स्वाहा

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit स्वाहा (svāhā).

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /sʋɑː.ɦɑː/, [sʋäː.ɦäː]

Interjection

स्वाहा • (svāhā)

(Hinduism) said after giving an आहुति (āhuti) during a यज्ञ (yajña)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

স্বাহা (Assamese script)
ᬲ᭄ᬯᬵᬳᬵ (Balinese script)
স্বাহা (Bengali script)
𑰭𑰿𑰪𑰯𑰮𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀲𑁆𑀯𑀸𑀳𑀸 (Brahmi script)
သွာဟာ (Burmese script)
સ્વાહા (Gujarati script)
ਸ੍ਵਾਹਾ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌹𑌾 (Grantha script)
ꦱ꧀ꦮꦴꦲꦴ (Javanese script)
𑂮𑂹𑂫𑂰𑂯𑂰 (Kaithi script)
ಸ್ವಾಹಾ (Kannada script)
ស្វាហា (Khmer script)
ສ຺ວາຫາ (Lao script)
സ്വാഹാ (Malayalam script)
ᠰᠣᠸᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᡥᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
𑘭𑘿𑘪𑘰𑘮𑘰 (Modi script)
ᠰᢦ᠎ᠠᠾᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
𑧍𑧠𑧊𑧑𑧎𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐵𑐴𑐵 (Newa script)
ସ୍ଵାହା (Odia script)
ꢱ꣄ꢮꢵꢲꢵ (Saurashtra script)
𑆱𑇀𑆮𑆳𑆲𑆳 (Sharada script)
𑖭𑖿𑖪𑖯𑖮𑖯 (Siddham script)
ස‍්වාහා (Sinhalese script)
𑪁 𑪙𑩾𑩛𑪂𑩛 (Soyombo script)
𑚨𑚶𑚦𑚭𑚩𑚭 (Takri script)
ஸ்வாஹா (Tamil script)
స్వాహా (Telugu script)
สฺวาหา (Thai script)
སྭཱ་ཧཱ (Tibetan script)
𑒮𑓂𑒫𑒰𑒯𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
𑨰𑩇𑨭𑨊𑨱𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Uncertain, possibly a variant of similar exclamations like स्वधा (svadhā́) and स्वगा (svagā́). A derivation from सु- (su-) +‎ आह (ā́ha), literally “well has he spoken”, has also been proposed.

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /sʋɑ́ː.ɦɑː/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /s̪ʋɑː.ɦɑː/

Interjection

स्वाहा • (svā́hā)

(Hinduism) said after giving an आहुति (āhuti) during a यज्ञ (yajña)
(Buddhism) said at the end of a mantra

Derived terms

स्वाहाकार (svāhākārá)
स्वाहाकृत (svā́hākṛta)
स्वाहाकृति (svā́hākṛti)
स्वाह्य (svāhyà)

Descendants

→ Chinese: 娑婆訶 / 娑婆诃 (sàpóhē)
- → Japanese: 薩婆訶 (sowaka)
- → Korean: 사바하 (sabaha)
- → Vietnamese: ta bà ha
→ Khmer: ស្វាហា (svaahaa)
Hindi: स्वाहा (svāhā)
→ Thai: สวาหะ
→ Tibetan: སྭཱ་ཧཱ་ (swā hā)

References

Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 798
Kümmel, Martin Joachim (2000) Das Perfekt im Indoiranischen (in German), Wiesbaden: Reichert, page 117: “die Vedische Ritual-Interjektion sᵤvā́hā ... *su ā́hā”