मुक्ता

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• মুক্তা (Assamese script)
• ᬫᬸᬓ᭄ᬢᬵ (Balinese script)
• মুক্তা (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰲𑰎𑰿𑰝𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀢𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• မုက္တာ (Burmese script)
• મુક્તા (Gujarati script)
• ਮੁਕ੍ਤਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦩꦸꦏ꧀ꦠꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂧𑂳𑂍𑂹𑂞𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಮುಕ್ತಾ (Kannada script)
• មុក្តា (Khmer script)
• ມຸກ຺ຕາ (Lao script)
• മുക്താ (Malayalam script)
• ᠮᡠᡬᢠᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘦𑘳𑘎𑘿𑘝𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠮᠤᢉᢐᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧆𑧔𑦮𑧠𑦽𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐸𑐎𑑂𑐟𑐵 (Newa script)
• ମୁକ୍ତା (Odia script)
• ꢪꢸꢒ꣄ꢡꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆶𑆑𑇀𑆠𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖲𑖎𑖿𑖝𑖯 (Siddham script)
• මුක‍්තා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩴𑩒𑩜 𑪙𑩫𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚢𑚰𑚊𑚶𑚙𑚭 (Takri script)
• முக்தா (Tamil script)
• ముక్తా (Telugu script)
• มุกฺตา (Thai script)
• མུ་ཀྟཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒳𑒏𑓂𑒞𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨢𑨃𑨋𑩇𑨙𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Traditionally derived from मुच् (√muc, “to loosen, let loose, free” (verb मुञ्चति (muñcáti))) +‎ -त (-ta, “-ed”), as pearl collectors would "loosen" pearls from the shells of clams.

However, Mayrhofer considers the above to be folk etymology, and prefers to derive the word from an unattested intermediate *मुत्ता (muttā) (whence Pali muttā (“pearl”)), which was hyper-corrected in order to match the folk etymology.

In light of the intermediate form, more likely from मूर्ता (mūrtā, “trickled, spread-over, congealed”), the past participle of मूर्छ् (mūrch), or, along with corresponding Dravidian words (compare Tamil முத்து (muttu)), borrowed from some other source language.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /muk.tɑ́ː/, [muk̚.tɑ́ː]
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈmuk.t̪ɑː/, [ˈmuk̚.t̪ɑː]

Noun

मुक्ता • (muktā) stem, f

2. pearl
3. unchaste woman
4. species of plant

Synonyms

• मुक्त (mukta, “pearl”)

Descendants

• → Bengali: মুক্ত (mukto)
• → Thai: มุก (múk)
• >? Pali: muttā

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “मुक्ता”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 820/3.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 408
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 647-648