केसर

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (kesara), from Prakrit 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (kesara), from Sanskrit केसर (kesara, “hair, saffron”), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *káysaras, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *káysaras, from Proto-Indo-European *kéysero- (“hair”). The sense of "saffron" developed in Sanskrit based on the spice's physical resemblance to hair.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /keː.səɾ/, [keː.sɐɾ]

Noun

केसर • (kesar) m (Urdu spelling کیسر)

1. the stigma or pistil of a flower, especially of the crocus (Crocus sativus)
2. filament of a lotus
3. saffron

   Synonyms: कुंकुम (kuṅkum), ज़ाफ़रान (zāfrān)

4. saffron or yellow

   केसर:  

Declension

Declension of केसर (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	केसर kesar	केसर kesar
oblique	केसर kesar	केसरों kesarõ
vocative	केसर kesar	केसरो kesaro

Descendants

• → English: kesar

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “केसर”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Monier Williams (1899) “केसर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 310.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “kḗsara”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

• কেসৰ (Assamese script)
• ᬓᬾᬲᬭ (Balinese script)
• কেসর (Bengali script)
• 𑰎𑰸𑰭𑰨 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (Brahmi script)
• ကေသရ (Burmese script)
• કેસર (Gujarati script)
• ਕੇਸਰ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌕𑍇𑌸𑌰 (Grantha script)
• ꦏꦺꦱꦫ (Javanese script)
• 𑂍𑂵𑂮𑂩 (Kaithi script)
• ಕೇಸರ (Kannada script)
• កេសរ (Khmer script)
• ເກສຣ (Lao script)
• കേസര (Malayalam script)
• ᡬᡝᠰ᠌ᠠᡵᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘎𑘹𑘭𑘨 (Modi script)
• ᢉᠧᠰᠠᠷᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦮𑧚𑧍𑧈 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐎𑐾𑐳𑐬 (Newa script)
• କେସର (Odia script)
• ꢒꢾꢱꢬ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆑𑆼𑆱𑆫 (Sharada script)
• 𑖎𑖸𑖭𑖨 (Siddham script)
• කෙසර (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩜𑩔𑪁𑩼 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚊𑚲𑚨𑚤 (Takri script)
• கேஸர (Tamil script)
• కేసర (Telugu script)
• เกสร (Thai script)
• ཀེ་ས་ར (Tibetan script)
• 𑒏𑒹𑒮𑒩 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨋𑨄𑨰𑨫 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Sense "hair, mane" is from Proto-Indo-Aryan *káysaras, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *káysaras, from Proto-Indo-European *kéysero- (“hair”). Cognate with Latin caesaries.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kɐ́j.sɐ.ɾɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈkeː.s̪ɐ.ɾɐ/

Noun

केसर • (késara) stem, m or n

1. hair

   Synonyms: वाल (valá), वल्श (válśa), केश (kéśa)

2. mane
3. any fibre or filament of flowers or vegetables, resembling strands of hair
4. saffron; the spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, resembling hair

   Synonym: कुङ्कुम (kuṅkuma)

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of केसर (késara)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	केसरः késaraḥ	केसरौ / केसरा¹ késarau / késarā¹	केसराः / केसरासः¹ késarāḥ / késarāsaḥ¹
Vocative	केसर késara	केसरौ / केसरा¹ késarau / késarā¹	केसराः / केसरासः¹ késarāḥ / késarāsaḥ¹
Accusative	केसरम् késaram	केसरौ / केसरा¹ késarau / késarā¹	केसरान् késarān
Instrumental	केसरेण késareṇa	केसराभ्याम् késarābhyām	केसरैः / केसरेभिः¹ késaraiḥ / késarebhiḥ¹
Dative	केसराय késarāya	केसराभ्याम् késarābhyām	केसरेभ्यः késarebhyaḥ
Ablative	केसरात् késarāt	केसराभ्याम् késarābhyām	केसरेभ्यः késarebhyaḥ
Genitive	केसरस्य késarasya	केसरयोः késarayoḥ	केसराणाम् késarāṇām
Locative	केसरे késare	केसरयोः késarayoḥ	केसरेषु késareṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of केसर (késara)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	केसरम् késaram	केसरे késare	केसराणि / केसरा¹ késarāṇi / késarā¹
Vocative	केसर késara	केसरे késare	केसराणि / केसरा¹ késarāṇi / késarā¹
Accusative	केसरम् késaram	केसरे késare	केसराणि / केसरा¹ késarāṇi / késarā¹
Instrumental	केसरेण késareṇa	केसराभ्याम् késarābhyām	केसरैः / केसरेभिः¹ késaraiḥ / késarebhiḥ¹
Dative	केसराय késarāya	केसराभ्याम् késarābhyām	केसरेभ्यः késarebhyaḥ
Ablative	केसरात् késarāt	केसराभ्याम् késarābhyām	केसरेभ्यः késarebhyaḥ
Genitive	केसरस्य késarasya	केसरयोः késarayoḥ	केसराणाम् késarāṇām
Locative	केसरे késare	केसरयोः késarayoḥ	केसरेषु késareṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Related terms

• केसरी (kesarī)
• केशर (keśara)

Descendants

• Pali: kesara
• Prakrit: 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (kesara)
  • Central:
    • Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (kesara)
      • Hindustani:

        Hindi: केसर (kesar)

        Urdu: کیسر (kesar)

        • → English: kesar
  • Eastern:
    • Magadhi Prakrit: 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (kesara)
      • Bengali: কেশর (keśor), কেসর (keśor), কেশ (keś)
  • Northern:
    • Khasa Prakrit:
      • Nepali: केश्रो (keśro), केशर (keśar)
  • Northwestern:
    • Paisaci Prakrit:
      • Takka Apabhramsa:
        • Punjabi: kesar

          Gurmukhi script: ਕੇਸਰ

          Shahmukhi script: کیسَر

      • Vracada Apabhramsa:
        • Sindhi: kaisari

          Arabic script: ڪَيسَْرِ

          Devanagari script: कैसरि

  • Southern:
    • Helu Prakrit:
      • Dhivehi: ކެހެރި (keheri)
      • Sinhalese: කෙසර (kesara), කෙසුරු (kesuru)
    • Maharastri Prakrit:
      • Marathi: केंसर (keusar), केशर (keśar)
  • Western:
    • Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀓𑁂𑀲𑀭 (kesara)
      • Gujarati: કેસર (kesar)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “केसर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 310.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “kḗsara”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press