জই

Old Bengali

Etymology

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀚𑀇 (jaï). Cognate with Old Marathi 𑘕𑘺𑘽 (jaiṃ), Old Punjabi ਜੇ (je), Old Gujarati जइ (jaï). In modern Bengali, completely replaced by the tatsama যদি (jodi).

Conjunction

জই (jaï)

1. if, when
   • a. 12th c. CE, Caryā 46:

     মোহ-বিমুক্কা জই মণা ।
     তবেঁ তুটই অবণা-গমণা ॥

     moha-bimukkā jaï maṇā.
     tabẽ tuṭaï abaṇā-gamaṇā.

     When the mind is free of illusion,
     it is free of coming and going.

Further reading

• Chatterji, Suniti Kumar (1926) The Origin and Development of the Bengali Language‎^[1], volume 2, Calcutta: Calcutta University Press, page 737
• Sen, Sukumar (1971) An Etymological Dictionary of Bengali: c. 1000-1800 A.D.‎^[2], volume 309, Calcutta: Eastern Publishers.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “yádi”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 602