महिष

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂s-ó-s, from *méǵh₂s (big, great). See महत् (mahat) for more.

Pronunciation

Adjective

महिष • (mahiṣá) stem (comparative महीयस्, superlative महिष्ठ)

  1. great, powerful
    • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 2.22.1:
      त्रिक॑द्रुकेषु महि॒षो यवा॑शिरं तुवि॒शुष्म॑स्तृ॒पत्सोम॑मपिब॒द्विष्णु॑ना सु॒तं यथाव॑शत्।
      स ईं॑ ममाद॒ महि॒ कर्म॒ कर्त॑वे म॒हामु॒रुं सैनं॑ सश्चद्दे॒वो दे॒वं स॒त्यमिन्द्रं॑ स॒त्य इन्दुः॑॥
      tríkadrukeṣu mahiṣó yávāśiraṃ tuviśúṣmastṛpátsómamapibadvíṣṇunā sutáṃ yáthā́vaśat.
      sá īṃ mamāda máhi kárma kártave mahā́murúṃ saínaṃ saścaddevó deváṃ satyámíndraṃ satyá índuḥ.
      At the Trikadrukas the Great and Strong hath drunk drink blent with meal. With Visnu hath he quaffed the poured out Soma juice, all that he would.
      That hath so heightened him the Great, the Wide, to do his mighty work.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of महिष
singular dual plural
nominative महिषः (mahiṣáḥ) महिषौ (mahiṣaú)
महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
महिषाः (mahiṣā́ḥ)
महिषासः¹ (mahiṣā́saḥ¹)
accusative महिषम् (mahiṣám) महिषौ (mahiṣaú)
महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
महिषान् (mahiṣā́n)
instrumental महिषेण (mahiṣéṇa) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषैः (mahiṣaíḥ)
महिषेभिः¹ (mahiṣébhiḥ¹)
dative महिषाय (mahiṣā́ya) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
ablative महिषात् (mahiṣā́t) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
genitive महिषस्य (mahiṣásya) महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ) महिषाणाम् (mahiṣā́ṇām)
locative महिषे (mahiṣé) महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ) महिषेषु (mahiṣéṣu)
vocative महिष (máhiṣa) महिषौ (máhiṣau)
महिषा¹ (máhiṣā¹)
महिषाः (máhiṣāḥ)
महिषासः¹ (máhiṣāsaḥ¹)
  • ¹Vedic
Feminine ī-stem declension of महिषी
singular dual plural
nominative महिषी (máhiṣī) महिष्यौ (máhiṣyau)
महिषी¹ (máhiṣī¹)
महिष्यः (máhiṣyaḥ)
महिषीः¹ (máhiṣīḥ¹)
accusative महिषीम् (máhiṣīm) महिष्यौ (máhiṣyau)
महिषी¹ (máhiṣī¹)
महिषीः (máhiṣīḥ)
instrumental महिष्या (máhiṣyā) महिषीभ्याम् (máhiṣībhyām) महिषीभिः (máhiṣībhiḥ)
dative महिष्यै (máhiṣyai) महिषीभ्याम् (máhiṣībhyām) महिषीभ्यः (máhiṣībhyaḥ)
ablative महिष्याः (máhiṣyāḥ)
महिष्यै² (máhiṣyai²)
महिषीभ्याम् (máhiṣībhyām) महिषीभ्यः (máhiṣībhyaḥ)
genitive महिष्याः (máhiṣyāḥ)
महिष्यै² (máhiṣyai²)
महिष्योः (máhiṣyoḥ) महिषीणाम् (máhiṣīṇām)
locative महिष्याम् (máhiṣyām) महिष्योः (máhiṣyoḥ) महिषीषु (máhiṣīṣu)
vocative महिषि (máhiṣi) महिष्यौ (máhiṣyau)
महिषी¹ (máhiṣī¹)
महिष्यः (máhiṣyaḥ)
महिषीः¹ (máhiṣīḥ¹)
  • ¹Vedic
  • ²Brāhmaṇas
Neuter a-stem declension of महिष
singular dual plural
nominative महिषम् (mahiṣám) महिषे (mahiṣé) महिषाणि (mahiṣā́ṇi)
महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
accusative महिषम् (mahiṣám) महिषे (mahiṣé) महिषाणि (mahiṣā́ṇi)
महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
instrumental महिषेण (mahiṣéṇa) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषैः (mahiṣaíḥ)
महिषेभिः¹ (mahiṣébhiḥ¹)
dative महिषाय (mahiṣā́ya) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
ablative महिषात् (mahiṣā́t) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
genitive महिषस्य (mahiṣásya) महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ) महिषाणाम् (mahiṣā́ṇām)
locative महिषे (mahiṣé) महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ) महिषेषु (mahiṣéṣu)
vocative महिष (máhiṣa) महिषे (máhiṣe) महिषाणि (máhiṣāṇi)
महिषा¹ (máhiṣā¹)
  • ¹Vedic

Noun

महिष • (mahiṣá) stemm

  1. buffalo
    • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.33.1:
      प्र सोमा॑सो विप॒श्चितो॒ऽपां न य॑न्त्यू॒र्मयः॑ ।
      वना॑नि महि॒षा इ॑व ॥
      prá sómāso vipaścítoʼpā́ṃ ná yantyūrmáyaḥ.
      vánāni mahiṣā́ iva.
      The intelligent Soma juices rush along like waves of water, like buffaloes to the forests.
  2. (poetic) sun

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of महिष
singular dual plural
nominative महिषः (mahiṣáḥ) महिषौ (mahiṣaú)
महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
महिषाः (mahiṣā́ḥ)
महिषासः¹ (mahiṣā́saḥ¹)
accusative महिषम् (mahiṣám) महिषौ (mahiṣaú)
महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
महिषान् (mahiṣā́n)
instrumental महिषेण (mahiṣéṇa) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषैः (mahiṣaíḥ)
महिषेभिः¹ (mahiṣébhiḥ¹)
dative महिषाय (mahiṣā́ya) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
ablative महिषात् (mahiṣā́t) महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām) महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
genitive महिषस्य (mahiṣásya) महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ) महिषाणाम् (mahiṣā́ṇām)
locative महिषे (mahiṣé) महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ) महिषेषु (mahiṣéṣu)
vocative महिष (máhiṣa) महिषौ (máhiṣau)
महिषा¹ (máhiṣā¹)
महिषाः (máhiṣāḥ)
महिषासः¹ (máhiṣāsaḥ¹)
  • ¹Vedic

Derived terms

  • महिषासुर (mahiṣāsura)

Descendants

  • Prakrit: 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀲 (mahisa)
    • Early Assamese: মহিষ (mohiṣo)
    • Bengali: মোষ (mōś), ভঁইস (bhõiś)
    • Konkani: म्हस (mhas)
    • Old Marathi: 𑘦𑘿𑘮𑘺𑘭𑘰 (mhaisā)
    • Hindustani:
      Hindi: भैंस (bha͠is)
      Urdu: بَھین٘س (bha͠is)
    • Punjabi:
      Gurmukhi script: ਮਹਿੰਸ (mahins), ਮਹਿੰਹ (mahĩh), ਮ੍ਹੈਂਸ (mhains)
      Shahmukhi script: مَن٘ہِس (maṉhis), مَن٘ہِہ (maṉhih), مَھین٘س (mhaeṉs)
    • Sylheti: ꠜꠂꠡ (bóiśo)
  • Tamil: மகிஷம் (makiṣam), மகிடம் (makiṭam)

References

  • Monier Williams (1899) “महिष”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, [], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 803/1.
  • Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 340