ঝি

Bengali

Etymology

Inherited from Magadhi Prakrit *𑀛𑀺𑀅 ~ 𑀥𑀺𑀅 (*jhia ~ dhia), from Old Indo-Aryan *jhitā ~ *dhitā (compare attested দুহিতা (dúhitā)), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *dúźʰHtā with syncope, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *dʰúj́ʰHtā, from an earlier *dʰúǵʰHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰugh₂tḗr (daughter).

The Old Indo-Aryan word had unusual dialectal variety, with widespread dhi- forms and some jhi- forms in Middle and New Indo-Aryan descendants, due to the early syncope.

Pronunciation

  • (Rarh, Manbhum, Varendra) IPA(key): /d͡ʒʱi/, [ˈd͡ʒʱiː]
    Audio:(file)
  • (Vanga) IPA(key): /zʱi/, [ˈzʱiː], [ˈzíː]

Noun

ঝি • (jhi)

  1. daughter
    Synonyms: পুত্রী (putri), মেয়ে (meẏe), কন্যা (konna)
  2. maidservant

Declension

indefinite forms
nominative ঝি (jhi)
objective ঝিকে (jhike)
genitive ঝির (jhir)
definite forms
singular plural
nominative ঝিটা, ঝিটি (jhiṭa (colloquial), jhiṭi (formal)) ঝিরা (jhira)
objective ঝিটাকে, ঝিটিকে (jhiṭake (colloquial), jhiṭike (formal)) ঝিদের(কে) (jhider(ke))
genitive ঝিটার, ঝিটির (jhiṭar (colloquial), jhiṭir (formal)) ঝিদের (jhider)
Objective Note: In some dialects, -রে (-re) marks this case instead of -কে (-ke).

Derived terms

References

  • Subhasha Bhattacarya, Sailendra Biswas, Sailendra Biswas, and Jnanendramohana Dasa (2022) “ঝি”, in Digital Dictionaries of South Asia [Combined Bengali Dictionaries]
  • Sen, Sukumar (1971) An Etymological Dictionary of Bengali: c. 1000-1800 A.D.[1], volume 1, Calcutta: Eastern Publishers, page 345.