क्षप्

Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *kšáps, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷséps (“night”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬑𐬴𐬀𐬞 (xṣ̌ap), Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐎱 (x-š-p /⁠xšap-⁠/) (whence Persian شب (šab)), Hittite 𒅖𒉺𒀭𒍝 (ispanza).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kʂɐ́p/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /kʂɐp/

Noun

क्षप् • (kṣáp) stem, f

1. night

   Synonyms: नक्ति (nakti), रात्रि (rātri), रजनि (rajani)

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.79.06:

     क्षपो राजन्नुत त्मनाग्ने वस्तोरुतोषसः।
     स तिग्मजम्भ रक्षसो दह प्रति॥

     kṣapo rājannuta tmanāgne vastorutoṣasaḥ.
     sa tigmajambha rakṣaso daha prati.

     O Agni, shining of thyself by night and when the morning breaks,
     Burn, thou whose teeth are sharp, against the Rākṣasas.

2. a measure of time equivalent to a whole day of twenty-four hours
3. darkness
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.64.08:

     सिंहा इव नानदति प्रचेतसः पिशा इव सुपिशो विश्ववेदसः।
     क्षपो जिन्वन्तः पृषतीभिरृष्टिभिः समित्सबाधः शवसाहिमन्यवः॥

     siṃhā iva nānadati pracetasaḥ piśā iva supiśo viśvavedasaḥ.
     kṣapo jinvantaḥ pṛṣatībhirṛṣṭibhiḥ samitsabādhaḥ śavasāhimanyavaḥ.

     Exceeding wise they roar like lions mightily, they, all-possessing, are beauteous as antelopes;
     Stirring the darkness with lances and spotted deer, combined as priests, with serpents' fury through their might.

Descendants

• Dardic:
  • Khowar: چُھوئی (čhuí)
• Telugu: క్షప (kṣapa)

References

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “kṣapāˊ”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press