सपत्नी

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit सपत्नी (sapátnī). Doublet of सौत (saut).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /sə.pət̪.niː/, [sɐ.pɐt̪̚.niː]

Noun

सपत्नी • (sapatnī) f (Urdu spelling سپتنی)

1. (literary) a co-wife, rival wife
   • 1984, डॉ॰ प्यारेलाल शुक्ल, भक्तिकालीन काव्य में चित्रित नारी-जीवन‎^[1], Allahabad: Sāhityavāṇī, →OCLC, page 335:

     कैकेयी की सपत्नी-ईर्ष्या में उसका पुत्र-प्रेम कारण बन गया। पुत्र का हित बाधित होता देख कर उसकी सपत्नी-ईर्ष्या जाग उठती है।

     kaikeyī kī sapatnī-īrṣyā mẽ uskā putra-prem kāraṇ ban gayā. putra kā hit bādhit hotā dekh kar uskī sapatnī-īrṣyā jāg uṭhtī hai.

     Kaikeyi's jealousy for her co-wife was caused by her love for her son. Seeing her son's well-being obstructed would awaken her jealousy for her co-wife.

Declension

Declension of सपत्नी (fem ī-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	सपत्नी sapatnī	सपत्नियाँ sapatniyā̃
oblique	सपत्नी sapatnī	सपत्नियों sapatniyõ
vocative	सपत्नी sapatnī	सपत्नियो sapatniyo

References

• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “सपत्नी”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha, page 4947

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• সপত্নী (Assamese script)
• ᬲᬧᬢ᭄ᬦᬷ (Balinese script)
• সপত্নী (Bengali script)
• 𑰭𑰢𑰝𑰿𑰡𑰱 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀲𑀧𑀢𑁆𑀦𑀻 (Brahmi script)
• သပတ္နီ (Burmese script)
• સપત્ની (Gujarati script)
• ਸਪਤ੍ਨੀ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌸𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌨𑍀 (Grantha script)
• ꦱꦥꦠ꧀ꦤꦷ (Javanese script)
• 𑂮𑂣𑂞𑂹𑂢𑂲 (Kaithi script)
• ಸಪತ್ನೀ (Kannada script)
• សបត្នី (Khmer script)
• ສປຕ຺ນີ (Lao script)
• സപത്നീ (Malayalam script)
• ᠰᠠᢒᠠᢠᠨᡳᡳ (Manchu script)
• 𑘭𑘢𑘝𑘿𑘡𑘲 (Modi script)
• ᠰᠠᢒᠠᢐᠨᠢᠢ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧍𑧂𑦽𑧠𑧁𑧓 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐳𑐥𑐟𑑂𑐣𑐷 (Newa script)
• ସପତ୍ନୀ (Odia script)
• ꢱꢦꢡ꣄ꢥꢷ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆱𑆥𑆠𑇀𑆤𑆵 (Sharada script)
• 𑖭𑖢𑖝𑖿𑖡𑖱 (Siddham script)
• සපත‍්නී (Sinhalese script)
• 𑪁𑩰𑩫 𑪙𑩯𑩑𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚨𑚞𑚙𑚶𑚝𑚯 (Takri script)
• ஸபத்நீ (Tamil script)
• సపత్నీ (Telugu script)
• สปตฺนี (Thai script)
• ས་པ་ཏྣཱི (Tibetan script)
• 𑒮𑒣𑒞𑓂𑒢𑒲 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨰𑨞𑨙𑩇𑨝𑨁𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *sapátniH, from Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-pót-nih₂, from *sm̥- (“together, co-”) + *pótnih₂ (“wife”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬞𐬀𐬚𐬥𐬍 (hapaθnī, “co-wife”), Pashto بن (bën). By surface analysis, स- (sa-, copulative prefix) +‎ पत्नी (pátnī, “wife”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /sɐ.pɐ́t.niː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /s̪ɐˈpɐt̪.n̪iː/

Noun

सपत्नी • (sapátnī) stem, f

1. a co-wife, rival wife; another wife of one’s polygamous husband
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.145.1:

     इमां खनाम्योषधिं वीरुधं बलवत्तमाम्।
     यया सपत्नीं बाधते यया संविन्दते पतिम्॥

     imāṃ khanāmyoṣadhiṃ vīrudhaṃ balavattamām.
     yayā sapatnīṃ bādhate yayā saṃvindate patim.

