ब्राह्मण

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa). Doublet of बाम्हन (bāmhan).

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /bɾɑːɦ.məɳ/, [bɾäːʱ.mɐ̃ɳ]

Noun

ब्राह्मण • (brāhmaṇ) m (Urdu spelling بْراہْمَن)

a Brahmin (member of the highest caste of Hinduism traditionally regarded as priests)

Declension

Declension of ब्राह्मण (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇ	ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇ
oblique	ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇ	ब्राह्मणों brāhmaṇõ
vocative	ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇ	ब्राह्मणो brāhmaṇo

Related terms

जाति (jāti, “caste”)

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

brāhmaṇa (Latin script)
𑀩𑁆𑀭𑀸𑀳𑁆𑀫𑀡 (Brahmi script)
ব্রাহ্মণ (Bengali script)
බ්‍රාහ‍්මණ (Sinhalese script)
ဗြာဟ္မဏ or ၿြႃႁ္မꧣ or ၿြႃႁ်မꧣ (Burmese script)
พฺราหฺมณ or พราหมะณะ (Thai script)
ᨻᩕᩣᩉ᩠ᨾᨱ (Tai Tham script)
ພ຺ຣາຫ຺ມຓ or ພຣາຫມະຓະ (Lao script)
ព្រាហ្មណ (Khmer script)
𑄝𑄳𑄢𑄂𑄦𑄴𑄟𑄕 (Chakma script)

Noun

ब्राह्मण m (feminine ब्राह्मणी)

Devanagari script form of brāhmaṇa (“brahmin”)

Declension

Declension table of "ब्राह्मण" (masculine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	ब्राह्मणो (brāhmaṇo)	ब्राह्मणा (brāhmaṇā) or ब्राह्मणासे (brāhmaṇāse)
Accusative (second)	ब्राह्मणं (brāhmaṇaṃ)	ब्राह्मणे (brāhmaṇe)
Instrumental (third)	ब्राह्मणेन (brāhmaṇena)	ब्राह्मणेहि (brāhmaṇehi) or ब्राह्मणेभि (brāhmaṇebhi)
Dative (fourth)	ब्राह्मणस्स (brāhmaṇassa) or ब्राह्मणाय (brāhmaṇāya) or ब्राह्मणत्थं (brāhmaṇatthaṃ)	ब्राह्मणानं (brāhmaṇānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	ब्राह्मणस्मा (brāhmaṇasmā) or ब्राह्मणम्हा (brāhmaṇamhā) or ब्राह्मणा (brāhmaṇā)	ब्राह्मणेहि (brāhmaṇehi) or ब्राह्मणेभि (brāhmaṇebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	ब्राह्मणस्स (brāhmaṇassa)	ब्राह्मणानं (brāhmaṇānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	ब्राह्मणस्मिं (brāhmaṇasmiṃ) or ब्राह्मणम्हि (brāhmaṇamhi) or ब्राह्मणे (brāhmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणेसु (brāhmaṇesu)
Vocative (calling)	ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa)	ब्राह्मणा (brāhmaṇā)

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

Etymology

Vṛddhi derivative of ब्रह्मन् (brahman), most likely from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to become high, rise, elevate”).^[1] Less likely, cognate with Latin flāmen (“priest”) via a hypothetical root *bʰlag-, but this presents phonetic problems.^[2] In any case, synchronically equivalent to the root √bṛh (“to grow, swell”).^[3]

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /bɾɑ́ːɦ.mɐ.ɳɐ/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈbɾɑːɦ.mɐ.ɳɐ/

Adjective

ब्राह्मण • (brāhmaṇa) stem

relating to or given by a Brahmin, befitting or becoming a Brahmin

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of ब्राह्मण
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ब्राह्मणः (brā́hmaṇaḥ)	ब्राह्मणौ (brā́hmaṇau) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ) ब्राह्मणासः¹ (brā́hmaṇāsaḥ¹)
vocative	ब्राह्मण (brā́hmaṇa)	ब्राह्मणौ (brā́hmaṇau) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ) ब्राह्मणासः¹ (brā́hmaṇāsaḥ¹)
accusative	ब्राह्मणम् (brā́hmaṇam)	ब्राह्मणौ (brā́hmaṇau) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणान् (brā́hmaṇān)
instrumental	ब्राह्मणेन (brā́hmaṇena)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणैः (brā́hmaṇaiḥ) ब्राह्मणेभिः¹ (brā́hmaṇebhiḥ¹)
dative	ब्राह्मणाय (brā́hmaṇāya)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	ब्राह्मणात् (brā́hmaṇāt)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	ब्राह्मणस्य (brā́hmaṇasya)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणानाम् (brā́hmaṇānām)
locative	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणेषु (brā́hmaṇeṣu)

¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of ब्राह्मणा
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ब्राह्मणा (brā́hmaṇā)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ)
vocative	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ)
accusative	ब्राह्मणाम् (brā́hmaṇām)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ)
instrumental	ब्राह्मणया (brā́hmaṇayā) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणाभिः (brā́hmaṇābhiḥ)
dative	ब्राह्मणायै (brā́hmaṇāyai)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणाभ्यः (brā́hmaṇābhyaḥ)
ablative	ब्राह्मणायाः (brā́hmaṇāyāḥ) ब्राह्मणायै² (brā́hmaṇāyai²)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणाभ्यः (brā́hmaṇābhyaḥ)
genitive	ब्राह्मणायाः (brā́hmaṇāyāḥ) ब्राह्मणायै² (brā́hmaṇāyai²)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणानाम् (brā́hmaṇānām)
locative	ब्राह्मणायाम् (brā́hmaṇāyām)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणासु (brā́hmaṇāsu)

¹Vedic
²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of ब्राह्मण
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ब्राह्मणम् (brā́hmaṇam)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणानि (brā́hmaṇāni) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)
vocative	ब्राह्मण (brā́hmaṇa)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणानि (brā́hmaṇāni) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)
accusative	ब्राह्मणम् (brā́hmaṇam)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणानि (brā́hmaṇāni) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)
instrumental	ब्राह्मणेन (brā́hmaṇena)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणैः (brā́hmaṇaiḥ) ब्राह्मणेभिः¹ (brā́hmaṇebhiḥ¹)
dative	ब्राह्मणाय (brā́hmaṇāya)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	ब्राह्मणात् (brā́hmaṇāt)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	ब्राह्मणस्य (brā́hmaṇasya)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणानाम् (brā́hmaṇānām)
locative	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणेषु (brā́hmaṇeṣu)

¹Vedic

Noun

ब्राह्मण • (brāhmaṇa) stem, m (feminine ब्राह्मणी)

one who has divine knowledge (sometimes applied to Agni), a Brahmin, a man belonging to the 1st of the 3 twice-born classes and of the 4 original divisions of the Hindu body (generally a priest, but often in the present day a layman engaged in non-priestly occupations although the name is strictly only applicable to one who knows and repeats the Veda)
- c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 6.75.10:
  ब्राह्म॑णासः॒ पित॑रः॒ सोम्या॑सः शि॒वे नो॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॑ने॒हसा॑ ।
  पू॒षा नः॑ पातु दुरि॒तादृ॑तावृधो॒ रक्षा॒ माकि॑र्नो अ॒घशं॑स ईशत ॥
  brā́hmaṇāsaḥ pítaraḥ sómyāsaḥ śivé no dyā́vāpṛthivī́ anehásā.
  pūṣā́ naḥ pātu duritā́dṛtāvṛdho rákṣā mā́kirno agháśaṃsa īśata.
  May the brāhmaṇas, the progenitors presenters of the Soma, the observers of truth, protect us; may the faultless heaven and earth be propitious to us; may Pūṣan preserve us from misfortune, let no calumniator prevail over us.
a Brahmin in the second stage (between मात्र (mātra) and श्रोत्रिय (śrotriya))
name of the 28th lunar mansion

