गर्दभ

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

Of unclear origin.

Perhaps a derivation from the possibly onomatopoeic root गर्द् (gard, “to cry”), with a suffix formed by analogy to the one in ऋषभ (ṛṣabha, “bull”).

An alternative theory considers the word as a Dravidian borrowing, formed as *गर्द (garda) + an Indo-European animal suffix *भ (bha) as seen in ऋषभ (ṛṣabha) above; compare Tamil கழுதை (kaḻutai), Kuvi ଗା୕ଡ଼୍ଦେ (gāṛde), Duruwa (garad). However, the formal mismatch between the Dravidian and Sanskrit forms, the Sanskrit word's Vedic status, the gratuitous attachment of a bound suffix of supposed Indo-European origin to a loaned word, and the fact that donkeys were well-known to steppe tribes (including the Indo-Iranians), casts doubt on this derivation.

Possibly related to Tocharian B kercapo (“donkey”), perhaps via a borrowing from Sanskrit to Tocharian, though further details are uncertain.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɡɐɾ.dɐ.bʱɐ́/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɐɾ.d̪ɐ.bʱɐ/

Noun

गर्दभ • (gardabhá) stem, m

1. ass, donkey

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Magadhi Prakrit: *𑀕𑀤𑁆𑀤𑀳 (*gaddaha)
  • Early Assamese: গাধৱ (gadhowo), গান্ধ (gandho)
    • Assamese: গাধ (gadho)
  • Bengali: গাধা (gadha)
  • Bhojpuri: गदहा (gadᵊhā)
  • Maithili: गदहा (gadᵊhā)
  • Odia: ଗଧ (gôdhô), ଗଧୁଣୀ (gôdhuṇi), ଗଧା (gôdha)
• Paisaci Prakrit:
  • Punjabi: ਗੱਧਾ (gaddhā)
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀕𑀤𑁆𑀤𑀳 (gaddaha)
  • Awadhi: गदहा (gadhā)
  • Hindi: गधा (gadhā), गदहा (gadhā)
  • Urdu: گدھا (gadhā)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀕𑀟𑁆𑀟𑀳 (gaḍḍaha)
  • Marathi: गाढव (gāḍhav)
• → Bengali: গর্দভ (gordobh), গর্ধভ (gordhobh) (semi-learned)
• → Telugu: గర్దభము (gardabhamu)
• →? Tocharian B: kercapo

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “गर्दभ”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 349/2.
• Apte, Macdonell (2022) “गर्दभ”, in Digital Dictionaries of South India [Combined Sanskrit Dictionaries]