लेखनी

See also: लिखने, लिखना, लेखन, लेख्न, लेखिनु, and लेख्नु

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit लेखनी (lekhanī).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /leː.kʰə.niː/, [leː.kʰɐ.niː]

Noun

लेखनी • (lekhanī) f (Urdu spelling لیکھنی)

1. (tools) pen

   Synonyms: क़लम (qalam), पेन (pen)

Declension

Declension of लेखनी (fem ī-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	लेखनी lekhnī	लेखनियाँ lekhniyā̃
oblique	लेखनी lekhnī	लेखनियों lekhniyõ
vocative	लेखनी lekhnī	लेखनियो lekhniyo

Sanskrit

Etymology

From the feminine form of लेखन (lekhana, “scratching, scarifying, scraping”), from the root लिख् (likh, “to write”). The sense 'pen' is an innovation from Hindi.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /lɐj.kʰɐ.niː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈl̪eː.kʰɐ.n̪iː/

Noun

लेखनी • (lekhanī) stem, f

1. Saccharum spontaneum (a sort of reed of which pens are made)
2. pen

   Synonym: कलम (kalama)

Declension

Feminine ī-stem declension of लेखनी (lekhanī)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	लेखनी lekhanī	लेखन्यौ / लेखनी¹ lekhanyau / lekhanī¹	लेखन्यः / लेखनीः¹ lekhanyaḥ / lekhanīḥ¹
Vocative	लेखनि lekhani	लेखन्यौ / लेखनी¹ lekhanyau / lekhanī¹	लेखन्यः / लेखनीः¹ lekhanyaḥ / lekhanīḥ¹
Accusative	लेखनीम् lekhanīm	लेखन्यौ / लेखनी¹ lekhanyau / lekhanī¹	लेखनीः lekhanīḥ
Instrumental	लेखन्या lekhanyā	लेखनीभ्याम् lekhanībhyām	लेखनीभिः lekhanībhiḥ
Dative	लेखन्यै lekhanyai	लेखनीभ्याम् lekhanībhyām	लेखनीभ्यः lekhanībhyaḥ
Ablative	लेखन्याः / लेखन्यै² lekhanyāḥ / lekhanyai²	लेखनीभ्याम् lekhanībhyām	लेखनीभ्यः lekhanībhyaḥ
Genitive	लेखन्याः / लेखन्यै² lekhanyāḥ / lekhanyai²	लेखन्योः lekhanyoḥ	लेखनीनाम् lekhanīnām
Locative	लेखन्याम् lekhanyām	लेखन्योः lekhanyoḥ	लेखनीषु lekhanīṣu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• Hindustani:
  • → Hindi: लेखनी (lekhnī)
    • → Pashto: ليکني
  • → Urdu: لیکھنی (lekhnī)
• → Khmer: លេខនី (leikhaʼnii)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “लेखनी”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 901.