काल

See also: कला, काळ, and काले

Hindi

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /kɑːl/, [käːl̪]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Sanskrit काल (kālá).

Noun

काल • (kāl) m (Urdu spelling کال‎)

1. time (as a concept)
2. era, epoch, age, period
   • 2020 February 11, विनीत कुमार [vinīt kumār], “आज का पंचांग: राहु काल और शुभ मुहूर्त का आज क्या है समय, पढ़ें 11 फरवरी का पंचांग [āj kā pañcāṅg: rāhu kāl aur śubh muhūrt kā āj kyā hai samay, paṛhẽ 11 pharavrī kā pañcāṅg]”, in Lokmat News Hindi‎^[1]:

     देश की राजधानी नई दिल्ली में राहु काल दोपहर बाद 03.22 बजे से शुरू होगा और ये 04.45 बजे तक रहेगा।

     deś kī rājdhānī naī dillī mẽ rāhu kāl dophar bād 03.22 baje se śurū hogā aur ye 04.45 baje tak rahegā.

     In New Delhi, the nation's capital, the Rahu period [an astrologically inauspicious time] will begin at 3:22 in the afternoon and it will remain until 4:45.

3. (Hinduism) death (personified as Yama)
   • 2020 February 12, “जेल में बंद पुत्र से मिलकर लौट रही मां व भाई काल के गाल में समाए [jel mẽ band putra se milkar lauṭ rahī mā̃ va bhāī kāl ke gāl mẽ samāe]”, in Dainik Jagran‎^[2]:

     […] तभी रास्ते में काल बन कर आई बस ने इनकी बाइक में पीछे से धक्का मार दिया, जिससे दोनों की मौत घटनास्थल पर हो गई।

     […] tabhī rāste mẽ kāl ban kar āī bas ne inkī bāik mẽ pīche se dhakkā mār diyā, jisse donõ kī maut ghaṭnāsthal par ho gaī.

     […] and just then a bus arrived in the form of Death and rammed their bike from behind, due to which the deaths of both occurred at the site of the accident.

4. (grammar) tense

Declension

Declension of काल (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	काल kāl	काल kāl
oblique	काल kāl	कालों kālõ
vocative	काल kāl	कालो kālo

Etymology 2

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀅𑀕𑀸𑀮 (agāla), from Sanskrit अकाल (akāla, “bad time”).

Noun

काल • (kāl) m (Urdu spelling کال‎)

1. famine; bad times

Declension

Declension of काल (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	काल kāl	काल kāl
oblique	काल kāl	कालों kālõ
vocative	काल kāl	कालो kālo

Marathi

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kal/

Adverb

काल • (kāl)

1. yesterday

See also

• आज (āj̈, “today”)
• उद्या (udyā, “tomorrow”)
• परवा (parvā, “the day after tomorrow”)
• तेरवा (tervā, “two days after tomorrow”)

References

• Berntsen, Maxine, “काल”, in A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary, New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies, 1982-1983.
• Molesworth, James Thomas (1857), “काल”, in A dictionary, Marathi and English, Bombay: Printed for government at the Bombay Education Society's Press
• Shridhar Ganesh Vaze (1911), “काल”, in The Aryabhusan School Dictionary, Poona: Arya-Bhushan Press

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• kāla (Latin script)
• 𑀓𑀸𑀮 (Brahmi script)
• কাল (Bengali script)
• කාල (Sinhalese script)
• ကာလ or ၵႃလ (Burmese script)
• กาล or กาละ (Thai script)
• ᨠᩣᩃ (Tai Tham script)
• ກາລ or ກາລະ (Lao script)
• កាល (Khmer script)
• 𑄇𑄂𑄣 (Chakma script)

Noun

काल m

1. Devanagari script form of kāla (“time”)
   • c. 500 AD, Kaccāyana, Pālivyākaraṇaṃ [Pali Grammar]‎^[3], page 254; republished as Satish Chandra Acharyya Vidyabhusana, editor, Kaccayana's Pali Grammar (edited in Devanagari character and translated into English), Calcutta, Bengal: Mahabodhi Society, 1901:

     काले इच्चेतं अस्हिकारत्थं वेदितब्बं॥

     Kāle iccetaṃ adhikāratthaṃ veditabbaṃ.

