मेण्ढ
Sanskrit
Alternative forms
Alternative scripts
- মেণ্ঢ (Assamese script)
- ᬫᬾᬡ᭄ᬠ (Balinese script)
- মেণ্ঢ (Bengali script)
- 𑰦𑰸𑰜𑰿𑰛 (Bhaiksuki script)
- 𑀫𑁂𑀡𑁆𑀠 (Brahmi script)
- မေဏ္ဎ (Burmese script)
- મેણ્ઢ (Gujarati script)
- ਮੇਣ੍ਢ (Gurmukhi script)
- 𑌮𑍇𑌣𑍍𑌢 (Grantha script)
- ꦩꦺꦟ꧀ꦞ (Javanese script)
- 𑂧𑂵𑂝𑂹𑂛 (Kaithi script)
- ಮೇಣ್ಢ (Kannada script)
- មេណ្ឍ (Khmer script)
- ເມຓ຺ຒ (Lao script)
- മേണ്ഢ (Malayalam script)
- ᠮᡝᢏᢟᠠ (Manchu script)
- 𑘦𑘹𑘜𑘿𑘛 (Modi script)
- ᠮᠧᢏᢎᠾᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
- 𑧆𑧚𑦼𑧠𑦻 (Nandinagari script)
- 𑐩𑐾𑐞𑑂𑐝 (Newa script)
- ମେଣ୍ଢ (Odia script)
- ꢪꢾꢠ꣄ꢟ (Saurashtra script)
- 𑆩𑆼𑆟𑇀𑆞 (Sharada script)
- 𑖦𑖸𑖜𑖿𑖛 (Siddham script)
- මෙණ්ඪ (Sinhalese script)
- 𑩴𑩔𑩪 𑪙𑩩 (Soyombo script)
- 𑚢𑚲𑚘𑚶𑚗 (Takri script)
- மேண்ட⁴ (Tamil script)
- మేణ్ఢ (Telugu script)
- เมณฺฒ (Thai script)
- མེ་ཎྜྷ (Tibetan script)
- 𑒧𑒹𑒝𑓂𑒜 (Tirhuta script)
- 𑨢𑨄𑨘𑩇𑨗 (Zanabazar Square script)
Etymology
Unknown.[1] Given the vast phonological variation and lack of usage in texts, probably borrowed from substrate. Related to भेड्र (bheḍra, “ram”), perhaps via the regular mh ~ bh alternation.[2]
Perhaps derived from मे॒ष (meṣá, “ram, sheep”), which is of Indo-European origin. A form like meṣ-ṭra undergoing Prakritisation could explain this term, but the exact suffix here is unclear.
Per Kuiper, borrowed from Munda.[3] Kuiper suggests a relationship to Pali meṇḍ (“crookedness”, root) and similar New Indo-Aryan terms referring to curved horns of animals.[4] These he traces to Munda terms including Mundari [script needed] (meṇḍā, “curved and pointed to the head (horns)”), Ho [script needed] (mendā), Santali [script needed] (meṛha, “twisted backwards (horns of a buffalo)”). The rest of Kuiper's discussion on the etymology of the term is too speculative to list here.
The "penis" sense may come from a collision and conflation with the etymologically unrelated मेढ्र (meḍhra, “penis (organ of urination)”); see there for more.
Pronunciation
- (Classical Sanskrit) IPA(key): /meːɳ.ɖʱɐ/
Noun
मेण्ढ • (meṇḍha) stem, m
Declension
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | मेण्ढः (meṇḍhaḥ) | मेण्ढौ (meṇḍhau) मेण्ढा¹ (meṇḍhā¹) |
मेण्ढाः (meṇḍhāḥ) मेण्ढासः¹ (meṇḍhāsaḥ¹) |
| accusative | मेण्ढम् (meṇḍham) | मेण्ढौ (meṇḍhau) मेण्ढा¹ (meṇḍhā¹) |
मेण्ढान् (meṇḍhān) |
| instrumental | मेण्ढेन (meṇḍhena) | मेण्ढाभ्याम् (meṇḍhābhyām) | मेण्ढैः (meṇḍhaiḥ) मेण्ढेभिः¹ (meṇḍhebhiḥ¹) |
| dative | मेण्ढाय (meṇḍhāya) | मेण्ढाभ्याम् (meṇḍhābhyām) | मेण्ढेभ्यः (meṇḍhebhyaḥ) |
| ablative | मेण्ढात् (meṇḍhāt) | मेण्ढाभ्याम् (meṇḍhābhyām) | मेण्ढेभ्यः (meṇḍhebhyaḥ) |
| genitive | मेण्ढस्य (meṇḍhasya) | मेण्ढयोः (meṇḍhayoḥ) | मेण्ढानाम् (meṇḍhānām) |
| locative | मेण्ढे (meṇḍhe) | मेण्ढयोः (meṇḍhayoḥ) | मेण्ढेषु (meṇḍheṣu) |
| vocative | मेण्ढ (meṇḍha) | मेण्ढौ (meṇḍhau) मेण्ढा¹ (meṇḍhā¹) |
मेण्ढाः (meṇḍhāḥ) मेण्ढासः¹ (meṇḍhāsaḥ¹) |
- ¹Vedic
Related terms
Descendants
- Dardic:
- Pali: meṇḍa (“ram”)
- Prakrit: 𑀫𑁂𑀟𑁆𑀠 (mĕḍḍha), 𑀫𑁂𑀁𑀠 (meṃḍha), 𑀫𑁂𑀁𑀟 (meṃḍa), 𑀫𑀺𑀁𑀠 (miṃḍha)
- Prakrit: 𑀫𑁂𑀁𑀞𑀻 (meṃṭhī, “sheep”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
- Old Hindi: मेठा (meṭhā, “ram”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
- Prakrit: *𑀫𑁂𑀚𑁆𑀛 (*mĕjjha)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
- Old Hindi: मेझुका (mejhukā, “ram”)
- Central Indo-Aryan:
References
- ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) “meṇḍhaḥ”, in Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary][1] (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 682
- ^ Tedesco, P[aul Maximilian] (1943) “Sanskrit milati 'to unite'”, in Language[2], volume 19, number 1, Linguistic Society of America, page 15 of 1–18
- ^ Kuiper, F. B. J. (1948) Proto-Munda Words In Sanskrit[3], Amsterdam: N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij, page 109
- ^ Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “*miḍḍa”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 582
Further reading
- Monier Williams (1899) “मेण्ढ”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 832/2.
- Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “mēṇḍha”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press