स्म

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

• स्मा (smā)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *smé (“really, truly”); cognate with Ancient Greek μήν (mḗn, “verily”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /smɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /s̪mɐ/

Particle

स्म • (sma)

1. a particle indicating the past tense when used with a present-tense verb form
   • c. 300 BCE, Pañcatantra 1:

     भासुरको नाम सिंहः प्रतिवसति स्म

     bhāsurako nāma siṃhaḥ prativasati sma

     Once upon a time there lived a lion named Bhāsuraka.

2. an expletive particle
3. a particle for emphasis; ever; verily
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.12.8:

     यस्त्वाम॑ग्ने ह॒विष्प॑तिर्दू॒तं दे॑व सप॒र्यति॑ ।
     तस्य॑ स्म प्रावि॒ता भ॑व ॥

     yástvā́magne havíṣpatirdūtáṃ deva saparyáti.
     tásya sma prāvitā́ bhava.

     O Agni the Deva, whichever oblation-master honours you the messenger,
     May you ever be his protector.

Usage notes

• As an expletive particle, it often follows a prohibitory particle such as मा (mā).

References

• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890) “स्म”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan
• Monier Williams (1899) “स्म”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1271/2.