धारा

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit धारा (dhā́rā).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /d̪ʱɑː.ɾɑː/, [d̪ʱäː.ɾäː]

Noun

धारा • (dhārā) f

1. stream, current, flow

   Synonym: प्रवाह (pravāh)

   विद्युत धारा ― vidyut dhārā ― electrical current

2. waterfall

   धारा में नहाने में बहुत मज़ा आता है।

   dhārā mẽ nahāne mẽ bahut mazā ātā hai.

   It is very fun to bathe in a waterfall.

3. (law) section

Declension

Declension of धारा (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	धारा dhārā	धाराएँ dhārāẽ
oblique	धारा dhārā	धाराओं dhārāõ
vocative	धारा dhārā	धाराओ dhārāo

Derived terms

• उपधारा (updhārā)
• धाराप्रवाह (dhārāpravāh)
• धाराप्रवाही (dhārāpravāhī)
• धारायंत्र (dhārāyantra)
• धारावाहिक (dhārāvāhik)
• धारावाहिकता (dhārāvāhiktā)
• धारावाही (dhārāvāhī)
• धारासार (dhārāsār)

 

References

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

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• dhārā (Latin script)
• 𑀥𑀸𑀭𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ধারা (Bengali script)
• ධාරා (Sinhalese script)
• ဓာရာ or ꩪႃရႃ (Burmese script)
• ธารา (Thai script)
• ᨵᩤᩁᩣ (Tai Tham script)
• ຘາຣາ (Lao script)
• ធារា (Khmer script)
• 𑄙𑄂𑄢𑄂 (Chakma script)

Noun

धारा f

1. Devanagari script form of dhārā (“torrent”)
2. Devanagari script form of dhārā (“edge of a weapon”)

Declension

Declension table of "धारा" (feminine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	धारा (dhārā)	धारायो (dhārāyo) or धारा (dhārā)
Accusative (second)	धारं (dhāraṃ)	धारायो (dhārāyo) or धारा (dhārā)
Instrumental (third)	धाराय (dhārāya)	धाराहि (dhārāhi) or धाराभि (dhārābhi)
Dative (fourth)	धाराय (dhārāya)	धारानं (dhārānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	धाराय (dhārāya)	धाराहि (dhārāhi) or धाराभि (dhārābhi)
Genitive (sixth)	धाराय (dhārāya)	धारानं (dhārānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	धाराय (dhārāya) or धारायं (dhārāyaṃ)	धारासु (dhārāsu)
Vocative (calling)	धारे (dhāre)	धारायो (dhārāyo) or धारा (dhārā)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ধাৰা (Assamese script)
• ᬥᬵᬭᬵ (Balinese script)
• ধারা (Bengali script)
• 𑰠𑰯𑰨𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀥𑀸𑀭𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဓာရာ (Burmese script)
• ધારા (Gujarati script)
• ਧਾਰਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌧𑌾𑌰𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦣꦴꦫꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂡𑂰𑂩𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಧಾರಾ (Kannada script)
• ធារា (Khmer script)
• ຘາຣາ (Lao script)
• ധാരാ (Malayalam script)
• ᢡᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᡵᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘠𑘰𑘨𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᢑᠾᠠᢗᠷᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧀𑧑𑧈𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐢𑐵𑐬𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଧାରା (Odia script)
• ꢤꢵꢬꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆣𑆳𑆫𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖠𑖯𑖨𑖯 (Siddham script)
• ධාරා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩮𑩛𑩼𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚜𑚭𑚤𑚭 (Takri script)
• த⁴ாரா (Tamil script)
• ధారా (Telugu script)
• ธารา (Thai script)
• དྷཱ་རཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒡𑒰𑒩𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨜𑨊𑨫𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /dʱɑ́ː.ɾɑː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ʱɑː.ɾɑː/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *dʰā́raH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *dʰā́raH, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰórh₃-eh₂, from *dʰerh₃- (“to leap, spring”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬛𐬁𐬭𐬁 (dārā), Old English daru (whence English dere). Compare also English dart, ultimately from Frankish *darōþu.

