मुक्ता

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

মুক্তা (Assamese script)
ᬫᬸᬓ᭄ᬢᬵ (Balinese script)
মুক্তা (Bengali script)
𑰦𑰲𑰎𑰿𑰝𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀫𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀢𑀸 (Brahmi script)
မုက္တာ (Burmese script)
મુક્તા (Gujarati script)
ਮੁਕ੍ਤਾ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌾 (Grantha script)
ꦩꦸꦏ꧀ꦠꦴ (Javanese script)
𑂧𑂳𑂍𑂹𑂞𑂰 (Kaithi script)
ಮುಕ್ತಾ (Kannada script)
មុក្តា (Khmer script)
ມຸກ຺ຕາ (Lao script)
മുക്താ (Malayalam script)
ᠮᡠᡬᢠᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
𑘦𑘳𑘎𑘿𑘝𑘰 (Modi script)
ᠮᠤᢉᢐᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
𑧆𑧔𑦮𑧠𑦽𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
𑐩𑐸𑐎𑑂𑐟𑐵 (Newa script)
ମୁକ୍ତା (Odia script)
ꢪꢸꢒ꣄ꢡꢵ (Saurashtra script)
𑆩𑆶𑆑𑇀𑆠𑆳 (Sharada script)
𑖦𑖲𑖎𑖿𑖝𑖯 (Siddham script)
මුක‍්තා (Sinhalese script)
𑩴𑩒𑩜 𑪙𑩫𑩛 (Soyombo script)
𑚢𑚰𑚊𑚶𑚙𑚭 (Takri script)
முக்தா (Tamil script)
ముక్తా (Telugu script)
มุกฺตา (Thai script)
མུ་ཀྟཱ (Tibetan script)
𑒧𑒳𑒏𑓂𑒞𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
𑨢𑨃𑨋𑩇𑨙𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Traditionally derived from मुच् (√muc, “to loosen, let loose, free” (verb मुञ्चति (muñcáti))) +‎ -त (-ta, “-ed”), as pearl collectors would "loosen" pearls from the shells of clams.

However, Mayrhofer considers the above to be folk etymology, and prefers to derive the word from an unattested intermediate *मुत्ता (muttā) (whence Pali muttā (“pearl”)), which was hyper-corrected in order to match the folk etymology.

In light of the intermediate form, more likely from मूर्ता (mūrtā, “trickled, spread-over, congealed”), the past participle of मूर्छ् (mūrch), or, along with corresponding Dravidian words (compare Tamil முத்து (muttu)), borrowed from some other source language.

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /muk.tɑ́ː/, [muk̚.tɑ́ː]
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈmuk.t̪ɑː/, [ˈmuk̚.t̪ɑː]

Noun

मुक्ता • (muktā) stem, f

Synonyms

मुक्त (mukta, “pearl”)

Descendants

→ Bengali: মুক্তা (mukta)
→ Thai: มุก (múk)
>? Pali: muttā

References

Monier Williams (1899) “मुक्ता”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 820/3.
Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 408
Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 647-648