में

See also: स, भ, म, and मैं

Hindi

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /mẽː/

• Audio:

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Etymology 1

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀫𑀚𑁆𑀛𑁂 (majjhe), from Sanskrit मध्ये (mádhye), locative of मध्य (mádhya, “middle”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mádʰyas, from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos.

Some scholars have argued that the term is better derived from Sanskrit मध्यम् (madhyam, accusative). However, Reinöhl argues that semantically the locative is a better semantic match and is also more frequent in all historical stages of Indo-Aryan. The spontaneous nasalization can be explained as a common phenomenon in New Indo-Aryan; compare Hindi साँप (sā̃p, “snake”) from Sanskrit सर्प (sarpa).

Postposition

में • (mẽ) (Urdu spelling میں)

1. in, inside of

   Synonym: के अंदर (ke andar)

   घर में ― ghar mẽ ― inside the house

   कमरे में ― kamre mẽ ― in the room

2. within

   Synonym: के अंदर (ke andar)

   मेरे सिर में दर्द हो रहा है।

   mere sir mẽ dard ho rahā hai.

   My head is hurting.

   (literally, “There is pain within my head.”)

3. into

   वह पानी में गिर पड़ा। ― vah pānī mẽ gir paṛā. ― He fell into the water.

   गिलास में ― gilās mẽ ― into the glass

4. during

   Synonym: के दौरान (ke daurān)

   छुट्टियों में मैं लंदन जा रहा हूँ।

   chuṭṭiyõ mẽ ma͠i landan jā rahā hū̃.

   I'm going to London during the holidays.

   रात में ― rāt mẽ ― in the night

   सन् १९९४ में ― san 1994 mẽ ― during the year 1994

5. for the price of

   सौ रुपये में ― sau rupye mẽ ― for the price of 100 rupees

6. between, among

   सभी लोगों में केक बाँट दिया गया।

   sabhī logõ mẽ kek bā̃ṭ diyā gayā.

   The cake was divided among all the people.

   इन तीनों क़मीज़ों में कौनसी सबसे अच्छी है?

   in tīnõ qamīzõ mẽ kaunsī sabse acchī hai?

   Between these three shirts which one is the best?

Derived terms

• में से (mẽ se, “through; out of”, literally “from inside of”)

Further reading

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “में”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “में”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “में”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “mádhya”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Noun

में • (mẽ) f

1. bleat, baa, bleating (cry of a sheep)

   में-में करना ― mẽ-mẽ karnā ― to bleat

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “में”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “में”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha