चतुर

See also: चतुर्, चूतर, चैत्र, and चित्र

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit चतुर (catura).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃə.t̪ʊɾ/, [t͡ʃɐ.t̪ʊɾ]

Adjective

चतुर • (catur) (indeclinable)

1. smart
2. shrewd, intelligent
3. clever, astute, sensible
4. ingenious, skilled, capable
5. dexterous, nimble
6. clear-sighted

Derived terms

• चतुराई (caturāī)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• চতুৰ (Assamese script)
• ᬘᬢᬸᬭ (Balinese script)
• চতুর (Bengali script)
• 𑰓𑰝𑰲𑰨 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀘𑀢𑀼𑀭 (Brahmi script)
• စတုရ (Burmese script)
• ચતુર (Gujarati script)
• ਚਤੁਰ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰 (Grantha script)
• ꦕꦠꦸꦫ (Javanese script)
• 𑂒𑂞𑂳𑂩 (Kaithi script)
• ಚತುರ (Kannada script)
• ចតុរ (Khmer script)
• ຈຕຸຣ (Lao script)
• ചതുര (Malayalam script)
• ᢜᠠᢠᡠᡵᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘓𑘝𑘳𑘨 (Modi script)
• ᢋᠠᢐᠤᠷᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦳𑦽𑧔𑧈 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐔𑐟𑐸𑐬 (Newa script)
• ଚତୁର (Odia script)
• ꢗꢡꢸꢬ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆖𑆠𑆶𑆫 (Sharada script)
• 𑖓𑖝𑖲𑖨 (Siddham script)
• චතුර (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩡𑩫𑩒𑩼 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚏𑚙𑚰𑚤 (Takri script)
• சதுர (Tamil script)
• చతుర (Telugu script)
• จตุร (Thai script)
• ཙ་ཏུ་ར (Tibetan script)
• 𑒔𑒞𑒳𑒩 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨣𑨙𑨃𑨫 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Of unclear origin.

Traditionally derived from चतुर् (catur, “four”), with an interpretation of "having the four"; the four in question are folk-etymologically interpreted as the Vedas.

An alternative theory considers the word a Dravidian borrowing; compare Tamil சதுர் (catur, “ability, skill, dexterity”) and Telugu చదువు (caduvu, “to read, study”). In light of the exact phonetic and semantic match as well as the word's lack of attestation in Vedic, this derivation is quite likely. However, it is also possible that the Dravidian terms are borrowed from Indo-Aryan rather than the other way around.

The relation to words like चटुल (caṭula, “trembling, unsteady, fine”), चटु (caṭu, “kind or flattering words”), and चाटु (cāṭu, “pleasing words, flattery”) is unclear and uncertain.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕɐ.tu.ɾɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ɕɐ.t̪u.ɾɐ/

Adjective

चतुर • (catura)

1. dexterous, clever, ingenious, shrewd
2. charming, agreeable

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of चतुर (catura)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	चतुरः caturaḥ	चतुरौ / चतुरा¹ caturau / caturā¹	चतुराः / चतुरासः¹ caturāḥ / caturāsaḥ¹
Vocative	चतुर catura	चतुरौ / चतुरा¹ caturau / caturā¹	चतुराः / चतुरासः¹ caturāḥ / caturāsaḥ¹
Accusative	चतुरम् caturam	चतुरौ / चतुरा¹ caturau / caturā¹	चतुरान् caturān
Instrumental	चतुरेण catureṇa	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरैः / चतुरेभिः¹ caturaiḥ / caturebhiḥ¹
Dative	चतुराय caturāya	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Ablative	चतुरात् caturāt	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Genitive	चतुरस्य caturasya	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुराणाम् caturāṇām
Locative	चतुरे cature	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुरेषु catureṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of चतुरा (caturā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	चतुरा caturā	चतुरे cature	चतुराः caturāḥ
Vocative	चतुरे cature	चतुरे cature	चतुराः caturāḥ
Accusative	चतुराम् caturām	चतुरे cature	चतुराः caturāḥ
Instrumental	चतुरया / चतुरा¹ caturayā / caturā¹	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुराभिः caturābhiḥ
Dative	चतुरायै caturāyai	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुराभ्यः caturābhyaḥ
Ablative	चतुरायाः / चतुरायै² caturāyāḥ / caturāyai²	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुराभ्यः caturābhyaḥ
Genitive	चतुरायाः / चतुरायै² caturāyāḥ / caturāyai²	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुराणाम् caturāṇām
Locative	चतुरायाम् caturāyām	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुरासु caturāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of चतुर (catura)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	चतुरम् caturam	चतुरे cature	चतुराणि / चतुरा¹ caturāṇi / caturā¹
Vocative	चतुर catura	चतुरे cature	चतुराणि / चतुरा¹ caturāṇi / caturā¹
Accusative	चतुरम् caturam	चतुरे cature	चतुराणि / चतुरा¹ caturāṇi / caturā¹
Instrumental	चतुरेण catureṇa	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरैः / चतुरेभिः¹ caturaiḥ / caturebhiḥ¹
Dative	चतुराय caturāya	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Ablative	चतुरात् caturāt	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Genitive	चतुरस्य caturasya	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुराणाम् caturāṇām
Locative	चतुरे cature	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुरेषु catureṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Noun

चतुर • (catura) stem, m

1. a round pillow
2. Labeo rohita, a fish of the carp family Cyprinidae, found in the Ganges river

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of चतुर (catura)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	चतुरः caturaḥ	चतुरौ / चतुरा¹ caturau / caturā¹	चतुराः / चतुरासः¹ caturāḥ / caturāsaḥ¹
Vocative	चतुर catura	चतुरौ / चतुरा¹ caturau / caturā¹	चतुराः / चतुरासः¹ caturāḥ / caturāsaḥ¹
Accusative	चतुरम् caturam	चतुरौ / चतुरा¹ caturau / caturā¹	चतुरान् caturān
Instrumental	चतुरेण catureṇa	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरैः / चतुरेभिः¹ caturaiḥ / caturebhiḥ¹
Dative	चतुराय caturāya	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Ablative	चतुरात् caturāt	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Genitive	चतुरस्य caturasya	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुराणाम् caturāṇām
Locative	चतुरे cature	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुरेषु catureṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Noun

चतुर • (catura) stem, n

1. an elephant's stable

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of चतुर (catura)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	चतुरम् caturam	चतुरे cature	चतुराणि / चतुरा¹ caturāṇi / caturā¹
Vocative	चतुर catura	चतुरे cature	चतुराणि / चतुरा¹ caturāṇi / caturā¹
Accusative	चतुरम् caturam	चतुरे cature	चतुराणि / चतुरा¹ caturāṇi / caturā¹
Instrumental	चतुरेण catureṇa	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरैः / चतुरेभिः¹ caturaiḥ / caturebhiḥ¹
Dative	चतुराय caturāya	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Ablative	चतुरात् caturāt	चतुराभ्याम् caturābhyām	चतुरेभ्यः caturebhyaḥ
Genitive	चतुरस्य caturasya	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुराणाम् caturāṇām
Locative	चतुरे cature	चतुरयोः caturayoḥ	चतुरेषु catureṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Derived terms

• चातुर्य (cāturya)

Descendants

• → Hindi: चतुर (catur) (learned)
• → Punjabi: ਚਤਰ (catar) (learned)
• → Telugu: చతుర (catura)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “चतुर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 386/1.
• [3] Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit