ਘੰਟਾ

Punjabi

Alternative forms

• ਘੈਂਟਾ (ghaiṇṭā)

Etymology

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀖𑀁𑀝 (ghaṃṭa), from Sanskrit घण्टा f (ghaṇṭā, “bell”). Doublet of ਘੰਡਾ (ghaṇḍā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) Phonetic: kàṇṭā, IPA^(key): /kə˨ɳ.ʈäː/
• (Majhi) Phonetic: kǣ̀ṇṭā, IPA^(key): [kɜː˨ɳ.ʈäː] (hour, singular)

  • Audio (Pakistan, Majhi):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -äː
• Hyphenation: ਘਣ੍‧ਟਾ

Noun

ਘੰਟਾ • (ghaṇṭā) m (Shahmukhi spelling گَھنْٹا)

1. (time) hour
   • 1991, افظل توصیف [Afz̤al Tauṣīf, اقبال قیصر – Iqbāl Qaiṣar], غلام نہ ہو جائے مشرق [Lest the East become slaves], نگارشات [Nigārishāt], →OCLC, page 113:

     گھنٹے وچ کِنے؟ چالی دناں وچ کنے؟

     ghanṭe vicc kinne? cālī dināṉ vicc kinne?

     How many in an hour? How many in forty days?

2. large bell; gong
3. clock (a big device used to tell the time)

   Synonym: ਘੜਿਆਲ (ghaṛiāla)

4. (figuratively) nothing, jack

Declension

Declension of ਘੰਟਾ
dir. sg.	ਘੰਟਾ (ghaṇṭā)
dir. pl.	ਘੰਟੇ (ghaṇṭe)
	singular	plural
direct	ਘੰਟਾ (ghaṇṭā)	ਘੰਟੇ (ghaṇṭe)
oblique	ਘੰਟੇ (ghaṇṭe)	ਘੰਟਿਆਂ (ghaṇṭiā̃)
vocative	ਘੰਟਿਆ (ghaṇṭiā)	ਘੰਟਿਓ (ghaṇṭio)
ablative	ਘੰਟਿਓਂ (ghaṇṭiõ)	—
locative	ਘੰਟੇ (ghaṇṭe)	—
instrumental	ਘੰਟੇ (ghaṇṭe)	—

Derived terms

• ਘੰਟਾ ਘਰ (ghaṇṭā ghar, “clock tower”)

References

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “ਘੰਟਾ”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• “گھنٹہ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2024
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “ghaṇṭā”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press