कण्टक

Of uncertain origin.

Traditionally derived from कृन्तति (kṛntati, “to cut, tear”), though this has some semantic difficulties.

Less likely, related to Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰ (ắkănthă, “thorn, prickle”), and together with it borrowed from an Indo-Mediterranean substrate.

Finally, has been linked with Ancient Greek κεντέω (kentéō, “to prick, stab”).

By surface analysis, कण्ट (kaṇṭa) +‎ -क (-ka).

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kɐ́ɳ.ʈɐ.kɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈkɐɳ.ʈɐ.kɐ/

कण्टक • (káṇṭaka) stem, m or n

1. a thorn
2. anything pointed, the point of a pin or needle, a prickle, sting
3. a fishbone
4. a fingernail
5. goose pimples resulting from thrilling emotions (compare कण्टकित (kaṇṭakita))
6. unevenness, roughness (as on the surface of the tongue)
7. any troublesome, seditious person (who is, as it were, a thorn to the state and an enemy of order and good government), a paltry foe, enemy in general (compare क्षुद्र-शत्रु (kṣudra-śatru))
8. a sharp stinging pain, symptom of disease
9. a vexing or injurious speech
10. any annoyance or source of vexation; obstacle, impediment
11. the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth lunar mansions
12. a term in the न्याय (nyāya) philosophy implying refutation of argument, detection of error
13. a bamboo
14. workshop, manufactory
15. boundary of a village
16. fault, defect
17. name of मकर (makara) (or the marine monster, the symbol of काम-देव (kāma-deva))
18. name of the horse of शाक्य-मुनि (śākya-muni)
19. name of an अग्रहार (agrahāra)
20. name of a barber

• Assamese: কাঁইট (kãit), কঁটা (kõta), কাঁটা (kãta)
• Bengali: কাঁটা (kãṭa)
• Chakma: 𑄇𑄘 (kādā)
• Hindustani
  • Hindi: काँटा (kā̃ṭā)
  • Urdu: کانٹا (kā̃ṭā)
• Sylheti: ꠇꠣꠐꠣ (xaṭa)

• Monier Williams (1899) “कण्टक”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 245/2.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 292