-अन

Hindi

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /ən/, [ɐ̃n]

Etymology 1

Inherited from Sanskrit -अन (-ana). Doublet of -ना (-nā).
Borrowed from Sanskrit -अन (-ana), used in pseudo-Sanskritisms.

Alternative forms

-अण (-aṇ) — in the vicinity of र (ra) and ष (ṣa) (only in Sanskritic formations)

Suffix

-अन • (-an)

forms nouns of either gender indicating agent nouns, abstract nouns, tool or means, or location
‎पराग (parāg, “pollen”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎परागण (parāgaṇ, “pollination”)

‎बरतना (baratnā, “to make use of”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎बर्तन (bartan, “pot, vessel”)

‎ऐंठना (a͠iṭhnā, “to be twisted”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎ऐंठन (a͠iṭhan, “a twist, tension”)

Declension

Declension of *-अन* (masc cons-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	-अन -an	-अन -an
oblique	-अन -an	-अनों -anõ
vocative	-अन -an	-अनो -ano

Declension of *-अन* (fem cons-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	-अन -an	-अनें -anẽ
oblique	-अन -an	-अनों -anõ
vocative	-अन -an	-अनो -ano

Derived terms

Hindi terms suffixed with -अन

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian (-an), from Arabic ـًا (-an, triptotic indefinite accusative ending).

Suffix

-अन • (-an)

forms adverbs from Perso-Arabic terms
‎ऐहतियात (aihtiyāt, “precaution”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎ऐहतियातन (aihtiyātan, “precautionarily”)

Derived terms

Hindi terms suffixed with -अन (adverbial)

Etymology 3

Inherited from Sanskrit -इनी (-inī), feminine of -इन् (-in, possessive suffix).

Suffix

-अन • (-an)

alternative form of -इन (-in): feminine-equivalent forming suffix
‎देहाती (dehātī) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎देहातन (dehātan, “female villager”)

Derived terms

Hindi terms suffixed with -अन (feminine)

चमारन

References

McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “-अन”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 29

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

-अण (-aṇa) — ṇatva

Alternative scripts

-ᬅᬦ (Balinese script)
-အန (Burmese script)
-अन (Devanagari script)
-ਅਨ (Gurmukhi script)
-𑌅𑌨 (Grantha script)
-ꦄꦤ (Javanese script)
-𑂃𑂢 (Kaithi script)
-អន (Khmer script)
-ອນ (Lao script)
-അന (Malayalam script)
-ᠠᠨᠠ (Manchu script)
-𑘀𑘡 (Modi script)
-ᠠᠨᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
-𑦠𑧁 (Nandinagari script)
-𑐀𑐣 (Newa script)
-ଅନ (Odia script)
-ꢂꢥ (Saurashtra script)
-𑆃𑆤 (Sharada script)
-𑖀𑖡 (Siddham script)
-අන (Sinhalese script)
-𑩐𑩯 (Soyombo script)
-𑚀𑚝 (Takri script)
-அந (Tamil script)
-อน (Thai script)
-ཨ་ན (Tibetan script)
-𑨀𑨝 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Sanskrit -अन (-ana)

From Proto-Indo-European *-onom, from:

*-o- (thematic vowel) + *-nom (verbal noun suffix), cognate with Proto-Germanic *-aną
*-on- (agent noun suffix) + *-o-s/m.

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɐ.nɐ/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ɐ.n̪ɐ/

Suffix

-अन • (-ana) n or m

forms masculine agent nouns
‎सम् + गम् (sam + gam, “to gather”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎संगमन (saṃgamana, “gatherer”)

‎दृप् (dṛp, “to become/make proud”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎दर्पण (darpaṇa, “mirror < proud-maker”)
forms neuter nouns denoting
1. verbal abstracta
  ‎कृ (kṛ, “to do, make”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎करण (karaṇa, “(act of) doing”)
  
  ‎मृ (mṛ, “to die”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎मरण (maraṇa, “death”)
3. tool or means
  ‎ईक्ष् (īkṣ, “to observe”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎ईक्षण (īkṣaṇa, “eye”)
  
  ‎वस् (vas, “to dress”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎वसन (vasana, “garment”)
  
  ‎स्कम्भ् (skambh, “to support”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎स्कम्भन (skambhana, “pillar”)
5. location
  ‎स्था (sthā, “to stand”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎स्थान (sthāna, “place”)
  
  ‎यज् (yaj, “to sacrifice”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎यजन (yajana, “sacrificial site”)

Usage notes

The vowel of the root generally takes the गुण (guṇa) degree, but sometimes takes the वृद्धि (vṛddhi) degree.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of -अन
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	-अनः (-anaḥ)	-अनौ (-anau) -अना¹ (-anā¹)	-अनाः (-anāḥ) -अनासः¹ (-anāsaḥ¹)
accusative	-अनम् (-anam)	-अनौ (-anau) -अना¹ (-anā¹)	-अनान् (-anān)
instrumental	-अनेन (-anena)	-अनाभ्याम् (-anābhyām)	-अनैः (-anaiḥ) -अनेभिः¹ (-anebhiḥ¹)
dative	-अनाय (-anāya)	-अनाभ्याम् (-anābhyām)	-अनेभ्यः (-anebhyaḥ)
ablative	-अनात् (-anāt)	-अनाभ्याम् (-anābhyām)	-अनेभ्यः (-anebhyaḥ)
genitive	-अनस्य (-anasya)	-अनयोः (-anayoḥ)	-अनानाम् (-anānām)
locative	-अने (-ane)	-अनयोः (-anayoḥ)	-अनेषु (-aneṣu)
vocative	-अन (-ana)	-अनौ (-anau) -अना¹ (-anā¹)	-अनाः (-anāḥ) -अनासः¹ (-anāsaḥ¹)

¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of -अन
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	-अनम् (-anam)	-अने (-ane)	-अनानि (-anāni) -अना¹ (-anā¹)
accusative	-अनम् (-anam)	-अने (-ane)	-अनानि (-anāni) -अना¹ (-anā¹)
instrumental	-अनेन (-anena)	-अनाभ्याम् (-anābhyām)	-अनैः (-anaiḥ) -अनेभिः¹ (-anebhiḥ¹)
dative	-अनाय (-anāya)	-अनाभ्याम् (-anābhyām)	-अनेभ्यः (-anebhyaḥ)
ablative	-अनात् (-anāt)	-अनाभ्याम् (-anābhyām)	-अनेभ्यः (-anebhyaḥ)
genitive	-अनस्य (-anasya)	-अनयोः (-anayoḥ)	-अनानाम् (-anānām)
locative	-अने (-ane)	-अनयोः (-anayoḥ)	-अनेषु (-aneṣu)
vocative	-अन (-ana)	-अने (-ane)	-अनानि (-anāni) -अना¹ (-anā¹)