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of ब्राह्मण
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ब्राह्मणः (brā́hmaṇaḥ)	ब्राह्मणौ (brā́hmaṇau) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ) ब्राह्मणासः¹ (brā́hmaṇāsaḥ¹)
vocative	ब्राह्मण (brā́hmaṇa)	ब्राह्मणौ (brā́hmaṇau) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणाः (brā́hmaṇāḥ) ब्राह्मणासः¹ (brā́hmaṇāsaḥ¹)
accusative	ब्राह्मणम् (brā́hmaṇam)	ब्राह्मणौ (brā́hmaṇau) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)	ब्राह्मणान् (brā́hmaṇān)
instrumental	ब्राह्मणेन (brā́hmaṇena)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणैः (brā́hmaṇaiḥ) ब्राह्मणेभिः¹ (brā́hmaṇebhiḥ¹)
dative	ब्राह्मणाय (brā́hmaṇāya)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	ब्राह्मणात् (brā́hmaṇāt)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	ब्राह्मणस्य (brā́hmaṇasya)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणानाम् (brā́hmaṇānām)
locative	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणेषु (brā́hmaṇeṣu)

¹Vedic

Noun

ब्राह्मण • (brā́hmaṇa) stem, n

that which is divine, the divine
sacred or divine power
the Brahmana portion of the Veda (as distinct from its mantra and Upanishad portion)
the soma vessel of the Brahmin priest
a society or assemblage of Brahmins, a conclave

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of ब्राह्मण
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ब्राह्मणम् (brā́hmaṇam)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणानि (brā́hmaṇāni) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)
vocative	ब्राह्मण (brā́hmaṇa)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणानि (brā́hmaṇāni) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)
accusative	ब्राह्मणम् (brā́hmaṇam)	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणानि (brā́hmaṇāni) ब्राह्मणा¹ (brā́hmaṇā¹)
instrumental	ब्राह्मणेन (brā́hmaṇena)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणैः (brā́hmaṇaiḥ) ब्राह्मणेभिः¹ (brā́hmaṇebhiḥ¹)
dative	ब्राह्मणाय (brā́hmaṇāya)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	ब्राह्मणात् (brā́hmaṇāt)	ब्राह्मणाभ्याम् (brā́hmaṇābhyām)	ब्राह्मणेभ्यः (brā́hmaṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	ब्राह्मणस्य (brā́hmaṇasya)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणानाम् (brā́hmaṇānām)
locative	ब्राह्मणे (brā́hmaṇe)	ब्राह्मणयोः (brā́hmaṇayoḥ)	ब्राह्मणेषु (brā́hmaṇeṣu)

¹Vedic

Descendants

Inherited

Ashokan Prakrit: 𑀩𑁆𑀭𑀸𑀫𑁆𑀳𑀡 (brāmhaṇa)
- Prakrit: 𑀩𑀫𑁆𑀳𑀡 (bamhaṇa), 𑀩𑀁𑀪𑀡 (baṃbhaṇa)
  - Early Assamese: বামন (bamono)
    - Assamese: বামুণ (bamun)
  - Bengali: বামন (bamon)
  - Bihari:
    - Bhojpuri: बाम्हन (bāmhan), बाभन (bābhan)
    - Maithili: बामन (bāman), बाभन (bābhan)
  - Gujarati: બામણ (bāmaṇ)
  - Hindustani:
    - Awadhi: बाम्हन (bāmhan)
    - Hindi: बाम्हन (bāmhan)
  - Konkani:
    Devanagari script: बामण (bāmaṇ)
    Latin script: bamonn
  - Marathi: बामण (bāmaṇ)
  - Nepali: बाहुन (bāhuna)
  - Odia: ବାମୁଣ (bāmuṇa) (dialectal or obsolete ବାଭୁଣ (bābhuṇa), ବାମୁଣ (bāmuṇa), ବାମ୍ଭୁଣ (bāmbhuṇa))
  - Pahari:
    - Garhwali: बामण (bāmaṇ)
    - Kumaoni: बामण (bāmaṇ)
  - Punjabi:
    Gurmukhi script: ਬਾਹਮਣ (bāhmaṇ)
    Shahmukhi script: باہْمَݨ (bāhmaṇ)
  - Sindhi: براهَمَڻُ
  - → Kurukh: बमभ्नस (bambhnas)
- Elu:
  - Sinhalese: බඹ (baᵐba)
- Gandhari: 𐨦𐨿𐨪𐨨𐨞 (bramaṇa)

