घ्रा

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ঘ্ৰা (Assamese script)
• ᬖ᭄ᬭᬵ (Balinese script)
• ঘ্রা (Bengali script)
• 𑰑𑰿𑰨𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀖𑁆𑀭𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဃြာ (Burmese script)
• ઘ્રા (Gujarati script)
• ਘ੍ਰਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌘𑍍𑌰𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦓꦿꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂐𑂹𑂩𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಘ್ರಾ (Kannada script)
• ឃ្រា (Khmer script)
• ຆ຺ຣາ (Lao script)
• ഘ്രാ (Malayalam script)
• ᢚᡵᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘑𑘿𑘨𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠺᠾᠷᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦱𑧠𑧈𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐑𑑂𑐬𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଘ୍ରା (Odia script)
• ꢕ꣄ꢬꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆔𑇀𑆫𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖑𑖿𑖨𑖯 (Siddham script)
• ඝ්‍රා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩟 𑪙𑩼𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚍𑚶𑚤𑚭 (Takri script)
• க்⁴ரா (Tamil script)
• ఘ్రా (Telugu script)
• ฆฺรา (Thai script)
• གྷྲཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒒𑓂𑒩𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨎𑩇𑨫𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Of uncertain origin.

Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *gʰʷreh₂, whence Ancient Greek ὀσφραινομαι (osphrainomai, “I smell, perceive”) (compare Greek όσφρηση (ósfrisi, “(sense of) smell”); however, this is controversial.

Alternatively, Seebold compares the root to Old English brǣþ (“smell; steam”), whence English breath.

Another theory compares the root to Latin frōns (“brow, front”); noses are frontal organs responsible for smelling and breathing.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɡʱɾɑː/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ɡʱɾɑː/

Root

घ्रा • (ghrā)

1. to smell, perceive odor
2. to perceive
3. to snuffle at
4. to kill

Derived terms

• अघ्रात् (aghrāt)
• अघ्रासाताम् (aghrāsātām)
• अघ्रासीत् (aghrāsīt)
• अजिघ्रपत् (ajighrapat)
• घ्राति (ghrāti)
• घ्रापयति (ghrāpayati)
• घ्रायात् (ghrāyāt)
• जिघ्रति (jighrati)
• जिघ्रित्वा (jighritvā)
• जेघ्रीयते (jeghrīyate)

 

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “घ्रा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 379/3.
• William Dwight Whitney, 1885, The Roots, Verb-forms, and Primary Derivatives of the Sanskrit Language, Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, page 043
• Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1893) “घ्रा”, in A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout, London: Oxford University Press
• Otto Böhtlingk, Richard Schmidt (1879-1928) “घ्रा”, in Walter Slaje, Jürgen Hanneder, Paul Molitor, Jörg Ritter, editors, Nachtragswörterbuch des Sanskrit [Dictionary of Sanskrit with supplements] (in German), Halle-Wittenberg: Martin-Luther-Universität, published 2016
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 520
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 364; 433