     Note that time when is the purpose of the section

Declension

Declension table of "काल" (masculine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	कालो (kālo)	काला (kālā)
Accusative (second)	कालं (kālaṃ)	काले (kāle)
Instrumental (third)	कालेन (kālena)	कालेहि (kālehi) or कालेभि (kālebhi)
Dative (fourth)	कालस्स (kālassa) or कालाय (kālāya) or कालत्थं (kālatthaṃ)	कालानं (kālānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	कालस्मा (kālasmā) or कालम्हा (kālamhā) or काला (kālā)	कालेहि (kālehi) or कालेभि (kālebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	कालस्स (kālassa)	कालानं (kālānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	कालस्मिं (kālasmiṃ) or कालम्हि (kālamhi) or काले (kāle)	कालेसु (kālesu)
Vocative (calling)	काल (kāla)	काला (kālā)

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• ᬓᬵᬮ (Balinese script)
• কাল (Assamese script)
• কাল (Bengali script)
• 𑰎𑰯𑰩 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀓𑀸𑀮 (Brahmi script)
• 𑌕𑌾𑌲 (Grantha script)
• કાલ (Gujarati script)
• ਕਾਲ (Gurmukhi script)
• ꦏꦴꦭ (Javanese script)
• កាល (Khmer script)
• ಕಾಲ (Kannada script)
• ກາລ (Lao script)
• കാല (Malayalam script)
• 𑘎𑘰𑘩 (Modi script)
• ᢉᠠᢗᠯᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• ᡬᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠯᠠ (Manchu script)
• ကာလ (Burmese script)
• 𑦮𑧑𑧉 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐎𑐵𑐮 (Newa script)
• କାଲ (Oriya script)
• ꢒꢵꢭ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆑𑆳𑆬 (Sharada script)
• 𑖎𑖯𑖩 (Siddham script)
• කාල (Sinhalese script)
• కాల (Telugu script)
• กาล (Thai script)
• ཀཱ་ལ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒏𑒰𑒪 (Tirhuta script)

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kɑː.lɐ/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑː.l̪ɐ/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Proto-Dravidian *kār; compare Tamil கார் (kār, “black”), கரு (karu), Kannada ಕಾಡು (kāḍu, “blackness, black”), ಕಪ್ಪು (kappu).

Adjective

काल • (kāla)

1. black, dark blue

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of काल (kāla)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	कालः kālaḥ	कालौ kālau	कालाः / कालासः¹ kālāḥ / kālāsaḥ¹
Vocative	काल kāla	कालौ kālau	कालाः / कालासः¹ kālāḥ / kālāsaḥ¹
Accusative	कालम् kālam	कालौ kālau	कालान् kālān
Instrumental	कालेन kālena	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालैः / कालेभिः¹ kālaiḥ / kālebhiḥ¹
Dative	कालाय kālāya	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Ablative	कालात् kālāt	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Genitive	कालस्य kālasya	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालानाम् kālānām
Locative	काले kāle	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालेषु kāleṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of काली (kālī)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	काली kālī	काल्यौ / काली¹ kālyau / kālī¹	काल्यः / कालीः¹ kālyaḥ / kālīḥ¹
Vocative	कालि kāli	काल्यौ / काली¹ kālyau / kālī¹	काल्यः / कालीः¹ kālyaḥ / kālīḥ¹
Accusative	कालीम् kālīm	काल्यौ / काली¹ kālyau / kālī¹	कालीः kālīḥ
Instrumental	काल्या kālyā	कालीभ्याम् kālībhyām	कालीभिः kālībhiḥ
Dative	काल्यै kālyai	कालीभ्याम् kālībhyām	कालीभ्यः kālībhyaḥ
Ablative	काल्याः kālyāḥ	कालीभ्याम् kālībhyām	कालीभ्यः kālībhyaḥ
Genitive	काल्याः kālyāḥ	काल्योः kālyoḥ	कालीनाम् kālīnām
Locative	काल्याम् kālyām	काल्योः kālyoḥ	कालीषु kālīṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of काल (kāla)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	कालम् kālam	काले kāle	कालानि / काला¹ kālāni / kālā¹
Vocative	काल kāla	काले kāle	कालानि / काला¹ kālāni / kālā¹
Accusative	कालम् kālam	काले kāle	कालानि / काला¹ kālāni / kālā¹
Instrumental	कालेन kālena	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालैः / कालेभिः¹ kālaiḥ / kālebhiḥ¹
Dative	कालाय kālāya	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Ablative	कालात् kālāt	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Genitive	कालस्य kālasya	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालानाम् kālānām
Locative	काले kāle	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालेषु kāleṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

