Pali

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Alternative forms

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Noun

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गोधा f

  1. Devanagari script form of godhā (monitor lizard)

Declension

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Prakrit

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Noun

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गोधा (godhā)

  1. Devanagari script form of 𑀕𑁄𑀥𑀸 (monitor lizard)

Sanskrit

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Traditionally explained as गो (go, ox; cattle) + धा (dhā), from धयति (dhayati, to suck), literally "cow-sucker", which is likely based on either folk etymology[1] or folk belief about milk-sucking reptile or amphibian common to some Indo-European cultures.[2] Possibly comparable with Old Armenian կովադիաց (kovadiacʻ, lizard), Northern Kurdish bizinmij (monitor lizard, literally goat sucker), and even Latin būfō (toad).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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गोधा (godhā́) stemf

  1. a kind of monitor lizard or other big lizard
    • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda 4.3.6:
      मूर्णा॒ मृग॒स्य द॒न्ता अ॒पिशीर्णा उ पृष्ट॒यः ।
      निम्रु॒क् ते गोधा॒ भवतु नीचा॒यच् छशयु॒र् मृगः॒ ॥
      mū́rṇā mṛ́gasyá dantā́ apíśī́rṇā́ ú pṛṣṭayáḥ.
      nímruk té gódhā bhávátú nī́cāyác cháśáyur mṛ́gaḥ.
      Ruined (are) the teeth of the beast; crushed in also (its) ribs;
      Disappearing be for thee the godhā́ (monitor lizard); downward go the lurking(?) beast.
  2. sinew, chord
  3. a leather strap worn around the left arm to prevent injury from a bowstring

Declension

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Feminine ā-stem declension of गोधा (godhā́)
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative गोधा
godhā́
गोधे
godhé
गोधाः
godhā́ḥ
Vocative गोधे
gódhe
गोधे
gódhe
गोधाः
gódhāḥ
Accusative गोधाम्
godhā́m
गोधे
godhé
गोधाः
godhā́ḥ
Instrumental गोधया / गोधा¹
godháyā / godhā́¹
गोधाभ्याम्
godhā́bhyām
गोधाभिः
godhā́bhiḥ
Dative गोधायै
godhā́yai
गोधाभ्याम्
godhā́bhyām
गोधाभ्यः
godhā́bhyaḥ
Ablative गोधायाः / गोधायै²
godhā́yāḥ / godhā́yai²
गोधाभ्याम्
godhā́bhyām
गोधाभ्यः
godhā́bhyaḥ
Genitive गोधायाः / गोधायै²
godhā́yāḥ / godhā́yai²
गोधयोः
godháyoḥ
गोधानाम्
godhā́nām
Locative गोधायाम्
godhā́yām
गोधयोः
godháyoḥ
गोधासु
godhā́su
Notes
  • ¹Vedic
  • ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

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References

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  1. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) “godhā́-¹”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎[1] (in German), volume I, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 498
  2. ^ Ermacora, Davide (2017) “The comparative milk-suckling reptile”, in Anthropozoologica, volume 52, number 1, →DOI, pages 59–81