • जिघ्रित्वा (jighritvā) (Gerund)
  • घ्रातव्य (ghrātavyà) (Gerundive)
  • घ्रेय (ghreya) (Gerundive)
Derived Nominal Forms
  • घ्राण (ghrā́ṇa)
  • घ्राति (ghrāti)
  • घ्रातृ (ghrātṛ́)

References

  • Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1893) “घ्रा”, in A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout, London: Oxford University Press
  • Otto Böhtlingk, Richard Schmidt (1879-1928) “घ्रा”, in Walter Slaje, Jürgen Hanneder, Paul Molitor, Jörg Ritter, editors, Nachtragswörterbuch des Sanskrit [Dictionary of Sanskrit with supplements] (in German), Halle-Wittenberg: Martin-Luther-Universität, published 2016
  • Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2025) “ghrā”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.
  • Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎[1] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 520
  • Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 364; 433