आलु

See also: आलू and -आलु

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit आलु (ālu).

Pronunciation

(Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /ɑː.luː/, [äː.luː]

Noun

आलु • (ālu) m (Urdu spelling آلو)

alternative spelling of आलू (ālū)

Declension

Declension of *आलु* (masc u-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	आलु ālu	आलु ālu
oblique	आलु ālu	आलुओं āluõ
vocative	आलु ālu	आलुओ āluo

Nepali

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [älu]
Phonetic Devanagari: आलु

Noun

आलु • (ālu)

potato
zero, jack

Newar

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [alu]

Noun

आलु • (ālu) ? (Newa Spelling 𑐁𑐮𑐸)

plastic

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

আলু (Assamese script)
ᬆᬮᬸ (Balinese script)
আলু (Bengali script)
𑰁𑰩𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀆𑀮𑀼 (Brahmi script)
အာလု (Burmese script)
આલુ (Gujarati script)
ਆਲੁ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌆𑌲𑍁 (Grantha script)
ꦄꦴꦭꦸ (Javanese script)
𑂄𑂪𑂳 (Kaithi script)
ಆಲು (Kannada script)
អាលុ (Khmer script)
ອາລຸ (Lao script)
ആലു (Malayalam script)
ᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠯᡠ (Manchu script)
𑘁𑘩𑘳 (Modi script)
ᠠᢗᠯᠤ (Mongolian script)
𑦡𑧉𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
𑐁𑐮𑐸 (Newa script)
ଆଲୁ (Odia script)
ꢃꢭꢸ (Saurashtra script)
𑆄𑆬𑆶 (Sharada script)
𑖁𑖩𑖲 (Siddham script)
ආලු (Sinhalese script)
𑩐𑩛𑩽𑩒 (Soyombo script)
𑚁𑚥𑚰 (Takri script)
ஆலு (Tamil script)
ఆలు (Telugu script)
อาลุ (Thai script)
ཨཱ་ལུ (Tibetan script)
𑒂𑒪𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
𑨀𑨊𑨬𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɑː.lu/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ɑː.l̪u/

Etymology 1

Of unclear origin. Has been compared to Latin alvus (“belly, bowels”) and Lithuanian eldijà (“canoe”).

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, f

a pitcher, a small water jar

Declension

Feminine u-stem declension of आलु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	आलुः (āluḥ)	आलू (ālū)	आलवः (ālavaḥ)
accusative	आलुम् (ālum)	आलू (ālū)	आलूः (ālūḥ)
instrumental	आल्वा (ālvā)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभिः (ālubhiḥ)
dative	आलवे (ālave) आल्वै (ālvai)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
ablative	आलोः (āloḥ) आल्वाः (ālvāḥ) आल्वै¹ (ālvai¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
genitive	आलोः (āloḥ) आल्वाः (ālvāḥ) आल्वै¹ (ālvai¹)	आल्वोः (ālvoḥ)	आलूनाम् (ālūnām)
locative	आलौ (ālau) आल्वाम् (ālvām)	आल्वोः (ālvoḥ)	आलुषु (āluṣu)
vocative	आलो (ālo)	आलू (ālū)	आलवः (ālavaḥ)

¹Brāhmaṇas

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Dravidian; compare Tamil ஆர் (ār, “common mountain ebony”) and ஆரம் (āram, “sandalwood”).

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, m

ebony, black ebony

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of आलु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	आलुः (āluḥ)	आलू (ālū)	आलवः (ālavaḥ)
accusative	आलुम् (ālum)	आलू (ālū)	आलून् (ālūn)
instrumental	आलुना (ālunā) आल्वा¹ (ālvā¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभिः (ālubhiḥ)
dative	आलवे (ālave) आल्वे¹ (ālve¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
ablative	आलोः (āloḥ) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
genitive	आलोः (āloḥ) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आल्वोः (ālvoḥ)	आलूनाम् (ālūnām)
locative	आलौ (ālau)	आल्वोः (ālvoḥ)	आलुषु (āluṣu)
vocative	आलो (ālo)	आलू (ālū)	आलवः (ālavaḥ)

¹Vedic

Etymology 3

Of uncertain origin. Has been suggested to derive from Proto-Indo-Aryan *HaHlu, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HaHlu, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHlu (“edible root”), and thus be cognate with Latin ālium (“onion, garlic”). However, Mayrhofer considers this derivation unconvincing, perhaps due to the general principle of specific plant names usually being borrowed from local substrates rather than being inherited in Indo-European languages.

