कदा

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• kadā (Latin script)
• 𑀓𑀤𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• কদা (Bengali script)
• කදා (Sinhalese script)
• ကဒါ or ၵၻႃ (Burmese script)
• กทา or กะทา (Thai script)
• ᨠᨴᩤ (Tai Tham script)
• ກທາ or ກະທາ (Lao script)
• កទា (Khmer script)
• 𑄇𑄘𑄂 (Chakma script)

Alternative scripts

• kadā (Latin script)
• 𑀓𑀤𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• কদা (Bengali script)
• කදා (Sinhalese script)
• ကဒါ or ၵၻႃ (Burmese script)
• กทา or กะทา (Thai script)
• ᨠᨴᩤ (Tai Tham script)
• ກທາ or ກະທາ (Lao script)
• កទា (Khmer script)
• 𑄇𑄘𑄂 (Chakma script)

Adverb

कदा

(interrogative) Devanagari script form of kadā (“when”)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• কদা (Assamese script)
• ᬓᬤᬵ (Balinese script)
• কদা (Bengali script)
• 𑰎𑰟𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀓𑀤𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ကဒါ (Burmese script)
• કદા (Gujarati script)
• ਕਦਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌕𑌦𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦏꦢꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂍𑂠𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಕದಾ (Kannada script)
• កទា (Khmer script)
• ກທາ (Lao script)
• കദാ (Malayalam script)
• ᡬᠠᡩᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘎𑘟𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᢉᠠᢑᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦮𑦿𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐎𑐡𑐵 (Newa script)
• କଦା (Odia script)
• ꢒꢣꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆑𑆢𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖎𑖟𑖯 (Siddham script)
• කදා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩜𑩭𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚊𑚛𑚭 (Takri script)
• கத³ா (Tamil script)
• కదా (Telugu script)
• กทา (Thai script)
• ཀ་དཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒏𑒠𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨋𑨛𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *kadáH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kadáH, whence the cognate Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬛𐬁 (kadā, “when”); possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷodéh₂ (“when”) (compare Lithuanian kadà; see there for details): *kʷo- + *-de + *-h₂. The suffix *-déh₂ has not been satisfactorily explained, but compare यदा (yadā), तदा (tadā).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kɐ.dɑ́ː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈkɐ.d̪ɑː/

Adverb

कदा • (kadā́)

1. when, at what time?

   कदापि ― kadāpi ― sometimes

2. someday, one day

   कदा न ― kadā na ― never

   कदा चित् ― kadā cit ― at some time

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 8.5.22:

     कदा वां तौग्र्यो विधत्समुद्रे जहितो नरा ।
     यद्वां रथो विभिष्पतात् ॥

     kadā vāṃ taugryo vidhatsamudre jahito narā.
     yadvāṃ ratho vibhiṣpatāt.

     When did the son of Tugra serve you, Men? Abandoned in the sea,
     That with winged steeds your car might fly.

3. how?
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.29.3:

     का ते अस्त्यरंकृतिः सूक्तैः कदा नूनं ते मघवन्दाशेम ।
     विश्वा मतीरा ततने त्वायाधा म इन्द्र शृणवो हवेमा ॥

     kā te astyaraṃkṛtiḥ sūktaiḥ kadā nūnaṃ te maghavandāśema.
     viśvā matīrā tatane tvāyādhā ma indra śṛṇavo havemā.

     What satisfaction do our hymns afford thee? When, Maghavan? Now let us do thee service.
     Hymns, only hymns, with love for thee, I weave thee: then hear, O Indra, these mine invocations.

Derived terms

• कदा चन (kadā cana)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “कदा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 248.