-अन

Hindi

Alternative forms

• -अण (-aṇ) — in the vicinity of र (ra) and ष (ṣa)

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /ən/, [ɐ̃n]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Sanskrit -अन (-ana), from Proto-Indo-European *-onom (verbal noun suffix). Doublet of -ना (-nā).

Suffix

-अन • (-an)

1. forms Sanskritic nouns of either gender indicating agent nouns, abstract nouns, tool or means, or location

   ‎पराग (parāg, “pollen”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎परागण (parāgaṇ, “pollination”)

   ‎बरतना (baratnā, “to make use of”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎बर्तन (bartan, “pot, vessel”)

   ‎ऐंठना (a͠iṭhnā, “to be twisted”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎ऐंठन (a͠iṭhan, “a twist, tension”)

Declension

Declension of -अन (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	-अन -an	-अन -an
oblique	-अन -an	-अनों -anõ
vocative	-अन -an	-अनो -ano

Declension of -अन (fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	-अन -an	-अनें -anẽ
oblique	-अन -an	-अनों -anõ
vocative	-अन -an	-अनो -ano

Derived terms

Hindi terms suffixed with -अन

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian ـًا (-an), from Arabic ـًا (-an, triptotic indefinite accusative ending).

Suffix

-अन • (-an)

1. forms adverbs from Perso-Arabic terms

   ‎ऐहतियात (aihtiyāt, “precaution”) + ‎-अन (-an) → ‎ऐहतियातन (aihtiyātan, “precautionarily”)

Derived terms

Hindi terms suffixed with -अन (adverbial)

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

• -अण (-aṇa) — in the vicinity of र (ra) and ष (ṣa)

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• -অন (Assamese script)
• -ᬅᬦ (Balinese script)
• -অন (Bengali script)
• -𑰀𑰡 (Bhaiksuki script)
• -𑀅𑀦 (Brahmi script)
• -အန (Burmese script)
• -અન (Gujarati script)
• -ਅਨ (Gurmukhi script)
• -𑌅𑌨 (Grantha script)
• -ꦄꦤ (Javanese script)
• -𑂃𑂢 (Kaithi script)
• -ಅನ (Kannada script)
• -អន (Khmer script)
• -ອນ (Lao script)
• -അന (Malayalam script)
• ᠊ᠠᠨᠠ (Manchu script)
• -𑘀𑘡 (Modi script)
• ᠊ᠠᠨᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• -𑦠𑧁 (Nandinagari script)
• -𑐀𑐣 (Newa script)
• -ଅନ (Odia script)
• -ꢂꢥ (Saurashtra script)
• -𑆃𑆤 (Sharada script)
• -𑖀𑖡 (Siddham script)
• -අන (Sinhalese script)
• -𑩐𑩯 (Soyombo script)
• -𑚀𑚝 (Takri script)
• -அந (Tamil script)
• -అన (Telugu script)
• -อน (Thai script)
• -ཨ་ན (Tibetan script)
• -𑒁𑒢 (Tirhuta script)
• -𑨀𑨝 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-onom, from *-o- (thematic vowel) + *-nom (verbal noun suffix). Cognate with Proto-Germanic *-aną.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɐ.nɐ/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɐ.n̪ɐ/

Suffix

-अन • (-ana) n or m

2. forms masculine agent nouns

   ‎सम् + गम् (sam + gam, “to gather”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎संगमन (saṃgamana, “gatherer”)

   ‎दृप् (dṛp, “to become/make proud”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎दर्पण (darpaṇa, “mirror < proud-maker”)

4. forms neuter nouns denoting
   1. verbal abstracta

      ‎कृ (kṛ, “to do, make”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎करण (karaṇa, “(act of) doing”)

      ‎मृ (mṛ, “to die”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎मरण (maraṇa, “death”)

   3. tool or means

      ‎ईक्ष् (īkṣ, “to observe”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎ईक्षण (īkṣaṇa, “eye”)

      ‎वस् (vas, “to dress”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎वसन (vasana, “garment”)

      ‎स्कम्भ् (skambh, “to support”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎स्कम्भन (skambhana, “pillar”)

   5. location

      ‎स्था (sthā, “to stand”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎स्थान (sthāna, “place”)

      ‎यज् (yaj, “to sacrifice”) + ‎-अन (-ana) → ‎यजन (yajana, “sacrificial site”)

Usage notes

The vowel of the root generally takes the गुण (guṇa) degree, but sometimes takes the वृद्धि (vṛddhi) degree.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of -अन (-ana)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-अनः -anaḥ	-अनौ / -अना¹ -anau / -anā¹	-अनाः / -अनासः¹ -anāḥ / -anāsaḥ¹
Vocative	-अन -ana	-अनौ / -अना¹ -anau / -anā¹	-अनाः / -अनासः¹ -anāḥ / -anāsaḥ¹
Accusative	-अनम् -anam	-अनौ / -अना¹ -anau / -anā¹	-अनान् -anān
Instrumental	-अनेन -anena	-अनाभ्याम् -anābhyām	-अनैः / -अनेभिः¹ -anaiḥ / -anebhiḥ¹
Dative	-अनाय -anāya	-अनाभ्याम् -anābhyām	-अनेभ्यः -anebhyaḥ
Ablative	-अनात् -anāt	-अनाभ्याम् -anābhyām	-अनेभ्यः -anebhyaḥ
Genitive	-अनस्य -anasya	-अनयोः -anayoḥ	-अनानाम् -anānām
Locative	-अने -ane	-अनयोः -anayoḥ	-अनेषु -aneṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of -अन (-ana)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-अनम् -anam	-अने -ane	-अनानि / -अना¹ -anāni / -anā¹
Vocative	-अन -ana	-अने -ane	-अनानि / -अना¹ -anāni / -anā¹
Accusative	-अनम् -anam	-अने -ane	-अनानि / -अना¹ -anāni / -anā¹
Instrumental	-अनेन -anena	-अनाभ्याम् -anābhyām	-अनैः / -अनेभिः¹ -anaiḥ / -anebhiḥ¹
Dative	-अनाय -anāya	-अनाभ्याम् -anābhyām	-अनेभ्यः -anebhyaḥ
Ablative	-अनात् -anāt	-अनाभ्याम् -anābhyām	-अनेभ्यः -anebhyaḥ
Genitive	-अनस्य -anasya	-अनयोः -anayoḥ	-अनानाम् -anānām
Locative	-अने -ane	-अनयोः -anayoḥ	-अनेषु -aneṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Derived terms

Sanskrit terms suffixed with -अन

Descendants

• Prakrit: -𑀅𑀡 (-aṇa)
  • Bengali: -না (-na), -অনা (-ona)
  • Hindi: -ना (-nā)

Further reading

• Wackernagel, Jakob (1896-1964) Altindische Grammatik [Grammar of Ancient Indian] (Indogermanische Bibliothek. 2. Reihe: Wörterbücher)‎^[1] (in German), volume II.2, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, pages 180-206