کالا

See also: كالا

Malay

Noun

کالا (plural کالا-کالا or کالا٢)

1. Jawi spelling of kala.‎

Pahari-Potwari

Etymology

Inherited from Sanskrit काल (kāla). Cognate with Marathi काळा (kāḷā), Punjabi کالا (kālā) and Urdu کالا (kālā).

Adjective

کالا (kālā)

1. black

Persian

Alternative forms

• کاله (kâle)

Etymology

Ultimately a derivative of Proto-Iranian *kar- (“to do, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer- (“to make”). See Old Armenian կահ (kah) for more.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /kaː.ˈlaː/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰɑː.lɑ́ː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰɑː.lɑ́ː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [kʰɑː.lɑ́ː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [kʰɔː.lɔ́ː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰɒː.lɒ́ː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰɔ.lɔ́]

Readings
Classical reading?	kālā
Dari reading?	kālā
Iranian reading?	kâlâ
Tajik reading?	kolo

Noun

کالا • (kâlâ) (plural کالاها)

1. things; goods; commodity; article

   Synonym: اجناس (ajnâs)

   حمل و نقل کالا ― haml o naql-e kâlâ ― transportation of commodities

   • c. 1011, Abu'l-Qāsim Firdawsī, “The reign of Gushtāsp”, in شاهنامه [Book of Kings]‎^[1]:

     سواران جنگی همی تاختند
     به کالا گرفتن نپرداختند

     sawārān jangē hamē-tāxtand
     ba kālā giriftan na-pardāxtand

     The riders were charging for a battle;
     They did not set themselves to taking spoils.

     (Classical Persian romanization)

2. (Dari) clothes, dress, attire; costume
3. (archaic) silk clothes

References

• Hassandoust, Mohammad (2014/2015), Bahman Sarkarati, editor, Farhang-e riše-šenâxti-ye zabân-e Farsi [An Etymological Dictionary of the Persian Language] (in Persian), volume IV: K-Y, Tehran: Academy of Persian Language and Literature, →ISBN , page 2111
• Henning, Walter Bruno (1940), “Sogdica”, in Selected Papers (Acta Iranica; 15), volume 2, Teheran-Liège / Leiden: Bibliothèque Pahlavi / E. J. Brill, published 1977, →ISBN, pages 56–57
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892), “کالا”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892), “کاله”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul

Punjabi

Etymology

Inherited from Sanskrit काल (kāla). Cognate with Marathi काळा (kāḷā) and Urdu کالا (kālā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /kaː.ɭaː/, [käː.ɭäː]
• Rhymes: -äː

Adjective

کاࣇا • (kāḷā) (Gurmukhi spelling ਕਾਲ਼ਾ)

1. black (color/colour)
2. black, negro (potentially offensive)

Declension

Declension of کالا

	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
direct	کالا (kālā)	کالے (kāle)		کالی (kālī)	کالِیاں (kāliyāṉ)
oblique	کالے (kāle)	کالیاں (kāleyāṉ)		کالی (kālī)	کالِیاں (kāliyāṉ)

See also

Colors in Punjabi · رَن٘گ (raṉg) (layout · text)

چِٹّا (ciṭṭā), بَگّا (baggā)		کاࣇا (kāḷā)
لال (lāl), رَتّا (rattā); سُوہا (sūhā)	مالٹا (mālṭā), نَارَنگِی (nārangī); بھُورا (bhūrā)	پِیلا (pīlā), کھَٹّا (khaṭṭā)
نِمبُو (nimbū), پِستا (pistā), اَنگُوری (angūrī)	ساوا (sāvā), ہَرا (harā)
آسمانی (āsmānī)	آسمانی (āsmānī)	نِیلا (nīlā)
جامنی (jāmnī), اُودا (ūdā)	بَینگی (baingī)	گُولابی (gūlābī)

References

• “چِٹّا”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025

Urdu

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Dravidian *kārder.

Sanskrit काल (kāla)

Urdu کالا (kālā)

Inherited from Sanskrit काल (kāla), from Proto-Dravidian *kār.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /kɑː.lɑː/

Noun

کالا • (kālā) m (Hindi spelling काला)

1. black (color/colour)

   Synonym: سیاہ (siyāh)

Adjective

کالا • (kālā) (feminine کالی (kālī), Hindi spelling काला)

1. black (color/colour)
2. dark complexioned (derogatory term used by some Urdu speakers to describe dark-skinned people, which can refer to dark Asians, Sub-Saharan Africans, or any person deemed as such.)
3. dark
4. dirty
5. evil
6. hopeless

Declension

Declension of کالا

	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
direct	کالا (kālā)	کالے (kāle)		کالی (kālī)	کالی (kālī)
indirect	کالے (kāle)	کالے (kāle)		کالی (kālī)	کالی (kālī)

See also

Colors in Urdu · رنگ (layout · text)

سادہ (sāda), سفید (safed), اُجّر (ujjar)	سلیٹی (sleṭī), چھائی (chāī), دھوسر (dhūsar), سرمئی (surmaī)	کالا (kālā), سانولا (sā̃vlā)
لال (lāl), سرخ (surx), راتا (rātā); مہرون (mahroon), سندوری (sindūrī) قرمزی (qirmizī)	اورنج (orenj), نارنگی (narangī), کیسری (kesrī), گیروا (geruā), بھگوا (bhagvā), زعفرانی (za'frānī); بھورا (bhūrā), کتھئی (katthaī), چوکلیٹی (cokleṭī), خاکی (xākī)	پیلا (pīlā), بسنتی (basantī), زرد (zard); گیہُواں (gehũā), بادامی (bādāmī)
لائم (lāim), انگوری (aṅgūrī)	ہرا (harā), سُگَّا (suggā), سبز (sabz)	پودین ہرا (pūdīn harā); گاڑھا ہرا (gāṛhā harā)
فیروزہ (fīroza)	لاجوردی (lājvardī)~لاژوردی (lāźvardī)	نیلا (nīlā)
بینگنی (baignī), اودا (ūdā)	رانی (rānī); جامنی (jāmnī~jāmunī)	گلابی (gulābī)