     From out the earth I dig this plant, a herb of most effectual power,
     Wherewith one quells the co-wife and gains the husband for herself.

   • c. 500 BCE – 100 BCE, Rāmāyaṇa 2.8.37:

     दर्पान्निराकृता पूर्वं त्वया सौभाग्यवत्तया । राममाता सपत्नी ते कथं वैरं न शातयेत् ॥

     darpānnirākṛtā pūrvaṃ tvayā saubhāgyavattayā. rāmamātā sapatnī te kathaṃ vairaṃ na śātayet.

     Out of your fortune [being the favourite wife of the husband] you slighted her earlier with [your] pride. How will she, Rama's mother, your co-wife [Kausalya] remain without retaliating?

   • c. 700 CE – 900 CE, Bhāgavata Purāṇa 2.7.8:

     विद्धः सपत्न्य्उदितपत्त्रिभिरन्ति राज्ञो बालोऽपि सन्नुपगतस्तपसे वनानि । तस्मा अदाद् ध्रुवगतिं गृणते प्रसन्नो दिव्याः स्तुवन्ति मुनयो यदुपर्यधस्तात् ॥

     viddhaḥ sapatnyuditapattribhiranti rājño bāloʼpi sannupagatastapase vanāni. tasmā adād dhruvagatiṃ gṛṇate prasanno divyāḥ stuvanti munayo yaduparyadhastāt.

     Insulted by the sharp words [lit. arrows] spoken by the co-wife before the king, the boy [Dhruva] took to do tapas in forests. A pleased [Vishnu] gave to the extolling Dhruva, a firm position [as Polaris star], which is lauded even by divine munis.

Declension

Feminine ī-stem declension of सपत्नी

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	सपत्नी (sapatnī)	सपत्न्यौ (sapatnyau) सपत्नी¹ (sapatnī¹)	सपत्न्यः (sapatnyaḥ) सपत्नीः¹ (sapatnīḥ¹)
vocative	सपत्नि (sapatni)	सपत्न्यौ (sapatnyau) सपत्नी¹ (sapatnī¹)	सपत्न्यः (sapatnyaḥ) सपत्नीः¹ (sapatnīḥ¹)
accusative	सपत्नीम् (sapatnīm)	सपत्न्यौ (sapatnyau) सपत्नी¹ (sapatnī¹)	सपत्नीः (sapatnīḥ)
instrumental	सपत्न्या (sapatnyā)	सपत्नीभ्याम् (sapatnībhyām)	सपत्नीभिः (sapatnībhiḥ)
dative	सपत्न्यै (sapatnyai)	सपत्नीभ्याम् (sapatnībhyām)	सपत्नीभ्यः (sapatnībhyaḥ)
ablative	सपत्न्याः (sapatnyāḥ) सपत्न्यै² (sapatnyai²)	सपत्नीभ्याम् (sapatnībhyām)	सपत्नीभ्यः (sapatnībhyaḥ)
genitive	सपत्न्याः (sapatnyāḥ) सपत्न्यै² (sapatnyai²)	सपत्न्योः (sapatnyoḥ)	सपत्नीनाम् (sapatnīnām)
locative	सपत्न्याम् (sapatnyām)	सपत्न्योः (sapatnyoḥ)	सपत्नीषु (sapatnīṣu)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• Pali: sapattī
• Prakrit: 𑀲𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀻 (savattī), 𑀲𑀉𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀻 (saüttī)
  • Hindustani: saut

    Hindi: सौत

    Urdu: سوت

  • Old Marathi: savatī

    Devanagari script: सवती

    Modi script: 𑘭𑘪𑘝𑘲

    • Marathi: सवत (savat)
• ⇒ Prakrit: 𑀲𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀺𑀡𑀻 (savattiṇī)
  • Hindi: सौतन (sautan)
• → Hindi: सपत्नी (sapatnī) (learned)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899) “सपत्नी”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1149.
• Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2025) “sapatnī”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.
• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890) “सपत्नी”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan, page 1625
• Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1893) “सपत्नी”, in A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout, London: Oxford University Press, page 334
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “sapátnī”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 760