फल्गु

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /pʰɐl.ɡú/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈpʰɐl̪.ɡu/

Unknown, several possibilities are proposed. The original meaning appears to be "red".

• Connections with स्फुलिङ्ग (sphuliṅga, “spark”) and स्फुल् (sphul, “to throb”) are phonetically dubious.
• Derived from Proto-Indo-European *(s)bʰel- (“to burst”) (with a -g- extention), possibly alongside फल (phala, “fruit”) and स्फुट् (sphuṭ, “burst”) (see there for more).
• Derived from Munda, whence Santali (po̠dgo̠e, “reddish”) and probably पाटल (pāṭala, “pale red”).
• Of uncertain relation to Classical Syriac ܦܓܐ (phagga, “fig”) and Latin fīcus.

फल्गु • (phalgú) stem

1. reddish, red

फल्गु • (phalgú) stem, f

1. fig, Ficus Oppositifolia
2. a red powder (usually of the root of wild ginger, coloured with sapan wood and thrown over one another by the Hindus at the Holi festival)
   1. (by extension) the spring season

      Synonym: वसन्त (vasanta)

• फल्गुन (phalguna)
• फाल्गुन (phālguna)

• Dardic:
  • ⇒ Phalura: phaág
  • Kashmiri: پھوگ (phōg)
• Pali: phaggu
• Prakrit: 𑀨𑀕𑁆𑀕𑀼 (phaggu, “spring festival”)
  • Hindi: फाग (phāg), फाक (phāk), फगुआ (phaguā)
  • Marathi: फाग (phāg)
  • Gujarati: ફાગ (phāg)

Borrowed from Munda, whence Santali (pe̠ḍgo̠, “weak”). This also explains the -e- in some descendants.

फल्गु • (phalgú) stem

1. small, feeble, weak, unsubstantial, insignificant, worthless, unprofitable, useless

Same as above.

• Prakrit: 𑀨𑀕𑁆𑀕𑀼 (phaggu), 𑀧𑀭𑀺𑀨𑀕𑁆𑀕𑀼 (pariphaggu, “worthless”)
• Pali: pheggu, phaggu, phegguka

• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎ (in German), Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 395
• Monier Williams (1899) “फल्गु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 718.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “phalgu”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 509