Borrowed

→ Arabic: بِرَهْمَن (birahman)
- → Persian: بَرَهمَن
→ Balinese: ᬩ᭄ᬭᬄᬫᬦ
→ Bengali: ব্রাহ্মণ (brahmon) (learned)
→ Middle Chinese: 婆羅門 (MC ba la mwon)
- Chinese: 婆羅門／婆罗门 (póluómén)
- Japanese: 婆羅門 (バラモン, baramon)
- Korean: 파라문(婆羅門) (paramun)
- Vietnamese: Bà La Môn (婆羅門)
→ French: brahmane
- → German: Brahmane
  - → Finnish: brahmaani
- → Dutch: bramaan
- → Portuguese: brâmane
- → Russian: брахма́н (braxmán)
  - → Belarusian: брахма́н (braxmán)
  - → Kazakh: брахман (braxman)
  - → Kyrgyz: брахман (brahman)
  - → Ukrainian: брахма́н (braxmán)
→ Ancient Greek: βραχμᾶνες pl (brakhmânes)
- → Aramaic: ܒܪܟܡܢܐ
- → Coptic: ⲃⲣⲁⲭⲙⲁⲛⲏⲥ (brakhmanēs)
- → Greek: βραχμάνος (vrachmános)
- → Latin: Bracmāni pl, Brachmānae, Bragmānae
  - → Middle English: bragman
→ Gujarati: બ્રાહ્મણ (brāhmaṇ) (learned)
→ Hindi: ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇ) (learned)
→ Kannada: ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ (brāhmaṇa) (learned)
→? Old Khmer: វ្រះ (vraḥ)
→ Lao: ພາມ (phām)
→ Malayalam: ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ (brāhmaṇaṉ) (learned)
→ Marathi: ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇ) (learned)
→ Odia: ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ (brāhmaṇa) (learned)
→ Pali: brāhmaṇa (learned)
- → Burmese: ပုဏ္ဏား (punna:)
- → Burmese: ဗြာဟ္မဏ (brahma.na.) (learned)
- → Sinhalese: බ්රාහ්මණය (brāhmaṇaya) (learned)
→ Portuguese: bramine (obsolete)
- → Middle French: bramine
  - French: brahmine
  - → English: brahmin, brahman
    - → Irish: Bráman
    - → Korean: 브라만 (beuraman)
    - → Russian: брами́н (bramín)
- → Italian: bramino
→ Sogdian: 𐼾𐽀𐼰𐼺𐼻 (prʾmn), 𐼾𐽀𐼰𐼺𐼰𐼻 (prʾmʾn), 𐼾𐽀𐼰𐼰𐼺𐼰 (prʾʾmʾ), 𐼾𐽀𐼰𐼰𐼺𐼻 (prʾʾmn)
- → Old Uyghur: [script needed] (braman)
  - → Middle Mongol: ᠪᠢᠷᠠᠮᠠᠨ (biraman)
    - Classical Mongolian: ᠪᠢᠷᠠᠮᠠᠨ (biraman)
      - Buryat: бирман (birman)
      - Mongolian: бярман (bjarman)
    - Written Oirat: [Term?]
      - Kalmyk: бирмн (birmn)
→ Tamil: பிராமணர் (pirāmaṇar) (learned)
→ Telugu: బ్రాహ్మణులు (brāhmaṇulu) (learned)
→ Thai: พราหมณ์ (praam)
→ Classical Tibetan: བྲམ་ཟེ (bram ze) (learned)
→ Tocharian A: brāmaṃ, brāhmaṃ, prāmaṃ, prāhmaṃ, prāmmaṃ
→ Tocharian B: brāhmaṇe
→ Urdu: براہمن (learned)

References

^ Nourai, Ali (2011) “Bhergh”, in An Etymological Dictionary of Persian, English and other Indo-European Languages, page 63
^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “flāmen, -inis”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 225
^ Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1898–1899) Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der altindischen Sprache (in German), Amsterdam: Johannes Müller, page 193

[1] Nourai, Ali (2011) “Bhergh”, in An Etymological Dictionary of Persian, English and other Indo-European Languages, page 63

[2] De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “flāmen, -inis”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 225

[3] Uhlenbeck, C. C. (1898–1899) Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch der altindischen Sprache (in German), Amsterdam: Johannes Müller, page 193

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