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, n

an esculent root, elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, syn. Arum campanulatum)
(neologism) potato

Declension

Neuter u-stem declension of आलु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī) आल्वी¹ (ālvī¹)	आलूनि (ālūni) आलु¹ (ālu¹) आलू¹ (ālū¹)
accusative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī) आल्वी¹ (ālvī¹)	आलूनि (ālūni) आलु¹ (ālu¹) आलू¹ (ālū¹)
instrumental	आलुना (ālunā) आल्वा¹ (ālvā¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभिः (ālubhiḥ)
dative	आलुने (ālune) आलवे¹ (ālave¹) आल्वे¹ (ālve¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
ablative	आलुनः (ālunaḥ) आलोः¹ (āloḥ¹) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
genitive	आलुनः (ālunaḥ) आलोः¹ (āloḥ¹) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आलुनोः (ālunoḥ) आल्वोः¹ (ālvoḥ¹)	आलूनाम् (ālūnām)
locative	आलुनि (āluni) आलौ¹ (ālau¹)	आलुनोः (ālunoḥ) आल्वोः¹ (ālvoḥ¹)	आलुषु (āluṣu)
vocative	आलु (ālu) आलो (ālo)	आलुनी (ālunī) आल्वी¹ (ālvī¹)	आलूनि (ālūni) आलु¹ (ālu¹) आलू¹ (ālū¹)

¹Vedic

Derived terms

आलुक (āluka)

Etymology 4

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Not attested in etymological dictionaries. Could be related to Etymologies 1 or 2, though it has the same gender as Etymology 3.”

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, n

a raft, float

Declension

Neuter u-stem declension of आलु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī) आल्वी¹ (ālvī¹)	आलूनि (ālūni) आलु¹ (ālu¹) आलू¹ (ālū¹)
accusative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī) आल्वी¹ (ālvī¹)	आलूनि (ālūni) आलु¹ (ālu¹) आलू¹ (ālū¹)
instrumental	आलुना (ālunā) आल्वा¹ (ālvā¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभिः (ālubhiḥ)
dative	आलुने (ālune) आलवे¹ (ālave¹) आल्वे¹ (ālve¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
ablative	आलुनः (ālunaḥ) आलोः¹ (āloḥ¹) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
genitive	आलुनः (ālunaḥ) आलोः¹ (āloḥ¹) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आलुनोः (ālunoḥ) आल्वोः¹ (ālvoḥ¹)	आलूनाम् (ālūnām)
locative	आलुनि (āluni) आलौ¹ (ālau¹)	आलुनोः (ālunoḥ) आल्वोः¹ (ālvoḥ¹)	आलुषु (āluṣu)
vocative	आलु (ālu) आलो (ālo)	आलुनी (ālunī) आल्वी¹ (ālvī¹)	आलूनि (ālūni) आलु¹ (ālu¹) आलू¹ (ālū¹)

¹Vedic

Etymology 5

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Not attested in etymological dictionaries. Perhaps related to उलूक (ulūka, “owl”); see there for more.”

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, m

an owl

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of आलु
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	आलुः (āluḥ)	आलू (ālū)	आलवः (ālavaḥ)
accusative	आलुम् (ālum)	आलू (ālū)	आलून् (ālūn)
instrumental	आलुना (ālunā) आल्वा¹ (ālvā¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभिः (ālubhiḥ)
dative	आलवे (ālave) आल्वे¹ (ālve¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
ablative	आलोः (āloḥ) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
genitive	आलोः (āloḥ) आल्वः¹ (ālvaḥ¹)	आल्वोः (ālvoḥ)	आलूनाम् (ālūnām)
locative	आलौ (ālau)	आल्वोः (ālvoḥ)	आलुषु (āluṣu)
vocative	आलो (ālo)	आलू (ālū)	आलवः (ālavaḥ)

¹Vedic

References

Monier Williams (1899), “आलु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 154, column 1.
Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 25
Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956), Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎^[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 80-1