कुशल

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit कुशल (kúśala).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /kʊ.ʃəl/, [kʊ.ʃɐl]

Adjective

कुशल • (kuśal) (indeclinable)

1. skilled, experienced
2. prosperous; healthy, well; good

   Synonym: ख़ुशहाल (xuśhāl)

   मैं अमेरिका आके कुशल बन गया हूँ।

   ma͠i amerikā āke kuśal ban gayā hū̃.

   I have come to America and prospered.

Noun

कुशल • (kuśal) m or f

1. (good) health; well-being
2. fortune, luck

Declension

Declension of कुशल (masc cons-stem // fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	कुशल kuśal	कुशल, कुशलें kuśal, kuśalẽ
oblique	कुशल kuśal	कुशलों kuśalõ
vocative	कुशल kuśal	कुशलो kuśalo

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “कुशल”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 208

Nepali

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit kúśala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kusʌl]
• Phonetic Devanagari: कुसल्

Adjective

कुशल • (kuśal)

1. prosperous, healthy, well, good

Proper noun

कुशल • (kuśal) m

1. a male given name, Kushal, from Sanskrit

Declension

Declension of कुशल
	Singular
nominative	कुशल [kusʌl]
accusative	कुशललाई [kusʌlläi]
instrumental/ergative	कुशलले [kusʌlle]
dative	कुशललाई [kusʌlläi]
ablative	कुशलबाट [kusʌlloʈʌ]
genitive	कुशलको [kusʌlko]
locative	कुशलमा [kusʌlmä]
Notes: -को (-ko) becomes: -का (-kā) when followed by a plural noun. -की (-kī) when followed by a feminine noun.

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• কুশল (Assamese script)
• ᬓᬸᬰᬮ (Balinese script)
• কুশল (Bengali script)
• 𑰎𑰲𑰫𑰩 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀓𑀼𑀰𑀮 (Brahmi script)
• ကုၐလ (Burmese script)
• કુશલ (Gujarati script)
• ਕੁਸ਼ਲ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌕𑍁𑌶𑌲 (Grantha script)
• ꦏꦸꦯꦭ (Javanese script)
• 𑂍𑂳𑂬𑂪 (Kaithi script)
• ಕುಶಲ (Kannada script)
• កុឝល (Khmer script)
• ກຸຨລ (Lao script)
• കുശല (Malayalam script)
• ᡬᡠᡧᠠᠯᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘎𑘳𑘫𑘩 (Modi script)
• ᢉᠤᠱᠠᠯᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦮𑧔𑧋𑧉 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐎𑐸𑐱𑐮 (Newa script)
• କୁଶଲ (Odia script)
• ꢒꢸꢯꢭ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆑𑆶𑆯𑆬 (Sharada script)
• 𑖎𑖲𑖫𑖩 (Siddham script)
• කුශල (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩜𑩒𑩿𑩽 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚊𑚰𑚧𑚥 (Takri script)
• குஶல (Tamil script)
• కుశల (Telugu script)
• กุศล (Thai script)
• ཀུ་ཤ་ལ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒏𑒳𑒬𑒪 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨋𑨃𑨮𑨬 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Uncertain. Traditionally derived, per Tedesco, from a metathesis of a hypothetical form *सुकळ (sukaḷa), a dissimilation of सुकृत (sukṛta, “virtue, favor; well-formed”) (itself from सु- (su-, “well-, eu-”) +‎ कृत (kṛta, “done, made”)), with shift of *स् (s) > श् (ś) via influence from Magadhi dialects.

