स्निह्

See also: स्नेह

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

स्नेह् (sneh)

Alternative scripts

স্নিহ্ (Assamese script)
ᬲ᭄ᬦᬶᬳ᭄ (Balinese script)
স্নিহ্ (Bengali script)
𑰭𑰿𑰡𑰰𑰮𑰿 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀲𑁆𑀦𑀺𑀳𑁆 (Brahmi script)
သ္နိဟ် (Burmese script)
સ્નિહ્ (Gujarati script)
ਸ੍ਨਿਹ੍ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌸𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌹𑍍 (Grantha script)
ꦱ꧀ꦤꦶꦲ꧀ (Javanese script)
𑂮𑂹𑂢𑂱𑂯𑂹 (Kaithi script)
ಸ್ನಿಹ್ (Kannada script)
ស្និហ៑ (Khmer script)
ສ຺ນິຫ຺ (Lao script)
സ്നിഹ് (Malayalam script)
ᠰᠨᡳᡥ (Manchu script)
𑘭𑘿𑘡𑘱𑘮𑘿 (Modi script)
ᠰᠨᠢᠾ (Mongolian script)
𑧍𑧠𑧁𑧒𑧎𑧠 (Nandinagari script)
𑐳𑑂𑐣𑐶𑐴𑑂 (Newa script)
ସ୍ନିହ୍ (Odia script)
ꢱ꣄ꢥꢶꢲ꣄ (Saurashtra script)
𑆱𑇀𑆤𑆴𑆲𑇀 (Sharada script)
𑖭𑖿𑖡𑖰𑖮𑖿 (Siddham script)
ස‍්නිහ් (Sinhalese script)
𑪁 𑪙𑩯𑩑𑪂 𑪙 (Soyombo script)
𑚨𑚶𑚝𑚮𑚩𑚶 (Takri script)
ஸ்நிஹ் (Tamil script)
స్నిహ్ (Telugu script)
สฺนิหฺ (Thai script)
སྣི་ཧ྄ (Tibetan script)
𑒮𑓂𑒢𑒱𑒯𑓂 (Tirhuta script)
𑨰𑩇𑨝𑨁𑨱𑨴 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *sneygʷʰ-

Sanskrit स्निह् (snih)

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *sneygʷʰ- (“to snow”).^[1] The meaning of "to love, be attached" may have evolved from a secondary meaning of snow: "to stick, remain", referring to the nature of snow, as well as "whitish bodily fluids which are compared to snow, notably snot and spit",^[2] to stick to itself. Another example in this context is semen. This offers two senses of development:

as a simile of companionship, love: "sticking with someone"
as a euphemism for the act of making love, involving body fluids: "sticky like snow"

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /sniɦ/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /s̪n̪iɦ/

Root

स्निह् • (snih)

to be adhesive or sticky or glutinous or viscid or moist, to be adherent, to cling
to be fixed upon
to be attached to or fond of, feel affection for, love
to make unctuous or greasy or moist
to render pliant or subject, subdue
to kill, slay

Derived terms

Sanskrit terms belonging to the root स्निह् (0 c, 3 e)

Terms derived from the Sanskrit root स्निह् (3 c, 0 e)

Primary Verbal Forms

स्निह्यति (snihyati, Present)
स्निह्यते (snihyate, Present)
स्नेहति (snehati, Present)
स्नेहिष्यति (snehiṣyati, Future)
स्नेक्ष्यति (snekṣyati, Future)
स्नेहिता (snehitā, Periphrastic Future)
स्नेग्धा (snegdhā, Periphrastic Future)
स्नेढा (sneḍhā, Periphrastic Future)
सिस्नेह (sisneha, Perfect)

Secondary Forms

स्निह्यते (snihyate, Passive)
अस्नेहि (asnehi, Passive Aorist)
स्ने॒हय॑ति (sneháyati, Causative)
असिष्णिहत् (asiṣṇihat, Causative Aorist)
सिस्नेहिषति (sisnehiṣati, Desiderative)
सिस्निहिषति (sisnihiṣati, Desiderative)
सिस्निक्षति (sisnikṣati, Desiderative)
सेष्णिह्यते (seṣṇihyate, Intensive)
सेष्णेग्धि (seṣṇegdhi, Intensive)
सेष्णेढि (seṣṇeḍhi, Intensive)

