Unclear. Various etymologies have been proposed.
According to Przyluski (1926), it may be related to तुम्ब (tumba, “gourd, i.e. Lagenaria vulgaris, syn. of Benincasa hispida”), both coming from an Austroasiatic source, cf. Proto-Mon-Khmer *n(l)uuŋ ~ *n(l)uŋ (“gourd”), possibly through Proto-Khasic *dluŋ, whence Khasi klong (“bottle-gourd”) (Shorto, 2006).
Southworth (2005) rejects Przyluski's hypothesis and proposes a Dravidian etymology: the Sanskrit word is interpreted as an old compound of Proto-Dravidian *uttu (“date”) and Proto-Dravidian *mara (“tree”).
Some researchers (Mayrhofer, 1992) also have proposed an Indo-Aryan derivation. The first part of the word may reflect Sanskrit ऋदू (ṛdū), an element only found in compounds, which in Vedic texts is often identified with Sanskrit ऊर्जा (ūrjā, “sap, water”), while the second part is reasonably interpreted as Sanskrit बल (bala, “vigour, power”). Thus, the whole compound means “(that) which has a humid, juicy vigour”.
उदुम्बर • (udumbara) stem, m
| Masculine a-stem declension of उदुम्बर | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | उदुम्बरः (udumbaraḥ) | ||
| Gen. sg. | उदुम्बरस्य (udumbarasya) | ||
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
| Nominative | उदुम्बरः (udumbaraḥ) | उदुम्बरौ (udumbarau) | उदुम्बराः (udumbarāḥ) |
| Vocative | उदुम्बर (udumbara) | उदुम्बरौ (udumbarau) | उदुम्बराः (udumbarāḥ) |
| Accusative | उदुम्बरम् (udumbaram) | उदुम्बरौ (udumbarau) | उदुम्बरान् (udumbarān) |
| Instrumental | उदुम्बरेण (udumbareṇa) | उदुम्बराभ्याम् (udumbarābhyām) | उदुम्बरैः (udumbaraiḥ) |
| Dative | उदुम्बराय (udumbarāya) | उदुम्बराभ्याम् (udumbarābhyām) | उदुम्बरेभ्यः (udumbarebhyaḥ) |
| Ablative | उदुम्बरात् (udumbarāt) | उदुम्बराभ्याम् (udumbarābhyām) | उदुम्बरेभ्यः (udumbarebhyaḥ) |
| Genitive | उदुम्बरस्य (udumbarasya) | उदुम्बरयोः (udumbarayoḥ) | उदुम्बराणाम् (udumbarāṇām) |
| Locative | उदुम्बरे (udumbare) | उदुम्बरयोः (udumbarayoḥ) | उदुम्बरेषु (udumbareṣu) |