𑀓𑁄𑀇

Prakrit

Etymology

From older 𑀓𑁄𑀘𑀺 (koci), from Sanskrit कश्चिद् m sg (kaścid, “anything”), from कः m sg (kaḥ, “what, who”) + चिद् (cid). In Sanskrit, this sequence regularly undergoes external sandhi and univerbation (-aḥ c- > -aśc-). Middle Indo-Aryan masculine nominative singular 𑀓𑁄𑀇 (koi) or 𑀓𑁄𑀘𑀺 (koci) was probably formed by analogy to other inflected forms of 𑀓𑀺𑀁𑀘𑀺 n sg (kiṃci), like 𑀓𑀸𑀇 f sg (kāi) and 𑀓𑁂𑀇 m pl (kei), on the basis that the Sanskrit masculine nominative singular ending -अः (-aḥ) regularly becomes Prakrit -𑀑 (-o). Other literature attributes this to influence from Sanskrit कोऽपि (kó’pi, “whoever, whatever”), from कः (kaḥ) + अपि (api).

Pronoun

𑀓𑁄𑀇 (koi) (Devanagari कोइ, Kannada ಕೋಇ) (Māhārāṣṭrī)

1. masculine nominative singular of 𑀓𑀺𑀁𑀘𑀺 (kiṃci)

Descendants

• Northeastern:
  • Lahnda: [script needed] m (kōī), [script needed] f (kāī)
  • Punjabi: ਕੋਈ / کوئی (ko'ī)
  • Sindhi: ڪس (kisi)
• Northern:
  • Nepali: कोही (kohī), कसै (kasai, gen.)
• Eastern:
  • Bengali: কেউ (keu), কেই (kei), কেও (keō)
  • Assamese: কেও (keü)
  • Odia: କେଇ (kei)
  • Awadhi: कोइ (koi), केउ (keu)
• Central:
  • Old Hindi: कोई (koī)
    • Hindi: कोई (koī)
    • Urdu: کوئی (koī)
    • Braj: कोऊ (koū)
• Western:
  • Old Gujarati: कांई (kāṃī) (probably by analogy from Prakrit 𑀓𑀸𑀡𑀺𑀘𑀺 (kāṇici, n. pl. nom.))
    • Gujarati: કોઈ (koī)