Descendants

• Dardic:
  • Kashmiri: کۄلُ‎ (kọlu)
  • Wotapuri-Katarqalai: kāl
• Pali: kāḷa, kāḷaka
• Prakrit: 𑀓𑀸𑀮 (kāla), 𑀓𑀸𑀮𑀬 (kālaya)
  • Central:
    • Ardhamagadhi Prakrit:
      • Awadhi: करिआ (kariā)
    • Sauraseni Prakrit:
      • Domaaki: کال (kāla)
      • Gujarati: કાળું (kāḷũ)
      • Hindustani: kālā, kāliyā

        Hindi: काला, कालिया

        Urdu: کَالَا‎ (kālā), کَالِیَا‎ (kāliyā)

      • Romani: kalo
        • Angloromani: kalo, kala, kali, kalli, kallo, kawla, kawlo, kawlu, kora, kowlo, kula
        • Balkan Romani: kalo
        • Baltic Romani: kalo, kaalò
        • Caló: caló (“tanned, dark-skinned; Romani”)
          • Catalan: caló, calé
          • Spanish: caló
          • Portuguese: caló
        • Carpathian Romani: kalo, kaalo; kaulo; kálo
        • Kalo Finnish Romani: kaalo
        • Sinte Romani: kalo
        • Welsh Romani: kålo
  • Eastern:
    • Magadhi Prakrit:
      • Assamese: ক’লা (kola)
      • Bengali: কালো (kalō), কালা (kala)
      • Bihari: कारी (kārī), करिया (kariyā)
        • Bhojpuri: करिआ (kariā)
        • Magahi: करिआ (kariā)
        • Maithili: कारी (kārī), कारि (kārɨ), करिया (kariyā)
      • Oriya: କଲା (kôla)
  • Northern:
    • Khasa Prakrit:
      • Central Pahari:
        • Kumaoni: कालो (kālo), काव (kāw)
      • Eastern Pahari:
        • Nepali: कालो (kālo)
      • Western Pahari:
        • Bhadrawahi: काओ (kāo)
        • Jaunsari: कावो
  • Northwestern:
    • Paisaci Prakrit:
      • Takka Apabhramsa:
        • Lahnda: کالا‎ (kālā)
        • Punjabi: kālā

          Gurmukhi script: ਕਾਲ਼ਾ

          Shahmukhi script: کالا‎ (kālā)

      • Vracada Apabhramsa:
        • Sanskrit: kāro

          Gurmukhi script: ਕਾਲ਼ਾ (kāḷā)

          Shahmukhi script: کالا‎ (kālā)

  • Southern:
    • Helu Prakrit:
      • Dhivehi: ކަޅު‎ (kaḷu)
      • Sinhalese: කළු (kaḷu), කැලි (kæli)
    • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀓𑀸𑀮 (kāla)
      • Konkani: kāḷễ, kāḷo

        Devanagari script: काळें, काळो

        Kannada script: ಕಾಳೆಂ, ಕಾಳೊ

        Latin script: kallem, kallo

      • Marathi: काळा (kāḷā)
  • Western:
    • Sauraseni Prakrit:
      • Old Gujarati:
        • Gujarati: કાળું (kāḷũ), કાળિયું (kāḷiyũ)
        • Maranao: काळो

Noun

काल • (kāla) m

1. black, dark blue colour
2. pupil (dark part of the eye)

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of काल (kāla)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	कालः kālaḥ	कालौ kālau	कालाः / कालासः¹ kālāḥ / kālāsaḥ¹
Vocative	काल kāla	कालौ kālau	कालाः / कालासः¹ kālāḥ / kālāsaḥ¹
Accusative	कालम् kālam	कालौ kālau	कालान् kālān
Instrumental	कालेन kālena	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालैः / कालेभिः¹ kālaiḥ / kālebhiḥ¹
Dative	कालाय kālāya	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Ablative	कालात् kālāt	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Genitive	कालस्य kālasya	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालानाम् kālānām
Locative	काले kāle	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालेषु kāleṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

