Sanskrit

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Presumedly from Proto-Indo-Aryan *Hr̥bʰúṣ, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hr̥bʰúš, but of uncertain origin:

  • Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos (servant, worker; orphan), the same source of Proto-Germanic *arbaidiz (toil, labor, work) and Proto-Slavic *orbota (work). (See अर्भ (arbha).)
  • Perhaps a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰós (white). Compare Proto-Germanic *albiz (elf) (whence English elf). This supposedly points to the original mythical sense in which elves or craftsmen gods were luminous heavenly workers,[1] thus given the name “white one”, later interpreted in Sanskrit as “skilled one”. The connection with the Germanic mytheme of elves is further said to be supported by cognate poetic formulas, such as “chariot made by craftsmen” as an allegory of the sun; cf. Old Norse Alfrǫðull (sun, literally elf-wheel).[2] The root *h₂elbʰ- (white) is otherwise absent from Indo-Iranian.
  • Alternatively non-Indo-European, such as from a pre-Indo-Aryan substrate language; however, this is highly improbable due to the presence of a syllabic consonant ऋ in the word, a characteristic of Indo-European words.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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ऋभु (ṛbhú) stem

  1. skillful, expert, master

Noun

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ऋभु (ṛbhú) stemm

  1. artisan, metalworker, craftsman
  2. (Hinduism) a class of craftsmen gods

Declension

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Masculine u-stem declension of ऋभु (ṛbhú)
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative ऋभुः
ṛbhúḥ
ऋभू
ṛbhū́
ऋभवः
ṛbhávaḥ
Vocative ऋभो
ṛ́bho
ऋभू
ṛ́bhū
ऋभवः
ṛ́bhavaḥ
Accusative ऋभुम्
ṛbhúm
ऋभू
ṛbhū́
ऋभून्
ṛbhū́n
Instrumental ऋभुणा / ऋभ्वा¹
ṛbhúṇā / ṛbhvā́¹
ऋभुभ्याम्
ṛbhúbhyām
ऋभुभिः
ṛbhúbhiḥ
Dative ऋभवे / ऋभ्वे¹
ṛbháve / ṛbhvé¹
ऋभुभ्याम्
ṛbhúbhyām
ऋभुभ्यः
ṛbhúbhyaḥ
Ablative ऋभोः / ऋभ्वः¹
ṛbhóḥ / ṛbhváḥ¹
ऋभुभ्याम्
ṛbhúbhyām
ऋभुभ्यः
ṛbhúbhyaḥ
Genitive ऋभोः / ऋभ्वः¹
ṛbhóḥ / ṛbhváḥ¹
ऋभ्वोः
ṛbhvóḥ
ऋभूणाम्
ṛbhūṇā́m
Locative ऋभौ
ṛbhaú
ऋभ्वोः
ṛbhvóḥ
ऋभुषु
ṛbhúṣu
Notes
  • ¹Vedic

References

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  1. ^ Calin, Didier (2017) ““elf” (elves = heavenly smiths)”, in Dictionary of Indo-European Poetic and Religious Themes (Linguistique; 3), Les Cent Chemins, →ISBN, page 78:PIE *álbʰo-/-u-, G. *l̥bʰéus
  2. ^ Calin, Didier (2017) “chariot of the elves/heavenly smiths”, in Dictionary of Indo-European Poetic and Religious Themes (Linguistique; 3), Les Cent Chemins, →ISBN, page 49