An alternative theory espoused by Lubotsky and Mayrhofer derives the word from Proto-Indo-European *dʰṇh₂-reh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- (“to set in motion, flow”) and thus cognate to धन् (dhan, “to move, run”).

Possibly related to Persian درد (dord, “dregs”).

Noun

धारा • (dhā́rā) stem, f

1. stream or current of water
2. flood, gush, jet, drop (of any liquid), shower, rain (also figuratively of arrows, flowers, etc.)
3. current, torrent
4. a leak or hole in a pitcher etc.
5. the pace of horse
6. uniformity, sameness (as of flowing water)
7. custom, usage
8. continuous line or series
9. (figuratively) family line

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of धारा (dhā́rā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	धारा dhā́rā	धारे dhā́re	धाराः dhā́rāḥ
Vocative	धारे dhā́re	धारे dhā́re	धाराः dhā́rāḥ
Accusative	धाराम् dhā́rām	धारे dhā́re	धाराः dhā́rāḥ
Instrumental	धारया / धारा¹ dhā́rayā / dhā́rā¹	धाराभ्याम् dhā́rābhyām	धाराभिः dhā́rābhiḥ
Dative	धारायै dhā́rāyai	धाराभ्याम् dhā́rābhyām	धाराभ्यः dhā́rābhyaḥ
Ablative	धारायाः / धारायै² dhā́rāyāḥ / dhā́rāyai²	धाराभ्याम् dhā́rābhyām	धाराभ्यः dhā́rābhyaḥ
Genitive	धारायाः / धारायै² dhā́rāyāḥ / dhā́rāyai²	धारयोः dhā́rayoḥ	धाराणाम् dhā́rāṇām
Locative	धारायाम् dhā́rāyām	धारयोः dhā́rayoḥ	धारासु dhā́rāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Borrowed terms

• → Hindi: धारा (dhārā)

Descendants

• Dardic:
  • Dameli: [script needed] (dār)
  • Gawar-Bati: [script needed] (dhār)
  • Grangali: [script needed] (dār)
  • Kashmiri: دار (dār)
  • Northeast Pashayi: [script needed] (dhār)
  • Northwest Pashayi: [script needed] (dhār)
  • Savi: [script needed] (dhāre)
  • Shina: [script needed] (dār)
  • Shumashti: [script needed] (dār)
  • Southeast Pashayi: [script needed] (dhār)
  • Southwest Pashayi: [script needed] (dhār)
  • Wotapuri-Katarqalai: [script needed] (dār)
• Helu Prakrit:
  • Sinhalese: දරය (daraya)
• Magadhi Prakrit: 𑀥𑀸𑀭𑀸 (dhārā)
  • Assamese: ধাৰ (dhar)
  • Bengali: ধার (dhar)
  • Bihari: धार (dhār)
    • Bhojpuri: धार (dhār)
    • Maithili: धार (dhār, “line”)
  • Odia: ଧାର (dhāra)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀥𑀸𑀭𑀸 (dhārā)
  • Konkani: धार (dhār, “sharpness”)
  • Marathi: धार (dhār)
• Pali: dhārā
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀥𑀸𑀭𑀸 (dhārā)
  • Gujarati: ધાર (dhār)
  • Kumaoni: धार (dhār)
  • Hindustani:

    Hindi: धार (dhār)

    Urdu: دهار (dhār)

  • Nepali: धार (dhār)
  • Punjabi: ਧਾਰ (dhār)

Etymology 2

Probably the same as Etymology 1, as blades were perhaps traditionally hardened and sharpened by streaming water.

Noun

धारा • (dhārā) stem, f

1. margin, sharp edge, rim, blade (esp. of a sword, knife, etc.)
   1. (figuratively) the flame (blade) of fire
2. the edge of a mountain
3. the rim of a wheel
4. the fence of hedge of a garden
5. the van of an army
6. the tip of the ear
7. highest point, summit, glory, excellence
8. night
9. turmeric

Further reading

• Hellwig, Oliver (2010-2024) “dhārā”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.