प्रभु

See also: प्रभा

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit प्रभु (prabhu).

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /pɾə.bʱuː/, [pɾɐ.bʱuː]

Noun

प्रभु • (prabhu) m

master, lord
God, god
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:भगवान
brother (term of address used among males)

Declension

Declension of *प्रभु* (masc u-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभु prabhu
oblique	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओं prabhuõ
vocative	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओ prabhuo

Proper noun

प्रभु • (prabhu) m or f by sense

a surname, equivalent to English Prabhu

Declension

NOTE: This term is declined masculine or feminine according to the gender of the referent.

Declension of *प्रभु* (masc u-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभु prabhu
oblique	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओं prabhuõ
vocative	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओ prabhuo

Declension of *प्रभु* (fem u-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुएँ prabhuẽ
oblique	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओं prabhuõ
vocative	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओ prabhuo

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

प्रभू (prabhū́)

Alternative scripts

প্ৰভু (Assamese script)
ᬧ᭄ᬭᬪᬸ (Balinese script)
প্রভু (Bengali script)
𑰢𑰿𑰨𑰥𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀧𑁆𑀭𑀪𑀼 (Brahmi script)
ပြဘု (Burmese script)
પ્રભુ (Gujarati script)
ਪ੍ਰਭੁ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑍁 (Grantha script)
ꦥꦿꦨꦸ (Javanese script)
𑂣𑂹𑂩𑂦𑂳 (Kaithi script)
ಪ್ರಭು (Kannada script)
ប្រភុ (Khmer script)
ປ຺ຣຠຸ (Lao script)
പ്രഭു (Malayalam script)
ᢒᡵᠠᢨᡠ (Manchu script)
𑘢𑘿𑘨𑘥𑘳 (Modi script)
ᢒᠷᠠᠪᠾᠤ (Mongolian script)
𑧂𑧠𑧈𑧅𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
𑐥𑑂𑐬𑐨𑐸 (Newa script)
ପ୍ରଭୁ (Odia script)
ꢦ꣄ꢬꢩꢸ (Saurashtra script)
𑆥𑇀𑆫𑆨𑆶 (Sharada script)
𑖢𑖿𑖨𑖥𑖲 (Siddham script)
ප්‍රභු (Sinhalese script)
𑩰 𑪙𑩼𑩳𑩒 (Soyombo script)
𑚞𑚶𑚤𑚡𑚰 (Takri script)
ப்ரபு⁴ (Tamil script)
ప్రభు (Telugu script)
ปฺรภุ (Thai script)
པྲ་བྷུ (Tibetan script)
𑒣𑓂𑒩𑒦𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
𑨞𑩇𑨫𑨡𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰHú-s, from *pro- (“forward”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”). Cognate with Latin probus (“excellent, good”), which was also used as a given name.

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /pɾɐ.bʱú/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /pɾɐ.bʱu/

Adjective

प्रभु • (prabhú) stem

good, excelling, mighty, powerful, rich, abundant
- c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.188.5:
  विराट् सम्राड्विभ्वीः प्रभ्वीर्बह्वीश्च भूयसीश्च याः ।
  दुरो घृतान्यक्षरन् ॥
  virāṭ samrāḍvibhvīḥ prabhvīrbahvīśca bhūyasīśca yāḥ.
  duro ghṛtānyakṣaran.
  The sovereign all-imperial Doors, wide, excellent, many and manifold,
  Have poured their streams of holy oil.
(with ablative) more powerful than
(with genitive) having power over
(with locative, infinitive or in compounda) able, capable, having power to
(with dative) a match for
constant, eternal

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of प्रभु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	प्रभुः (prabhúḥ)	प्रभू (prabhū́)	प्रभवः (prabhávaḥ)
accusative	प्रभुम् (prabhúm)	प्रभू (prabhū́)	प्रभून् (prabhū́n)
instrumental	प्रभुणा (prabhúṇā) प्रभ्वा¹ (prabhvā́¹)	प्रभुभ्याम् (prabhúbhyām)	प्रभुभिः (prabhúbhiḥ)
dative	प्रभवे (prabháve) प्रभ्वे¹ (prabhvé¹)	प्रभुभ्याम् (prabhúbhyām)	प्रभुभ्यः (prabhúbhyaḥ)
ablative	प्रभोः (prabhóḥ) प्रभ्वः¹ (prabhváḥ¹)	प्रभुभ्याम् (prabhúbhyām)	प्रभुभ्यः (prabhúbhyaḥ)
genitive	प्रभोः (prabhóḥ) प्रभ्वः¹ (prabhváḥ¹)	प्रभ्वोः (prabhvóḥ)	प्रभूणाम् (prabhūṇā́m)
locative	प्रभौ (prabhaú)	प्रभ्वोः (prabhvóḥ)	प्रभुषु (prabhúṣu)
vocative	प्रभो (prábho)	प्रभू (prábhū)	प्रभवः (prábhavaḥ)

¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of प्रभ्वी
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	प्रभ्वी (prabhvī́)	प्रभ्व्यौ (prabhvyaù) प्रभ्वी¹ (prabhvī́¹)	प्रभ्व्यः (prabhvyàḥ) प्रभ्वीः¹ (prabhvī́ḥ¹)
accusative	प्रभ्वीम् (prabhvī́m)	प्रभ्व्यौ (prabhvyaù) प्रभ्वी¹ (prabhvī́¹)	प्रभ्वीः (prabhvī́ḥ)
instrumental	प्रभ्व्या (prabhvyā́)	प्रभ्वीभ्याम् (prabhvī́bhyām)	प्रभ्वीभिः (prabhvī́bhiḥ)
dative	प्रभ्व्यै (prabhvyaí)	प्रभ्वीभ्याम् (prabhvī́bhyām)	प्रभ्वीभ्यः (prabhvī́bhyaḥ)
ablative	प्रभ्व्याः (prabhvyā́ḥ) प्रभ्व्यै² (prabhvyaí²)	प्रभ्वीभ्याम् (prabhvī́bhyām)	प्रभ्वीभ्यः (prabhvī́bhyaḥ)
genitive	प्रभ्व्याः (prabhvyā́ḥ) प्रभ्व्यै² (prabhvyaí²)	प्रभ्व्योः (prabhvyóḥ)	प्रभ्वीणाम् (prabhvī́ṇām)
locative	प्रभ्व्याम् (prabhvyā́m)	प्रभ्व्योः (prabhvyóḥ)	प्रभ्वीषु (prabhvī́ṣu)
vocative	प्रभ्वि (prábhvi)	प्रभ्व्यौ (prábhvyau) प्रभ्वी¹ (prábhvī¹)	प्रभ्व्यः (prábhvyaḥ) प्रभ्वीः¹ (prábhvīḥ¹)

¹Vedic
²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter u-stem declension of प्रभु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	प्रभु (prabhú)	प्रभुणी (prabhúṇī)	प्रभूणि (prabhū́ṇi) प्रभु¹ (prabhú¹) प्रभू¹ (prabhū́¹)
accusative	प्रभु (prabhú)	प्रभुणी (prabhúṇī)	प्रभूणि (prabhū́ṇi) प्रभु¹ (prabhú¹) प्रभू¹ (prabhū́¹)
instrumental	प्रभुणा (prabhúṇā) प्रभ्वा¹ (prabhvā́¹)	प्रभुभ्याम् (prabhúbhyām)	प्रभुभिः (prabhúbhiḥ)
dative	प्रभुणे (prabhúṇe) प्रभवे (prabháve) प्रभ्वे¹ (prabhvé¹)	प्रभुभ्याम् (prabhúbhyām)	प्रभुभ्यः (prabhúbhyaḥ)
ablative	प्रभुणः (prabhúṇaḥ) प्रभोः (prabhóḥ) प्रभ्वः¹ (prabhváḥ¹)	प्रभुभ्याम् (prabhúbhyām)	प्रभुभ्यः (prabhúbhyaḥ)
genitive	प्रभुणः (prabhúṇaḥ) प्रभोः (prabhóḥ) प्रभ्वः¹ (prabhváḥ¹)	प्रभुणोः (prabhúṇoḥ) प्रभ्वोः (prabhvóḥ)	प्रभूणाम् (prabhūṇā́m)
locative	प्रभुणि (prabhúṇi) प्रभौ (prabhaú)	प्रभुणोः (prabhúṇoḥ) प्रभ्वोः (prabhvóḥ)	प्रभुषु (prabhúṣu)
vocative	प्रभु (prábhu) प्रभो (prábho)	प्रभुणी (prábhuṇī)	प्रभूणि (prábhūṇi) प्रभु¹ (prábhu¹) प्रभू¹ (prábhū¹)

¹Vedic

Noun

प्रभु • (prabhú) stem, m

master, lord, king, prince (also applied to gods)
- c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.83.1:
  पवित्रं ते विततं ब्रह्मणस्पते प्रभुर्गात्राणि पर्येषि विश्वतः ।
  pavitraṃ te vitataṃ brahmaṇaspate prabhurgātrāṇi paryeṣi viśvataḥ.
  Thy cleansing filter is spreas, Brahmaṇaspati: as Prince, thou enterest its limbs from every side.
the chief or leader of a sect

Descendants

Pali: pabhu (“master”), pahū (“able”)
Prakrit: 𑀧𑀪𑀼 (pabhu), 𑀧𑀳𑀼 (pahu)
- Bengali: পহু (pohu), পভু (pobhu)
- Maithili: पहू (pahū)
→ Bengali: প্রভু (probhu)
→ Hindi: प्रभु (prabhu)
→ Old Javanese: prabhu
- Javanese: ꦥꦿꦧꦸ (prabu)
  - → Indonesian: prabu
- → Balinese: ᬧ᭄ᬭᬪᬸ (prabu)
→ Kannada: ಪ್ರಭು (prabhu)
→ Tamil: பிரபு (pirapu)
→ Telugu: ప్రభువు (prabhuvu)

References

Monier Williams (1899) “प्रभु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 635.