विद्या

See also: वैद्य

Hindi

Etymology

From Sanskrit विद्या (vidyā), from the root verb विद् (vid, “to know, understand”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see; to know”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ʋɪd̪.jɑː/, [ʋɪd̪.jäː]

Noun

विद्या • (vidyā) f (Urdu spelling وديا)

1. learning

   विद्या का ज़ोर को उपेक्षा मत करना।

   vidyā kā zor ko upekṣā mat karnā.

   Do not underestimate the power of learning.

   कुपात्र को विद्या न दें।

   kupātra ko vidyā na dẽ.

   Do not give knowledge to an undeserving person.

2. discipline, branch of learning

   विश्‍वविद्यालय में विद्याओं का प्रसार बहुत महत्त्वपूर्ण है।

   viś‍vavidyālay mẽ vidyāõ kā prasār bahut mahattvapūrṇ hai.

   The expansion of disciplines in the university is very important.

Declension

Declension of विद्या (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	विद्या vidyā	विद्याएँ vidyāẽ
oblique	विद्या vidyā	विद्याओं vidyāõ
vocative	विद्या vidyā	विद्याओ vidyāo

Derived terms

• विद्याकर्म (vidyākarm, “the study of science”)
• विद्यादेवी (vidyādevī, “Sarasvati, the goddess of learning”)
• विद्यापीठ (vidyāpīṭh, “a centre of learning”)
• विद्याव्यवसाय (vidyāvyavsāy, “pursuit of knowledge”)
• विद्याहीन (vidyāhīn, “illiterate, stupid”)

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “विद्या”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• Caturvedi, Mahendra, Bhola Nath Tiwari (1970) “विद्या”, in A practical Hindi-English dictionary, Delhi: National Publishing House

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• ৱিদ্যা (Assamese script)
• ᬯᬶᬤ᭄ᬬᬵ (Balinese script)
• বিদ্যা (Bengali script)
• 𑰪𑰰𑰟𑰿𑰧𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀯𑀺𑀤𑁆𑀬𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဝိဒျာ (Burmese script)
• વિદ્યા (Gujarati script)
• ਵਿਦ੍ਯਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦮꦶꦢꦾꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂫𑂱𑂠𑂹𑂨𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ವಿದ್ಯಾ (Kannada script)
• វិទ្យា (Khmer script)
• ວິທ຺ຍາ (Lao script)
• വിദ്യാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠸᡳᡩᠶᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘪𑘱𑘟𑘿𑘧𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠸᠢᢑᠶ᠎ᠠ᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧊𑧒𑦿𑧠𑧇𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐰𑐶𑐡𑑂𑐫𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଵିଦ୍ଯା (Odia script)
• ꢮꢶꢣ꣄ꢫꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆮𑆴𑆢𑇀𑆪𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖪𑖰𑖟𑖿𑖧𑖯 (Siddham script)
• විද්‍යා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩾𑩑𑩭 𑪙𑩻𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚦𑚮𑚛𑚶𑚣𑚭 (Takri script)
• வித்³யா (Tamil script)
• విద్యా (Telugu script)
• วิทฺยา (Thai script)
• ཝི་དྱཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒫𑒱𑒠𑓂𑒨𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨭𑨁𑨛𑩇𑨪𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From the root विद् (√vid, “to know, understand”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see; to know”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ʋid.jɑ́ː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ʋid̪.jɑː/

Noun

विद्या • (vidyā́) stem, f

1. knowledge, wisdom
2. science, philosophy
3. an academic discipline
4. scholarship

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of विद्या

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	विद्या (vidyā́)	विद्ये (vidyé)	विद्याः (vidyā́ḥ)
vocative	विद्ये (vídye)	विद्ये (vídye)	विद्याः (vídyāḥ)
accusative	विद्याम् (vidyā́m)	विद्ये (vidyé)	विद्याः (vidyā́ḥ)
instrumental	विद्यया (vidyáyā) विद्या¹ (vidyā́¹)	विद्याभ्याम् (vidyā́bhyām)	विद्याभिः (vidyā́bhiḥ)
dative	विद्यायै (vidyā́yai)	विद्याभ्याम् (vidyā́bhyām)	विद्याभ्यः (vidyā́bhyaḥ)
ablative	विद्यायाः (vidyā́yāḥ) विद्यायै² (vidyā́yai²)	विद्याभ्याम् (vidyā́bhyām)	विद्याभ्यः (vidyā́bhyaḥ)
genitive	विद्यायाः (vidyā́yāḥ) विद्यायै² (vidyā́yai²)	विद्ययोः (vidyáyoḥ)	विद्यानाम् (vidyā́nām)
locative	विद्यायाम् (vidyā́yām)	विद्ययोः (vidyáyoḥ)	विद्यासु (vidyā́su)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Derived terms

• विद्याधर (vidyādhara)
• विद्यालय (vidyālaya)
• अविद्य (avidya)

Descendants

• Bengali: বিদ্যা (bidda)
• Hindi: विद्या (vidyā)
• → Old Javanese: widyā
  • > Javanese: ꦮꦶꦢꦾ (widya) (inherited)
• Pali: vijjā

  → Thai: วิชา (wí-chaa)

  → Lao: ວິຊາ (wi sā)

  → Khmer: វិជ្ជា (vityie)

• → Punjabi: ਵਿੱਦਿਆ (viddiā) (learned)
• Telugu: విద్య (vidya)
• → Thai: วิทยา (wíttáyaa)
• → Lao: ວິທະຍາ (wi tha nyā)
• → Khmer: វិទ្យា (vityie)
• → Eastern Cham: ꨝꨪꨖꨪ
• → Malay: widya (learned)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “विद्या”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 963/3.

Further reading

• Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2025) “vidyā”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.