नख

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit नख (nakha).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /nəkʰ/, [nɐkʰ]

Noun

नख • (nakh) m (Urdu spelling نکھ)

1. nail (of the finger or toe), claw, talon

   वह व्यक्ति नख से शिख तक गीला है।

   vah vyakti nakh se śikh tak gīlā hai.

   That man is soaked from his (toe) nails to the hair on his head.

Declension

Declension of नख (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	नख nakh	नख nakh
oblique	नख nakh	नखों nakhõ
vocative	नख nakh	नखो nakho

Synonyms

• (more common) नाख़ुन (nāxun)

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “नख”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa, Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “नख”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• nakha (Latin script)
• 𑀦𑀔 (Brahmi script)
• নখ (Bengali script)
• නඛ (Sinhalese script)
• နခ or ၼၶ (Burmese script)
• นข or นะขะ (Thai script)
• ᨶᨡ (Tai Tham script)
• ນຂ or ນະຂະ (Lao script)
• នខ (Khmer script)
• 𑄚𑄈 (Chakma script)

Noun

नख m or n

1. Devanagari script form of nakha (“nail”)

Declension

Declension table of "नख" (masculine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	नखो (nakho)	नखा (nakhā)
Accusative (second)	नखं (nakhaṃ)	नखे (nakhe)
Instrumental (third)	नखेन (nakhena)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Dative (fourth)	नखस्स (nakhassa) or नखाय (nakhāya) or नखत्थं (nakhatthaṃ)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	नखस्मा (nakhasmā) or नखम्हा (nakhamhā) or नखा (nakhā)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	नखस्स (nakhassa)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	नखस्मिं (nakhasmiṃ) or नखम्हि (nakhamhi) or नखे (nakhe)	नखेसु (nakhesu)
Vocative (calling)	नख (nakha)	नखा (nakhā)

Declension table of "नख" (neuter)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	नखं (nakhaṃ)	नखानि (nakhāni)
Accusative (second)	नखं (nakhaṃ)	नखानि (nakhāni)
Instrumental (third)	नखेन (nakhena)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Dative (fourth)	नखस्स (nakhassa) or नखाय (nakhāya) or नखत्थं (nakhatthaṃ)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	नखस्मा (nakhasmā) or नखम्हा (nakhamhā) or नखा (nakhā)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	नखस्स (nakhassa)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	नखस्मिं (nakhasmiṃ) or नखम्हि (nakhamhi) or नखे (nakhe)	नखेसु (nakhesu)
Vocative (calling)	नख (nakha)	नखानि (nakhāni)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• নখ (Assamese script)
• ᬦᬔ (Balinese script)
• নখ (Bengali script)
• 𑰡𑰏 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀦𑀔 (Brahmi script)
• နခ (Burmese script)
• નખ (Gujarati script)
• ਨਖ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌨𑌖 (Grantha script)
• ꦤꦑ (Javanese script)
• 𑂢𑂎 (Kaithi script)
• ನಖ (Kannada script)
• នខ (Khmer script)
• ນຂ (Lao script)
• നഖ (Malayalam script)
• ᠨᠠᡘᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘡𑘏 (Modi script)
• ᠨᠠᠻᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧁𑦯 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐣𑐏 (Newa script)
• ନଖ (Odia script)
• ꢥꢓ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆤𑆒 (Sharada script)
• 𑖡𑖏 (Siddham script)
• නඛ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩯𑩝 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚝𑚋 (Takri script)
• நக² (Tamil script)
• నఖ (Telugu script)
• นข (Thai script)
• ན་ཁ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒢𑒐 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨝𑨌 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hnakʰás, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nogʰ- (“nail”). Cognate with Persian ناخن (nâxon), Central Kurdish نینۆک (nînok), Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux), Latin unguis, Old Armenian եղունգն (ełungn), English nail.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /nɐ.kʰɐ́/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈn̪ɐ.kʰɐ/

Noun

नख • (nakhá) stem, m or n

1. (anatomy) nail
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.163.5:

     मेहनाद्वनंकरणाल्लोमभ्यस्ते नखेभ्यः ।
     यक्ष्मं सर्वस्मादात्मनस्तमिदं वि वृहामि ते ॥

     mehanādvanaṃkaraṇāllomabhyaste nakhebhyaḥ.
     yakṣmaṃ sarvasmādātmanastamidaṃ vi vṛhāmi te.

     From what is voided from within, and from thy hair, and from thy nails,
     From all thyself from top to toe, I drive thy malady away.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of नख (nakhá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	नखः nakháḥ	नखौ / नखा¹ nakhaú / nakhā́¹	नखाः / नखासः¹ nakhā́ḥ / nakhā́saḥ¹
Vocative	नख nákha	नखौ / नखा¹ nákhau / nákhā¹	नखाः / नखासः¹ nákhāḥ / nákhāsaḥ¹
Accusative	नखम् nakhám	नखौ / नखा¹ nakhaú / nakhā́¹	नखान् nakhā́n
Instrumental	नखेन nakhéna	नखाभ्याम् nakhā́bhyām	नखैः / नखेभिः¹ nakhaíḥ / nakhébhiḥ¹
Dative	नखाय nakhā́ya	नखाभ्याम् nakhā́bhyām	नखेभ्यः nakhébhyaḥ
Ablative	नखात् nakhā́t	नखाभ्याम् nakhā́bhyām	नखेभ्यः nakhébhyaḥ
Genitive	नखस्य nakhásya	नखयोः nakháyoḥ	नखानाम् nakhā́nām
Locative	नखे nakhé	नखयोः nakháyoḥ	नखेषु nakhéṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of नख (nakhá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	नखम् nakhám	नखे nakhé	नखानि / नखा¹ nakhā́ni / nakhā́¹
Vocative	नख nákha	नखे nákhe	नखानि / नखा¹ nákhāni / nákhā¹
Accusative	नखम् nakhám	नखे nakhé	नखानि / नखा¹ nakhā́ni / nakhā́¹
Instrumental	नखेन nakhéna	नखाभ्याम् nakhā́bhyām	नखैः / नखेभिः¹ nakhaíḥ / nakhébhiḥ¹
Dative	नखाय nakhā́ya	नखाभ्याम् nakhā́bhyām	नखेभ्यः nakhébhyaḥ
Ablative	नखात् nakhā́t	नखाभ्याम् nakhā́bhyām	नखेभ्यः nakhébhyaḥ
Genitive	नखस्य nakhásya	नखयोः nakháyoḥ	नखानाम् nakhā́nām
Locative	नखे nakhé	नखयोः nakháyoḥ	नखेषु nakhéṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

• Pali: nakha
• Prakrit: 𑀡𑀳 (ṇaha)
  • Punjabi: ਨਹਿ (nahi), ਨਹਿੰ (nahĩ), ਨਹੁੰ (nahũ)
  • Romani: naj
• → Assamese: নখ (nokh)
• → Bengali: নখ (nokh)
• → Gujarati: નખ (nakh)
• → Hindi: नख (nakh)
• → Konkani: नाखूट (nākhūṭ)
• → Marathi: नख (nakh)
• → Odia: ନଖ (nakha)
• → Tamil: நகம் (nakam)
• → Telugu: నఖము (nakhamu)