बहु

See also: बहू, बांह, बाहु, बाँह, and बिहा

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• bahu (Latin script)
• 𑀩𑀳𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• বহু (Bengali script)
• බහු (Sinhalese script)
• ဗဟု or ၿႁု (Burmese script)
• พหุ or พะหุ (Thai script)
• ᨻᩉᩩ (Tai Tham script)
• ພຫຸ or ພະຫຸ (Lao script)
• ពហុ (Khmer script)
• 𑄝𑄦𑄪 (Chakma script)

Adjective

बहु

1. Devanagari script form of bahu

Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *baźʰúṣ, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰaȷ́ʰúš, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰn̥ǵʰús (“thick”), from *bʰenǵʰ- (“thick”). Cognate with Ancient Greek παχύς (pakhús, “thick, large”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /bɐ.ɦú/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈbɐ.ɦu/

Adjective

बहु • (bahú) stem

1. much, many, frequent, abundant, numerous, great or considerable in quantity
2. abounding or rich in (+ instrumental)
3. large, great, mighty

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of बहु (bahú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	बहुः bahúḥ	बहू bahū́	बहवः bahávaḥ
Vocative	बहो báho	बहू báhū	बहवः báhavaḥ
Accusative	बहुम् bahúm	बहू bahū́	बहून् bahū́n
Instrumental	बहुना / बह्वा¹ bahúnā / bahvā́¹	बहुभ्याम् bahúbhyām	बहुभिः bahúbhiḥ
Dative	बहवे / बह्वे¹ baháve / bahvè¹	बहुभ्याम् bahúbhyām	बहुभ्यः bahúbhyaḥ
Ablative	बहोः / बह्वः¹ bahóḥ / bahvàḥ¹	बहुभ्याम् bahúbhyām	बहुभ्यः bahúbhyaḥ
Genitive	बहोः / बह्वः¹ bahóḥ / bahvàḥ¹	बह्वोः bahvóḥ	बहूनाम् bahūnā́m
Locative	बहौ bahaú	बह्वोः bahvóḥ	बहुषु bahúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of बह्वी (bahvī́)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	बह्वी bahvī́	बह्व्यौ / बह्वी¹ bahvyaù / bahvī́¹	बह्व्यः / बह्वीः¹ bahvyàḥ / bahvī́ḥ¹
Vocative	बह्वि báhvi	बह्व्यौ / बह्वी¹ báhvyau / báhvī¹	बह्व्यः / बह्वीः¹ báhvyaḥ / báhvīḥ¹
Accusative	बह्वीम् bahvī́m	बह्व्यौ / बह्वी¹ bahvyaù / bahvī́¹	बह्वीः bahvī́ḥ
Instrumental	बह्व्या bahvyā́	बह्वीभ्याम् bahvī́bhyām	बह्वीभिः bahvī́bhiḥ
Dative	बह्व्यै bahvyaí	बह्वीभ्याम् bahvī́bhyām	बह्वीभ्यः bahvī́bhyaḥ
Ablative	बह्व्याः / बह्व्यै² bahvyā́ḥ / bahvyaí²	बह्वीभ्याम् bahvī́bhyām	बह्वीभ्यः bahvī́bhyaḥ
Genitive	बह्व्याः / बह्व्यै² bahvyā́ḥ / bahvyaí²	बह्व्योः bahvyóḥ	बह्वीनाम् bahvī́nām
Locative	बह्व्याम् bahvyā́m	बह्व्योः bahvyóḥ	बह्वीषु bahvī́ṣu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter u-stem declension of बहु (bahú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	बहु bahú	बहुनी bahúnī	बहूनि / बहु¹ / बहू¹ bahū́ni / bahú¹ / bahū́¹
Vocative	बहु / बहो báhu / báho	बहुनी báhunī	बहूनि / बहु¹ / बहू¹ báhūni / báhu¹ / báhū¹
Accusative	बहु bahú	बहुनी bahúnī	बहूनि / बहु¹ / बहू¹ bahū́ni / bahú¹ / bahū́¹
Instrumental	बहुना / बह्वा¹ bahúnā / bahvā́¹	बहुभ्याम् bahúbhyām	बहुभिः bahúbhiḥ
Dative	बहुने / बहवे¹ / बह्वे¹ bahúne / baháve¹ / bahvè¹	बहुभ्याम् bahúbhyām	बहुभ्यः bahúbhyaḥ
Ablative	बहुनः / बहोः¹ / बह्वः¹ bahúnaḥ / bahóḥ¹ / bahvàḥ¹	बहुभ्याम् bahúbhyām	बहुभ्यः bahúbhyaḥ
Genitive	बहुनः / बहोः¹ / बह्वः¹ bahúnaḥ / bahóḥ¹ / bahvàḥ¹	बहुनोः bahúnoḥ	बहूनाम् bahūnā́m
Locative	बहुनि / बहौ¹ bahúni / bahaú¹	बहुनोः bahúnoḥ	बहुषु bahúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Derived terms

• बहुत्व (bahutva)
• बहुव्रीहि (bahúvrīhi)

Descendants

• → Gujarati: બહુ (bahu)
• → Bengali: বহু (bohu)
• → Malayalam: ബഹു (bahu)
• → Old Javanese: bahu
  • Javanese: ꦧꦲꦸ (bahu)
  • → Balinese: ᬩᬳᬸ (bahu)
  • → Indonesian: bau (learned)
• Pali: bahu
• Kalasha: bo
• ⇒ Tamil: பகு (paku), வெகு (veku)

Adverb

बहु • (bahú)

1. much, very, very much, abundantly, greatly, in a high degree
2. frequently, often

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “बहु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 724.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 220-221