See also

Colors in Sanskrit · रङ्ग (raṅga) (layout · text)

श्वेत (śveta)	श्याम (śyāma)	काल (kāla)
रोहित (rohita)	कद्रु (kadru), पिशङ्ग (piśaṅga), पिङ्गल (piṅgala)	पिङ्ग (piṅga); पाण्डु (pāṇḍu)
	हरित् (harit)	श्याम (śyāma)
		नील (nīla)
	नीललोहित (nīlalohita)

Noun

काल • (kāla) n

1. a black kind of agarwood from Agallochum (now Aquilaria)
2. a kind of perfume (कक्कोलक (kakkolaka))
3. iron

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of काल (kāla)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	कालम् kālam	काले kāle	कालानि / काला¹ kālāni / kālā¹
Vocative	काल kāla	काले kāle	कालानि / काला¹ kālāni / kālā¹
Accusative	कालम् kālam	काले kāle	कालानि / काला¹ kālāni / kālā¹
Instrumental	कालेन kālena	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालैः / कालेभिः¹ kālaiḥ / kālebhiḥ¹
Dative	कालाय kālāya	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Ablative	कालात् kālāt	कालाभ्याम् kālābhyām	कालेभ्यः kālebhyaḥ
Genitive	कालस्य kālasya	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालानाम् kālānām
Locative	काले kāle	कालयोः kālayoḥ	कालेषु kāleṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Etymology 2

Vṛddhi derivative of the root कल् (kal, “to calculate or enumerate”).

Noun

काल • (kālá) m

1. a fixed or right point of time, a space of time, time (in general)
2. the proper time or season for (+genitive, dative, locative, in compound, infinitive, or subjunctive with यद् (yad)
   • RV 10.42.9b

     उत परहामतिदीव्या जयाति कर्तं यच्छ्वघ्नी विचिनोतिकाले |

     यो देवकामो न धना रुणद्धि समित तं रायास्र्जति सवधावान ||

     uta prahāmatidīvyā jayāti kṛtaṃ yacchvaghnī vicinotikāle |

     yo devakāmo na dhanā ruṇaddhi samit taṃ rāyāsṛjati svadhāvān ||

     Yea, by superior play he wins advantage, when he, a gambler, piles his gains in season.

     Celestial-natured, he o’erwhelms with riches the devotee who keeps not back his treasure.

   kālaḥ prasthānasya or prasthānāya or prasthāne — time for departure

   kriyā-kāla — time for action

   nā-yaṃ kālo vilambitum — this is not the time to delay

   kālo yad bhuñjīta bhavān — it is time for you to eat

3. occasion, circumstance
4. season
5. meal-time (twice a day)

   ubhau kālau — in the morning and in the evening

   ṣaṣṭhe kāle — in the evening of the third day

   ṣaṣṭhā-nna-kāla — one who eats only at the sixth meal-time, i.e. who passes five meals without eating and has no meal till the evening of the third day; or without अन्न (anna):

   caturtha-kālam — at the fourth meal-time, i.e. at the evening of the second day

6. hour, hence:

   ṣaṣṭhe kāle 'hnaḥ — at the sixth hour of the day, i.e. at noon

7. a period of time, time of the world (= युग (yuga))
8. measure of time, prosody
9. a section, part
10. the end
11. death by age
12. time (as leading to events, the causes of which are imperceptible to the mind of man), destiny, fate
13. time (as destroying all things), death, time of death (often personified and represented with the attributes of Yama, regent of the dead, or even identified with him
    • c. 400 BCE, Bhagavad Gītā Chapter II.32:

      कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो॥

      kāloʼsmi lokakṣayakṛtpravṛddho.

