धनुस्

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *dʰánwr̥ ~ *dʰánwan- (bow), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰénwr̥ (bow). Cognate with Avestan 𐬚𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬥 (θanuuan), 𐬚𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆 (θanuuarə), Old Persian 𐎰𐎵𐎢𐎺𐎴𐎡𐎹 (θ-nu-u-v-n-i-y /⁠θanuvaniya⁠/, archer), Ancient Greek θέναρ (thénar, palm (of hand)) and Old High German tenar. Compare धन्वन् (dhanvan).

Pronunciation

Noun

धनुस् • (dhánus) stemn

  1. a bow
    • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.125.6:
      अहं रुद्राय धनुर् आ तनोमि ब्रह्मद्विषे शरवे हन्तवा उ ।
      ahaṃ rudrāya dhanur ā tanomi brahmadviṣe śarave hantavā u.
      I bend the bow for Rudra so that his arrow may strike and slay the hater of devotion.

Declension

Neuter us-stem declension of धनुस्
singular dual plural
nominative धनुः (dhánuḥ) धनुषी (dhánuṣī) धनूंषि (dhánūṃṣi)
accusative धनुः (dhánuḥ) धनुषी (dhánuṣī) धनूंषि (dhánūṃṣi)
instrumental धनुषा (dhánuṣā) धनुर्भ्याम् (dhánurbhyām) धनुर्भिः (dhánurbhiḥ)
dative धनुषे (dhánuṣe) धनुर्भ्याम् (dhánurbhyām) धनुर्भ्यः (dhánurbhyaḥ)
ablative धनुषः (dhánuṣaḥ) धनुर्भ्याम् (dhánurbhyām) धनुर्भ्यः (dhánurbhyaḥ)
genitive धनुषः (dhánuṣaḥ) धनुषोः (dhánuṣoḥ) धनुषाम् (dhánuṣām)
locative धनुषि (dhánuṣi) धनुषोः (dhánuṣoḥ) धनुःषु (dhánuḥṣu)
vocative धनुः (dhánuḥ) धनुषी (dhánuṣī) धनूंषि (dhánūṃṣi)

Derived terms

  • धनुर्धर (dhanurdhara, archer)

Descendants

  • Pali: dhanu
  • Prakrit: 𑀥𑀡𑀼 (dhaṇu), 𑀥𑀡𑀼𑀳 (dhaṇuha), 𑀥𑀡𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀓 (dhaṇukka) (see there for further descendants)
  • Hindi: धनुष (dhanuṣ)
  • Kannada: ಧನುಸ್ಸು (dhanussu)
  • Old Marathi: 𑘠𑘡𑘳𑘬 (dhanuṣa)
  • Punjabi: ਧਨੁਸ਼ (dhanuś)
  • Tamil: தனுசு (taṉucu), தனு (taṉu), தனுஷு (taṉuṣu)
  • Telugu: ధనుస్సు (dhanussu)