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मुक्ता. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
मुक्ता, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
मुक्ता in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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Sanskrit
Etymology
Traditionally derived from मुच् (√muc, “to loosen, let loose, free” (verb मुञ्चति (muñcáti))) + -त (-ta, “-ed”), as pearl collectors would "loosen" pearls from the shells of clams.
However, Mayrhofer considers the above to be folk etymology, and prefers to derive the word from an unattested intermediate *मुत्ता (muttā) (whence Pali muttā (“pearl”)), which was hyper-corrected in order to match the folk etymology.
In light of the intermediate form, more likely from मूर्ता (mūrtā, “trickled, spread-over, congealed”), the past participle of मूर्छ् (mūrch), or, along with corresponding Dravidian words (compare Tamil முத்து (muttu)), borrowed from some other source language.
Pronunciation
Noun
मुक्ता • (muktā) stem, f
- pearl
- unchaste woman
- species of plant
Synonyms
Descendants
References
- Monier Williams (1899) “मुक्ता”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 820/3.
- Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 408
- Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 647-648