यन्त्र

Sanskrit

From Proto-Indo-European *yem-tró-m (“instrument of restraining”), from *yem- (“to hold, to restrain”). See also the root यम् (yam).^[1]

यन्त्र • (yantrá) stem, n

any instrument for holding or restraining or fastening, a prop, support, barrier; a fetter, band, tie, thong, rein
- c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.149.1:
  सविता यन्त्रैः पृथिवीमरम्णादस्कम्भने सविता द्यामदृंहत् ।
  savitā yantraiḥ pṛthivīmaramṇādaskambhane savitā dyāmadṛṃhat.
  Savitar fixed the earth with fetters to bind it, and made heaven stedfast where no prop supported.
a surgical instrument (especially a blunt one, such as tweezers)
any instrument or apparatus, mechanical contrivance, engine, machine, implement, appliance (as a bolt or lock on a door, oars or sails in a boat. etc.)
restraint, force
an amulet, mystical diagram supposed to possess occult powers
(modern) a machine

Neuter a-stem declension of यन्त्र (yantrá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	यन्त्रम् yantrám	यन्त्रे yantré	यन्त्राणि / यन्त्रा¹ yantrā́ṇi / yantrā́¹
Vocative	यन्त्र yántra	यन्त्रे yántre	यन्त्राणि / यन्त्रा¹ yántrāṇi / yántrā¹
Accusative	यन्त्रम् yantrám	यन्त्रे yantré	यन्त्राणि / यन्त्रा¹ yantrā́ṇi / yantrā́¹
Instrumental	यन्त्रेण yantréṇa	यन्त्राभ्याम् yantrā́bhyām	यन्त्रैः / यन्त्रेभिः¹ yantraíḥ / yantrébhiḥ¹
Dative	यन्त्राय yantrā́ya	यन्त्राभ्याम् yantrā́bhyām	यन्त्रेभ्यः yantrébhyaḥ
Ablative	यन्त्रात् yantrā́t	यन्त्राभ्याम् yantrā́bhyām	यन्त्रेभ्यः yantrébhyaḥ
Genitive	यन्त्रस्य yantrásya	यन्त्रयोः yantráyoḥ	यन्त्राणाम् yantrā́ṇām
Locative	यन्त्रे yantré	यन्त्रयोः yantráyoḥ	यन्त्रेषु yantréṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Ashokan Prakrit:
- Dardic
  - Chitrali
    - Kashmiri: यन्द्र् (yandr)
  - Eastern Dardic
    - Kalasha: žontr
    - Phalura: yáandr
    - Torwali: ژان (žān)
- Prakrit: 𑀚𑀁𑀢 (jaṃta)
  - Avahattha:
    - Bengali: যাতা (jata)
    - Bihari
      - Bhojpuri: 𑂔𑂰𑂀𑂞𑂰 (jā̃tā)
      - Magahi: 𑂔𑂰𑂀𑂞𑂰 (jā̃tā)
    - Early Assamese: জান্ত (janto), জান্ত্ (jant), জান্তি (janti)
      - Assamese: যাঁত (zãt), যাঁতি (zãti)
  - Gurjara Apabhramsa:
    - Romani: ǰándir, ǰándri
  - Kasmiri Apabhramsa:
    - Nepali: जाँतो (jā̃to)
  - Sauraseni Apabhramsa:
    - Hindi: जाँत (jā̃t)
  - Vracada Apabhramsa:
    - Sindhi: jaṇḍu
      Devanagari script: जंडु
      Arabic script: جَنڊُ
Pali: yanta
- → Khmer: យន្ត (yŭən), យ័ន្ត (yŭən), យន្ត្រ (yŭən)
- → Thai: ยนต์ (yon)

Borrowings

^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1976) “yantrám”, in Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎ (in German), volume III, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 7