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किम्

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Sanskrit

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Alternative forms

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Alternative scripts

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Etymology

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Excluding the neuter form किम् (kim) itself, inherited from Proto-Indo-Aryan *kás, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kás, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷós.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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किम् (kim)

  1. used as a particle of interrogation
    किं व्याधा वने ऽस्मिन् संचरन्ति?
    kiṃ vyādhā vane ʼsmin saṃcaranti?
    Do hunters roam about in this wood?
    किम् एषश्चषको बृहत्?kim eṣaścaṣako bṛhat?Is this cup big?

Usage notes

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Compare the usage of Latin num or an; sometimes translatable in isolation by "whether?" but oftener serving only like a note of interrogation to mark a question.

Can be followed in this indeclinable form by a large number of other particles to shade the meaning or merely emphasize:

  • किं तर्हि (kiṃ tarhi, how then? but, however)
  • किं स्विद् (kiṃ svid, why)
  • किं (kiṃca, moreover, further)
  • किंचन (kiṃcana, a little)
  • किंचिद् (kiṃcid, somewhat, a little)
  • किंतु (kiṃtu, but)
  • किंनु (kiṃnu, whether, indeed?, how much more/less?)
  • किंवा (kiṃvā, whether)
  • किमङ्ग (kimaṅga, wherefore then?)
  • किमिति (kimiti, why)
  • किमिव (kimiva, what for)
  • किमु (kimu, how much more/less?)
  • किमुत (kimuta, how much more/less?)
  • किम् पुनर् (kim punar, how much more/less?, however, but)

Interjection

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किम् (kim)

  1. (often followed by किल (kila)) what a pity!

Pronoun

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किम् (kím)[3]

  1. what, who (interrogative)
    त्वम् किम् वदसि?
    tvam kim vadasi?
    What are you saying?
  2. whoever, whatever, anyone, someone (indefinite)
    1. (followed by चन (cana)) nothing, nobody, anyone, anybody (meaning dependent on context)
      यस्माद् इन्द्राद् ऋते किंचन
      yasmād indrād ṛte kiṃcana
      Without Indra there is nothing.
      कश्चन। न कश्चन
      kaścana. na kaścana
      Any one. No one.
  3. (with or without the copula अस् (as)) used to form sentences meaning "how is it possible that" or "what power(s) have I, you, they, etc"
    के मम धन्विनोऽन्ये
    ke mama dhanvinoʼnye
    What can the other archers do against me?
    के आवाम् परित्रातुम्
    ke āvām paritrātum
    What power have we to rescue you?
  4. (with a noun in the instrumental case or the gerund of a verb) expresses "what is gained by doing so?"
    किं विलम्बेन
    kiṃ vilambena
    What is gained by delay?
    धनेन किं यो न ददाति
    dhanena kiṃ yo na dadāti
    What is the use of wealth to him who does not give?

Determiner

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किम् (kim)

  1. what, whose (relative)

Usage notes

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Direct or indirect interrogative clauses introduced by किम् (kim) are often terminated by इति (iti), as in कस्य स पुत्र इति कथ्यताम् (kasya sa putra iti kathyatām, Let it be said, 'Whose son is he?'). Without इति (iti), किम् (kim) tends to be used as a relative determiner, as in कस्य स पुत्रो न ज्ञायते (kasya sa putro na jñāyate, It is not known whose son he is).

Declension

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Masculine pronominal a-stem declension of ()
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative कः
káḥ
कौ / का¹
kaú / kā́¹
के
Vocative -
-
-
-
-
-
Accusative कम्
kám
कौ / का¹
kaú / kā́¹
कान्
kā́n
Instrumental केन
kéna
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
कैः / केभिः¹
kaíḥ / kébhiḥ¹
Dative कस्मै
kásmai
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
केभ्यः
kébhyaḥ
Ablative कस्मात्
kásmāt
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
केभ्यः
kébhyaḥ
Genitive कस्य
kásya
कयोः
káyoḥ
केषाम्
kéṣām
Locative कस्मिन्
kásmin
कयोः
káyoḥ
केषु
kéṣu
Notes
  • ¹Vedic
Feminine pronominal ā-stem declension of का (kā́)
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative का
kā́
के
काः
kā́ḥ
Vocative -
-
-
-
-
-
Accusative काम्
kā́m
के
काः
kā́ḥ
Instrumental कया / का¹
káyā / kā́¹
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
काभिः
kā́bhiḥ
Dative कस्यै
kásyai
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
काभ्यः
kā́bhyaḥ
Ablative कस्याः
kásyāḥ
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
काभ्यः
kā́bhyaḥ
Genitive कस्याः
kásyāḥ
कयोः
káyoḥ
कासाम्
kā́sām
Locative कस्याम्
kásyām
कयोः
káyoḥ
कासु
kā́su
Notes
  • ¹Vedic
Neuter pronominal a-stem declension of ()
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative किम् / कद्¹
kím / kád¹
के
कानि / का¹
kā́ni / kā́¹
Vocative -
-
-
-
-
-
Accusative किम् / कद्¹
kím / kád¹
के
कानि / का¹
kā́ni / kā́¹
Instrumental केन
kéna
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
कैः / केभिः¹
kaíḥ / kébhiḥ¹
Dative कस्मै
kásmai
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
केभ्यः
kébhyaḥ
Ablative कस्मात्
kásmāt
काभ्याम्
kā́bhyām
केभ्यः
kébhyaḥ
Genitive कस्य
kásya
कयोः
káyoḥ
केषाम्
kéṣām
Locative कस्मिन्
kásmin
कयोः
káyoḥ
केषु
kéṣu
Notes
  • ¹Vedic

Derived terms

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Descendants

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See also descendants of किंचिद् (kiṃcid).

  • Dardic:
    • Gawar-Bati: کی ()
    • Indus Kohistani:
    • Kalasha: kīa
    • Kashmiri: کیَا, کِی (kiy)
    • Khowar: کِ (ki), کھِ (khi)
    • Phalura: گَ (ga)
    • Tirahi: ki
  • Pali: kiṁ
  • Ashokan Prakrit: 𑀓𑀺𑀁 (kiṃ), 𑀓𑀺 (ki)

References

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  1. ^ Monier Williams (1899) “किम्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, [], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 282.
  2. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) “kí-”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎[1] (in German), volume I, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 347
  3. ^ Monier Williams (1899) “किम्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, [], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 282.