ڈاڈھا

Punjabi

Alternative forms

• ڈاہْڈا (ḍāhḍā)

Etymology

Inherited from Sanskrit दार्ढ्य (dā́rḍhya), from दृढ (dṛḍha). Cognate with Saraiki ݙاڈھا (ḏāḍhā), Kannada ಡಾಡ (ḍāḍa) and Marathi डाढा (ḍāḍhā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) Phonetic: ḍā́ḍhā, ḍā́ḍḍhā IPA^(key): /ɖäː˦.ɖäː/, /ɖäː˦.ɖ(ː)äː/
• Rhymes: -äː

Adjective

ڈاڈھا • (ḍāḍhā) (feminine ڈاڈھی, Gurmukhi spelling ਡਾਢਾ)

1. strict, precise
   • 1986, سجاد حیدر [sajād ḥaidar, Sajad Haidar], چونویں کہانی [Convīn̲ kahānī], Lahore: پاکستان پنجابی ادبی بورڈ [Pakistan Punjabi Adabi Board], →ISBN, →OCLC, page 218:

     البتہ اپݨے بھاڑے نے بارے اوہ ڈاڈھا حساب کتاب رکھنا ہیا۔

     albatta apṇe bhāṛe ne bāre oh ḍāḍhā ḥisāb kitāb rakhnā hiya.

     However, he would keep a strict account of his rent [payments].

2. strict, severe; harsh, brutal
3. strong, powerful, oppressive

Declension

Declension of ڈاڈھا
	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
direct	ڈاڈھا (ḍāḍhā)	ڈاڈھے (ḍāḍhe)		ڈاڈھی (ḍāḍhī)	ڈاڈھِیاں (ḍāḍhiyāṉ)
oblique	ڈاڈھے (ḍāḍhe)	ڈاڈھیاں (ḍāḍheyāṉ)		ڈاڈھی (ḍāḍhī)	ڈاڈھِیاں (ḍāḍhiyāṉ)

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “ڈاڈھا”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• Bashir, Kanwal (2012) “ڈاڈھا”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Hyattsville, MD: Dunwoody Press
• “ڈاڈھا”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “dā́rḍhya”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 361