Non-Finite Forms

स्निग्ध (snigdha, Past Participle)
स्नेहनीय (snehanīya, Gerundive)
स्नेहित (snehita, Causative Past Participle)
स्नेह्य (snehya, Causative Gerundive)
स्नेहयितव्य (snehayitavya, Causative Gerundive)

Derived Nominal Forms

स्निह् (sníh)
स्नीहन् (snīhán)
स्नीहिति (snī́hiti)
स्नेह (sneha)
स्नेहक (snehaka)
स्नेहन (snehana)
स्नेहिति (snéhiti)
स्नेहिन् (snehin)

Prefixed Root Forms

उपस्निह् (upasnih)

Noun

स्निह् • (sníh) stem, f

wetness, moisture

Declension

Feminine root-stem declension of स्निह् (sníh)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	स्निक् sník	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ sníhau / sníhā¹	स्निहः sníhaḥ
Vocative	स्निक् sník	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ sníhau / sníhā¹	स्निहः sníhaḥ
Accusative	स्निहम् sníham	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ sníhau / sníhā¹	स्निहः sníhaḥ
Instrumental	स्निहा snihā́	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyā́m	स्निग्भिः snigbhíḥ
Dative	स्निहे snihé	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyā́m	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyáḥ
Ablative	स्निहः sniháḥ	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyā́m	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyáḥ
Genitive	स्निहः sniháḥ	स्निहोः snihóḥ	स्निहाम् snihā́m
Locative	स्निहि snihí	स्निहोः snihóḥ	स्निक्षु snikṣú
Notes	¹Vedic

Grammarians also allow nominative singular on -ट (-ṭ).

Adjective

स्निह् • (snih) stem

loving, affectionate

Declension

Masculine root-stem declension of स्निह् (snih)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	स्निक् snik	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ snihau / snihā¹	स्निहः snihaḥ
Vocative	स्निक् snik	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ snihau / snihā¹	स्निहः snihaḥ
Accusative	स्निहम् sniham	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ snihau / snihā¹	स्निहः snihaḥ
Instrumental	स्निहा snihā	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भिः snigbhiḥ
Dative	स्निहे snihe	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyaḥ
Ablative	स्निहः snihaḥ	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyaḥ
Genitive	स्निहः snihaḥ	स्निहोः snihoḥ	स्निहाम् snihām
Locative	स्निहि snihi	स्निहोः snihoḥ	स्निक्षु snikṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine root-stem declension of स्निह् (snih)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	स्निक् snik	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ snihau / snihā¹	स्निहः snihaḥ
Vocative	स्निक् snik	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ snihau / snihā¹	स्निहः snihaḥ
Accusative	स्निहम् sniham	स्निहौ / स्निहा¹ snihau / snihā¹	स्निहः snihaḥ
Instrumental	स्निहा snihā	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भिः snigbhiḥ
Dative	स्निहे snihe	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyaḥ
Ablative	स्निहः snihaḥ	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyaḥ
Genitive	स्निहः snihaḥ	स्निहोः snihoḥ	स्निहाम् snihām
Locative	स्निहि snihi	स्निहोः snihoḥ	स्निक्षु snikṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter root-stem declension of स्निह् (snih)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	स्निक् snik	स्निही snihī	स्निंहि sniṃhi
Vocative	स्निक् snik	स्निही snihī	स्निंहि sniṃhi
Accusative	स्निक् snik	स्निही snihī	स्निंहि sniṃhi
Instrumental	स्निहा snihā	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भिः snigbhiḥ
Dative	स्निहे snihe	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyaḥ
Ablative	स्निहः snihaḥ	स्निग्भ्याम् snigbhyām	स्निग्भ्यः snigbhyaḥ
Genitive	स्निहः snihaḥ	स्निहोः snihoḥ	स्निहाम् snihām
Locative	स्निहि snihi	स्निहोः snihoḥ	स्निक्षु snikṣu

References

Monier Williams (1899) “स्निह्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1267, column 1.
William Dwight Whitney, 1885, The Roots, Verb-forms, and Primary Derivatives of the Sanskrit Language, Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, page 195
Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2025) “snih”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.

^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) “SNEH”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 772
^ Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 349

[1] Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) “SNEH”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 772

[2] Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 349

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