      I am mighty Time, the source of destruction.

    kālam-√i or kālaṃ-√kṛ — to die; kāla in this sense is frequently connected with अन्तक (antaka), मृत्यु (mṛtyu) e.g.

    abhy-adhāvata prajāḥ kāla ivā-ntakaḥ — he attacked the people like Time the destroyer; compare कालान्तक (kālā*ntaka)

14. 'kāla personified is also a देवर्षि (devarṣi) in Indra's court, and a son of Dhruva

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of काल (kālá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	कालः kāláḥ	कालौ kālaú	कालाः / कालासः¹ kālā́ḥ / kālā́saḥ¹
Vocative	काल kā́la	कालौ kā́lau	कालाः / कालासः¹ kā́lāḥ / kā́lāsaḥ¹
Accusative	कालम् kālám	कालौ kālaú	कालान् kālā́n
Instrumental	कालेन kāléna	कालाभ्याम् kālā́bhyām	कालैः / कालेभिः¹ kālaíḥ / kālébhiḥ¹
Dative	कालाय kālā́ya	कालाभ्याम् kālā́bhyām	कालेभ्यः kālébhyaḥ
Ablative	कालात् kālā́t	कालाभ्याम् kālā́bhyām	कालेभ्यः kālébhyaḥ
Genitive	कालस्य kālásya	कालयोः kāláyoḥ	कालानाम् kālā́nām
Locative	काले kālé	कालयोः kāláyoḥ	कालेषु kāléṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

Descendants

• Dardic:
  • Dameli: kâl
  • Indus Kohistani: kāla, kalaĩ
  • Kalami: kāl
  • Kalasha: kau, kālūna
  • Kashmiri: کَال‎
  • Khowar: کل‎ (kala)
  • Pashayi:
    • Northeast Pashayi: kōl
    • Northwest Pashayi: kāl
  • Shina: کال‎ (kāl)
  • Shumashti: kāl
  • Tirahi: kāl
  • Torwali: کال‎ (kāl)
  • Wotapuri-Katarqalai: kāl
  • → Proto-Nuristani:
    • Ashkun: kal
      • ⇒ Ashkun: awat-kāl
    • ⇒ Kamkata-viri: awte-kāl
    • ⇒ Prasuni: wūt-kal
    • Waigali: kāl
• Pali: kāla
  • → Khmer: កាល (kaal)
• Ashokan Prakrit: 𑀓𑀮 (kala), 𑀓𑀸𑀮 (kāla)
  • Prakrit: 𑀓𑀸𑀮 (kāla)
    • Central:
      • Sauraseni Prakrit:
        • Romani: kal
        • Hindustani: kāl, kālā
          • Hindi: काल, काला
          • Urdu: کَال‎ (kāl), کَالَا‎ (kālā)
          • → Maithili: काल (kāl)
    • Eastern:
      • Magadhi Prakrit:
        • Assamese: কাল (kal)
        • Bengali: কাল (kal)
        • Oriya: କାଳ (kaḷô)
    • Northern:
      • Khasa Prakrit:
        • Central Pahari:
          • Garhwali: काळ (kāḷ)
          • Kumaoni: काल (kāl), काव (kāw), कार (kār)
        • Eastern Pahari:
          • Nepali: काल (kāl)
        • Western Pahari:
          • Pangwali: काल (kāl)
    • Northwestern:
      • Paisaci Prakrit:
        • Takka Apabhramsa:
          • Punjabi: kāl

            Gurmukhi script: ਕਾਲ

            Shahmukhi script: کَال‎

        • Vracada Apabhramsa:
          • Sindhi: kālu

            Arabic script: ڪَالُ‎

            Devanagari script: कालु

            • Jadgali: [script needed] (kā'ḷ)
    • Southern:
      • Helu Prakrit:
        • Sinhalese: කල (kala)
      • Maharastri Prakrit:
        • Konkani: kāḷu

          Devanagari script: काळु

          Kannada script: ಕಾಳು

          Latin script: kallu

        • Marathi: काळ (kāḷ)
    • Western:
      • Sauraseni Prakrit:
        • Old Gujarati:
          • Gujarati: કાળ (kāḷ)
          • Old Marwari: काल (kāl)
• → Javanese: ꦏꦭ / kala
• → Malay: kala
  • Indonesian: kala
• → Tamil: காலம் (kālam), கால் (kāl)
• → Malayalam: കാലം (kālaṁ)

References

• Monier Williams (1899), “काल”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0277.
• Agallochum at The Plant List