न्याय

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit न्याय (nyāya).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /njɑːj/, [njäːj]

Noun

न्याय • (nyāy) m (Urdu spelling نیائے)

1. justice, law

   Synonyms: क़ानून (qānūn), इनसाफ़ (insāf)

   न्याय न्यायी होना चाहिए। ― nyāy nyāyī honā cāhie. ― The law should be just.

2. judgement, decision (as of a court)
3. rule

   Synonym: नियम (niyam)

4. (philosophy) Nyaya

Declension

Declension of न्याय (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	न्याय nyāy	न्याय nyāy
oblique	न्याय nyāy	न्यायों nyāyõ
vocative	न्याय nyāy	न्यायो nyāyo

Derived terms

• न्यायालय (nyāyālay, “court”)
• न्यायिक (nyāyik, “judicial”)
• न्यायी (nyāyī, “just”)

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “न्याय”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 583

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ন্যায় (Assamese script)
• ᬦ᭄ᬬᬵᬬ (Balinese script)
• ন্যায় (Bengali script)
• 𑰡𑰿𑰧𑰯𑰧 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀦𑁆𑀬𑀸𑀬 (Brahmi script)
• နျာယ (Burmese script)
• ન્યાય (Gujarati script)
• ਨ੍ਯਾਯ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯 (Grantha script)
• ꦤꦾꦴꦪ (Javanese script)
• 𑂢𑂹𑂨𑂰𑂨 (Kaithi script)
• ನ್ಯಾಯ (Kannada script)
• ន្យាយ (Khmer script)
• ນ຺ຍາຍ (Lao script)
• ന്യായ (Malayalam script)
• ᠨᠶᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠶᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘡𑘿𑘧𑘰𑘧 (Modi script)
• ᠨᠶ᠋ᠠᢗᠶ᠋ᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧁𑧠𑧇𑧑𑧇 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐣𑑂𑐫𑐵𑐫 (Newa script)
• ନ୍ଯାଯ (Odia script)
• ꢥ꣄ꢫꢵꢫ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆤𑇀𑆪𑆳𑆪 (Sharada script)
• 𑖡𑖿𑖧𑖯𑖧 (Siddham script)
• න්‍යාය (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩯 𑪙𑩻𑩛𑩻 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚝𑚶𑚣𑚭𑚣 (Takri script)
• ந்யாய (Tamil script)
• న్యాయ (Telugu script)
• นฺยาย (Thai script)
• ནྱཱ་ཡ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒢𑓂𑒨𑒰𑒨 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨝𑩇𑨪𑨊𑨪 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Literally means "that into which a thing goes back"; ultimately formed from नि (ni, “back, into”) + इ (i, “to go”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /njɑː.jɐ/, [j̃jɑː.jɐ]
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈn̪jɑː.jɐ/

Noun

न्याय • (nyāyá) stem, m

1. that into which a thing goes back i.e. an original type, standard, method, rule, (esp.) a general or universal rule, model, axiom, system, plan, manner, right or fit manner or way, fitness, propriety
2. a lawsuit, legal proceeding, judicial sentence, judgement
3. a logical or syllogistic argument or inference (consisting of a combination of enthymeme and syllogism, and so having, according to the नैयायिकs 5 members, viz. प्रतिज्ञा, हेतु, उदाहरण, उपनय, निगमन, or according to the वेदान्तिन्s 3 members)
4. a system of philosophy delivered by गोतम or गौतम (it is one of the six दर्शनस् q.v., and is perhaps so called, because it ‘goes into’ all subjects physical and metaphysical according to the above syllogistic method treated of in one division of the system ; its branch is called वैशेषिक)
5. likeness, analogy, a popular maxim or apposite illustration (cf. काकाक्षि-, घुणाक्षर-, दण्डापूप. &c.)

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of न्याय (nyāyá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	न्यायः nyāyáḥ	न्यायौ / न्याया¹ nyāyaú / nyāyā́¹	न्यायाः / न्यायासः¹ nyāyā́ḥ / nyāyā́saḥ¹
Vocative	न्याय nyā́ya	न्यायौ / न्याया¹ nyā́yau / nyā́yā¹	न्यायाः / न्यायासः¹ nyā́yāḥ / nyā́yāsaḥ¹
Accusative	न्यायम् nyāyám	न्यायौ / न्याया¹ nyāyaú / nyāyā́¹	न्यायान् nyāyā́n
Instrumental	न्यायेन nyāyéna	न्यायाभ्याम् nyāyā́bhyām	न्यायैः / न्यायेभिः¹ nyāyaíḥ / nyāyébhiḥ¹
Dative	न्यायाय nyāyā́ya	न्यायाभ्याम् nyāyā́bhyām	न्यायेभ्यः nyāyébhyaḥ
Ablative	न्यायात् nyāyā́t	न्यायाभ्याम् nyāyā́bhyām	न्यायेभ्यः nyāyébhyaḥ
Genitive	न्यायस्य nyāyásya	न्याययोः nyāyáyoḥ	न्यायानाम् nyāyā́nām
Locative	न्याये nyāyé	न्याययोः nyāyáyoḥ	न्यायेषु nyāyéṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

• Pali: ñāya
• Prakrit: 𑀡𑀸𑀬 (ṇāya)
  • → Telugu: నాయము (nāyamu)
• Punjabi: ਨਿਆਂ (niā̃)
• → Hindi: न्याय (nyāy)
• → Kannada: ನ್ಯಾಯ (nyāya)
• → Malayalam: ന്യായം (nyāyaṁ)
• → Tamil: நியாயம் (niyāyam)
• → Telugu: న్యాయము (nyāyamu)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “न्याय”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 572.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “nyāya”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press