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-ना. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ना, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ना in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ना you have here. The definition of the word
-ना will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-ना, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Hindi
Pronunciation
- (Delhi Hindi) IPA(key): /nɑː/,
Etymology 1
Inherited from Prakrit -𑀅𑀡 (-aṇa) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-), from Sanskrit -अन (-ana), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *-anam, from Proto-Indo-European *-onom, from *-o- (thematic vowel) + *-nom (verbal noun suffix). Doublet of -अन (-an). Cognate with German -en (“infinitive ending”).
Suffix
-ना • (-nā)
- (as an inflection)
- used to form the infinitive
- कर (kar, “do (stem)”) + -ना (-nā) → करना (karnā, “to do”)
- forms neutral imperatives when used without a verb
- forms verbs from nouns or adjectives
- छेद (ched, “hole”) + -ना (-nā) → छेदना (chednā, “to bore, dig a hole”)
- ललकार (lalkār, “challenge”) + -ना (-nā) → ललकारना (lalkārnā, “to challenge”)
- महक (mahak, “fragrant”) + -ना (-nā) → महकना (mahaknā, “to be fragrant”)
Usage notes
Almost all Perso-Arabic and learned Sanskrit tatsama borrowings are nominal. Most of these nominals are verbalized as compound verbs with some base verb, usually करना (karnā), as in साफ़ करना (sāf karnā, “to clean”). A smaller number of verbs are formed directly from the noun with suffixes like -आना (-ānā) and this one.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Old Hindi -ना (-nā), from Prakrit -𑀅𑀡𑀻𑀬 (-aṇīya), from Sanskrit -अनीय (-anīya), whence also the substantive -नी (-nī) ending. The reduction in the participle/adjective would come from taking the form with -nī as a feminine and analogizing the masculine -nā, likely with influence from the infinitive -nā (for which see Etymology 1).
Suffix
-ना • (-nā)
- forms gerundive participles, meaning that which should, can, or will be done; with a subject in the dative, expresses obligation
Usage notes
This suffix is typically still called the "infinitive" or "infinitive participle".
Declension
Declension of -ना (ā-stem participle)
References
- McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “-ना”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
- Jaroslav Strnad (2013) Morphology and Syntax of Old Hindī : Edition and Analysis of One Hundred Kabīr Vānī Poems From Rājasthān (Brill's Indological Library; 45), Leiden, →OCLC, page 451
Kurukh
Etymology
Borrowed from Indo-Aryan.
Suffix
-ना (-nā)
- used to form the infinitive
- forms verbs from nouns or adjectives
- (pińj, “name”) + -ना (-nā) → (pińjnā, “to name”)
Sanskrit
Suffix
-ना • (-nā)
- nominative singular feminine of -न (-na)
- (Vedic) # instrumental singular feminine of -न (-na)