रीछ

Hindi

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hŕ̥ćšas

Sanskrit ऋक्ष (ṛkṣa)

Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀭𑀺𑀘𑁆𑀙 (riccha)

Hindi रीछ (rīch)

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit रिच्छ (riccha), रिक्ख (rikkha), from Sanskrit ऋक्ष (ṛkṣa), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *Hŕ̥ṭṣas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hŕ̥ćšas, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos. Turner considers the development ऋक्ष (ṛkṣa) > रिच्छ (riccha) rather than ऋक्ष (ṛkṣa) > रिक्ख (rikkha) > Hindi *रीख (*rīkh), which would be expected, to be a case of taboo deformation (borrowing from a neighboring dialect).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ɾiːt͡ʃʰ/

Noun

रीछ • (rīch) m (feminine रीछनी, Urdu spelling ریچھ)

1. bear (mammal)

   Synonym: भालू (bhālū)

Declension

Declension of रीछ (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	रीछ rīch	रीछ rīch
oblique	रीछ rīch	रीछों rīchõ
vocative	रीछ rīch	रीछो rīcho

Derived terms

• रीछपति (rīchapti, “epithet of Jambavan”, literally “lord of the bears”)

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “रीछ”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “रीछ”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “ṛkṣa”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 117