However, as Mayrhofer later notes, this is very phonetically bold to the point where he dubs the theory "sound acrobatics". Instead, he tentatively supports a different theory by Wust, which invokes a phrase from the Gṛhyasūtras, कुशली-कर् (kuśalī-kar, “to shear”, literally “to make (trim) like the plant Oxalis corniculata”), as a starting point for the word. The act of shearing hair is ritually performed twice for a Brahmin boy, and is thus a marker of welfare and virtue. The word कुशल (kuśala) is thus abstracted from the phrase, ultimately deriving from कुश (kuśá, “sacred grass”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kú.ɕɐ.lɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ku.ɕɐ.l̪ɐ/

Adjective

कुशल • (kúśala) stem

1. right, proper, suitable, good
2. well, healthy, in good condition, prosperous
3. fit for, competent, able, skilful, clever, conversant with

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of कुशल

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुशलः (kúśalaḥ)	कुशलौ (kúśalau) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुशलाः (kúśalāḥ) कुशलासः¹ (kúśalāsaḥ¹)
accusative	कुशलम् (kúśalam)	कुशलौ (kúśalau) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुशलान् (kúśalān)
instrumental	कुशलेन (kúśalena)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलैः (kúśalaiḥ) कुशलेभिः¹ (kúśalebhiḥ¹)
dative	कुशलाय (kúśalāya)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
ablative	कुशलात् (kúśalāt)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
genitive	कुशलस्य (kúśalasya)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलेषु (kúśaleṣu)
vocative	कुशल (kúśala)	कुशलौ (kúśalau) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुशलाः (kúśalāḥ) कुशलासः¹ (kúśalāsaḥ¹)

• ¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of कुशला

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुशला (kúśalā)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलाः (kúśalāḥ)
accusative	कुशलाम् (kúśalām)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलाः (kúśalāḥ)
instrumental	कुशलया (kúśalayā) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलाभिः (kúśalābhiḥ)
dative	कुशलायै (kúśalāyai)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलाभ्यः (kúśalābhyaḥ)
ablative	कुशलायाः (kúśalāyāḥ) कुशलायै² (kúśalāyai²)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलाभ्यः (kúśalābhyaḥ)
genitive	कुशलायाः (kúśalāyāḥ) कुशलायै² (kúśalāyai²)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुशलायाम् (kúśalāyām)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलासु (kúśalāsu)
vocative	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलाः (kúśalāḥ)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of कुशल

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुशलम् (kúśalam)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलानि (kúśalāni) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)
accusative	कुशलम् (kúśalam)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलानि (kúśalāni) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)
instrumental	कुशलेन (kúśalena)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलैः (kúśalaiḥ) कुशलेभिः¹ (kúśalebhiḥ¹)
dative	कुशलाय (kúśalāya)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
ablative	कुशलात् (kúśalāt)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
genitive	कुशलस्य (kúśalasya)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलेषु (kúśaleṣu)
vocative	कुशल (kúśala)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलानि (kúśalāni) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Derived terms

• कुशलेन (kuśalena)
• कौशल (kauśala)

Descendants

• Gandhari: 𐨐𐨂𐨭𐨫 (kuśala)
• → Hindi: कुशल (kuśal) (learned)
• → Indonesian: kusala (learned)
• → Nepali: कुशल (kuśal) (learned)
• Pali: kusala
• Prakrit: 𑀓𑀼𑀲𑀮 (kusala)
  • Hindi: कुसल (kusal)
• → Tocharian B: kuśal (learned)

Noun

कुशल • (kúśala) stem, n

1. welfare, well-being, prosperous condition, happiness
2. benevolence
3. virtue
4. cleverness, competence, ability
5. religious merit

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of कुशल

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुशलम् (kúśalam)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलानि (kúśalāni) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)
accusative	कुशलम् (kúśalam)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलानि (kúśalāni) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)
instrumental	कुशलेन (kúśalena)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलैः (kúśalaiḥ) कुशलेभिः¹ (kúśalebhiḥ¹)
dative	कुशलाय (kúśalāya)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
ablative	कुशलात् (kúśalāt)	कुशलाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुशलेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
genitive	कुशलस्य (kúśalasya)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुशलेषु (kúśaleṣu)
vocative	कुशल (kúśala)	कुशले (kúśale)	कुशलानि (kúśalāni) कुशला¹ (kúśalā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Descendants

• → Khmer: កុសល (kosɑl)
• Pali: kusala
• → Thai: กุศล (gù-sǒn)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899) “कुशल”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 297, column 2.