मर्दन

See also: मुर्दन, मुर्दनी, मर्दाना, and मर्दनी

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit मर्दन (mardana).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /məɾ.d̪ən/, [mɐɾ.d̪ɐ̃n]

Adjective

मर्दन • (mardan) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling مردن)

1. crushing, grinding, destroying, tormenting, rubbing

Noun

मर्दन • (mardan) m (Urdu spelling مردن)

1. the act of rubbing; anointing (with oil or cosmetic paste)
2. crushing, grinding
3. trampling, destroying

Declension

Declension of मर्दन (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	मर्दन mardan	मर्दन mardan
oblique	मर्दन mardan	मर्दनों mardanõ
vocative	मर्दन mardan	मर्दनो mardano

Further reading

• Platts, John T. (1884) “मर्दन”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “मर्दन”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• মৰ্দন (Assamese script)
• ᬫᬃᬤᬦ (Balinese script)
• মর্দন (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰨𑰿𑰟𑰡 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀭𑁆𑀤𑀦 (Brahmi script)
• မရ်္ဒန (Burmese script)
• મર્દન (Gujarati script)
• ਮਰ੍ਦਨ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌨 (Grantha script)
• ꦩꦂꦢꦤ (Javanese script)
• 𑂧𑂩𑂹𑂠𑂢 (Kaithi script)
• ಮರ್ದನ (Kannada script)
• មទ៌ន (Khmer script)
• ມຣ຺ທນ (Lao script)
• മര്ദന (Malayalam script)
• ᠮᠠᡵᡩᠠᠨᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘦𑘨𑘿𑘟𑘡 (Modi script)
• ᠮᠠᠷᢑᠠᠨᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧆𑧈𑧠𑦿𑧁 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐬𑑂𑐡𑐣 (Newa script)
• ମର୍ଦନ (Odia script)
• ꢪꢬ꣄ꢣꢥ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆫𑇀𑆢𑆤 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖨𑖿𑖟𑖡 (Siddham script)
• මර්‍දන (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩴𑩼 𑪙𑩭𑩯 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚢𑚤𑚶𑚛𑚝 (Takri script)
• மர்த³ந (Tamil script)
• మర్దన (Telugu script)
• มรฺทน (Thai script)
• མ་རྡ་ན (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒩𑓂𑒠𑒢 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨢𑨫𑩇𑨛𑨝 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From the root मृद् (mṛd, “to squeeze, press, rub, crush”) +‎ -अन (-ana).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /mɐɾ.dɐ.nɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /mɐɾ.d̪ɐ.n̪ɐ/

Adjective

मर्दन • (mardana) stem

1. crushing, grinding, destroying, tormenting, rubbing

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of मर्दन

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	मर्दनः (mardanaḥ)	मर्दनौ (mardanau) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)	मर्दनाः (mardanāḥ) मर्दनासः¹ (mardanāsaḥ¹)
vocative	मर्दन (mardana)	मर्दनौ (mardanau) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)	मर्दनाः (mardanāḥ) मर्दनासः¹ (mardanāsaḥ¹)
accusative	मर्दनम् (mardanam)	मर्दनौ (mardanau) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)	मर्दनान् (mardanān)
instrumental	मर्दनेन (mardanena)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनैः (mardanaiḥ) मर्दनेभिः¹ (mardanebhiḥ¹)
dative	मर्दनाय (mardanāya)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनेभ्यः (mardanebhyaḥ)
ablative	मर्दनात् (mardanāt)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनेभ्यः (mardanebhyaḥ)
genitive	मर्दनस्य (mardanasya)	मर्दनयोः (mardanayoḥ)	मर्दनानाम् (mardanānām)
locative	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनयोः (mardanayoḥ)	मर्दनेषु (mardaneṣu)

• ¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of मर्दनी

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	मर्दनी (mardanī)	मर्दन्यौ (mardanyau) मर्दनी¹ (mardanī¹)	मर्दन्यः (mardanyaḥ) मर्दनीः¹ (mardanīḥ¹)
vocative	मर्दनि (mardani)	मर्दन्यौ (mardanyau) मर्दनी¹ (mardanī¹)	मर्दन्यः (mardanyaḥ) मर्दनीः¹ (mardanīḥ¹)
accusative	मर्दनीम् (mardanīm)	मर्दन्यौ (mardanyau) मर्दनी¹ (mardanī¹)	मर्दनीः (mardanīḥ)
instrumental	मर्दन्या (mardanyā)	मर्दनीभ्याम् (mardanībhyām)	मर्दनीभिः (mardanībhiḥ)
dative	मर्दन्यै (mardanyai)	मर्दनीभ्याम् (mardanībhyām)	मर्दनीभ्यः (mardanībhyaḥ)
ablative	मर्दन्याः (mardanyāḥ) मर्दन्यै² (mardanyai²)	मर्दनीभ्याम् (mardanībhyām)	मर्दनीभ्यः (mardanībhyaḥ)
genitive	मर्दन्याः (mardanyāḥ) मर्दन्यै² (mardanyai²)	मर्दन्योः (mardanyoḥ)	मर्दनीनाम् (mardanīnām)
locative	मर्दन्याम् (mardanyām)	मर्दन्योः (mardanyoḥ)	मर्दनीषु (mardanīṣu)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of मर्दन

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	मर्दनम् (mardanam)	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनानि (mardanāni) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)
vocative	मर्दन (mardana)	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनानि (mardanāni) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)
accusative	मर्दनम् (mardanam)	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनानि (mardanāni) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)
instrumental	मर्दनेन (mardanena)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनैः (mardanaiḥ) मर्दनेभिः¹ (mardanebhiḥ¹)
dative	मर्दनाय (mardanāya)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनेभ्यः (mardanebhyaḥ)
ablative	मर्दनात् (mardanāt)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनेभ्यः (mardanebhyaḥ)
genitive	मर्दनस्य (mardanasya)	मर्दनयोः (mardanayoḥ)	मर्दनानाम् (mardanānām)
locative	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनयोः (mardanayoḥ)	मर्दनेषु (mardaneṣu)

• ¹Vedic

Noun

मर्दन • (mardana) stem, n

1. the act of crushing or grinding or destroying
   • तेषां मैरेयदोषेण विषमीकृतचेतसाम्। निम्‍लोचति रवावासीद्वेणूनामिव मर्दनम्॥ BhP.3.4.2:

     As by the friction of bamboos destruction takes place, so also, at sunset, by the interaction of the faults of intoxication, all their minds became unbalanced, and destruction took place.

   • c. 700 CE – 900 CE, Bhāgavata Purāṇa 3.26.40:

     Fire is appreciated by its light and by its ability to cook, to digest, to cause destruction of cold, to evaporate, and to give rise to hunger, thirst, eating and drinking.

2. rubbing, anointing, shampooing
3. opposition (as of planets)
4. paining, tormenting, afflicting
5. breaking up (of ice)

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of मर्दन

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	मर्दनम् (mardanam)	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनानि (mardanāni) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)
vocative	मर्दन (mardana)	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनानि (mardanāni) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)
accusative	मर्दनम् (mardanam)	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनानि (mardanāni) मर्दना¹ (mardanā¹)
instrumental	मर्दनेन (mardanena)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनैः (mardanaiḥ) मर्दनेभिः¹ (mardanebhiḥ¹)
dative	मर्दनाय (mardanāya)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनेभ्यः (mardanebhyaḥ)
ablative	मर्दनात् (mardanāt)	मर्दनाभ्याम् (mardanābhyām)	मर्दनेभ्यः (mardanebhyaḥ)
genitive	मर्दनस्य (mardanasya)	मर्दनयोः (mardanayoḥ)	मर्दनानाम् (mardanānām)
locative	मर्दने (mardane)	मर्दनयोः (mardanayoḥ)	मर्दनेषु (mardaneṣu)

• ¹Vedic

Descendants

• Pali: maddana
• Prakrit: 𑀫𑀤𑁆𑀤𑀡 (maddaṇa)
  • Gujarati: માડણ (māḍaṇ)
• → Hindustani: mardan

  Hindi: मर्दन

  Urdu: مردن

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899) “मर्दन”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 791, column 2.
• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890) “मर्दन”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan
• Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2025) “mardana”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “mardana”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press