चनिष्ठ

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕɐ́.niʂ.ʈʰɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕɐˈn̪iʂ.ʈʰɐ/

चनिष्ठ • (caniṣṭha) (root कन्)

1. superlative degree of चनस् (canas)
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 5.77.4 :

     यो भूयि॑ष्ठं॒ नास॑त्याभ्यां वि॒वेष॒ चनि॑ष्ठं पि॒त्वो रर॑ते विभा॒गे । स तो॒कम॑स्य पीपर॒च्छमी॑भि॒रनू॑र्ध्वभास॒: सद॒मित्तु॑तुर्यात् ॥

     yó bhū́yiṣṭhaṃ nā́satyābhyāṃ vivéṣa cániṣṭhaṃ pitvó rárate vibhāgé. sá tokámasya pīparacchámībhiránūrdhvabhāsa: sádamíttuturyāt.

     He who, in the appointment (of the offerings), presents to the Nāsatyas the most ample (share) of (the sacrificial) food, who gives (them) the largest portion of the viands, secures, by his acts, the welfare of his son, and ever has the advantage of those who light no sacred fires.

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 8.74.8 :

     सा ते॑ अग्ने॒ शंत॑मा॒ चनि॑ष्ठा भवतु प्रि॒या । तया॑ वर्धस्व॒ सुष्टु॑तः ॥

     sā́ te agne śáṃtamā cániṣṭhā bhavatu priyā́. táyā vardhasva súṣṭutaḥ.

     Agni, may it be dear to you, most plural asant and most agreeable-- well praised by it, to you wax great.

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.9.2 :

     प्रप्र॒ क्षया॑य॒ पन्य॑से॒ जना॑य॒ जुष्टो॑ अ॒द्रुहे॑ । वी॒त्य॑र्ष॒ चनि॑ष्ठया ॥

     prápra kṣáyāya pányase jánāya júṣṭo adrúhe. vītyàrṣa cániṣṭhayā.

     Go forth in a most abundant stream, ample for his sustenance, to the guileless man, your own, who praises you.

Monier Williams (1899) “चनिष्ठ”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 386/2.