कुशल

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit कुशल (kúśala).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /kʊ.ʃəl/, [kʊ.ʃɐl]

Adjective

कुशल • (kuśal) (indeclinable)

1. skilled, experienced
2. prosperous; healthy, well; good

   Synonym: ख़ुशहाल (xuśhāl)

   मैं अमेरिका आके कुशल बन गया हूँ।

   ma͠i amerikā āke kuśal ban gayā hū̃.

   I have come to America and prospered.

Noun

कुशल • (kuśal) m or f

1. (good) health; well-being
2. fortune, luck

Declension

Declension of कुशल (masc cons-stem // fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	कुशल kuśal	कुशल, कुशलें kuśal, kuśalẽ
oblique	कुशल kuśal	कुशलों kuśalõ
vocative	कुशल kuśal	कुशलो kuśalo

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “कुशल”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 208

Nepali

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit कुशल (kuśala).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kusʌl]
• Phonetic Devanagari: कुसल्

Adjective

कुशल • (kuśal)

1. prosperous, healthy, well, good

Proper noun

कुशल • (kuśal) m

1. a male given name, Kushal, from Sanskrit

Declension

Declension of कुशल
	Singular
nominative	कुशल [kusʌl]
accusative	कुशललाई [kusʌlläi]
instrumental/ergative	कुशलले [kusʌlle]
dative	कुशललाई [kusʌlläi]
ablative	कुशलबाट [kusʌlloʈʌ]
genitive	कुशलको [kusʌlko]
locative	कुशलमा [kusʌlmä]
Notes: -को (-ko) becomes: -का (-kā) when followed by a plural noun. -की (-kī) when followed by a feminine noun.

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• কুশল (Assamese script)
• ᬓᬸᬰᬮ (Balinese script)
• কুশল (Bengali script)
• 𑰎𑰲𑰫𑰩 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀓𑀼𑀰𑀮 (Brahmi script)
• ကုၐလ (Burmese script)
• કુશલ (Gujarati script)
• ਕੁਸ਼ਲ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌕𑍁𑌶𑌲 (Grantha script)
• ꦏꦸꦯꦭ (Javanese script)
• 𑂍𑂳𑂬𑂪 (Kaithi script)
• ಕುಶಲ (Kannada script)
• កុឝល (Khmer script)
• ກຸຨລ (Lao script)
• കുശല (Malayalam script)
• ᡬᡠᡧᠠᠯᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘎𑘳𑘫𑘩 (Modi script)
• ᢉᠤᠱᠠᠯᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦮𑧔𑧋𑧉 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐎𑐸𑐱𑐮 (Newa script)
• କୁଶଲ (Odia script)
• ꢒꢸꢯꢭ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆑𑆶𑆯𑆬 (Sharada script)
• 𑖎𑖲𑖫𑖩 (Siddham script)
• කුශල (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩜𑩒𑩿𑩽 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚊𑚰𑚧𑚥 (Takri script)
• குஶல (Tamil script)
• కుశల (Telugu script)
• กุศล (Thai script)
• ཀུ་ཤ་ལ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒏𑒳𑒬𑒪 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨋𑨃𑨮𑨬 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Uncertain. Traditionally derived, per Tedesco, from a metathesis of a hypothetical form *सुकळ (*sukaḷa), a dissimilation of सुकृत (sukṛta, “virtue, favor; well-formed”) (itself from सु- (su-, “well-, eu-”) +‎ कृत (kṛta, “done, made”)), with shift of *स् (*s) > श् (ś) via influence from Magadhi dialects.

However, as Mayrhofer later notes, this is very phonetically bold to the point where he dubs the theory "sound acrobatics". Instead, he tentatively supports a different theory by Wust, which invokes a phrase from the Gṛhyasūtras, कुशली-कर् (kuśalī-kar, “to shear”, literally “to make (trim) like the plant Oxalis corniculata”), as a starting point for the word. The act of shearing hair is ritually performed twice for a Brahmin boy, and is thus a marker of welfare and virtue. The word कुशल (kuśala) is thus abstracted from the phrase, ultimately deriving from कुश (kuśá, “sacred grass”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kú.ɕɐ.lɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ku.ɕɐ.l̪ɐ/

Adjective

कुश॑ल • (kúśala) stem

1. right, proper, suitable, good
2. well, healthy, in good condition, prosperous
3. fit for, competent, able, skilful, clever, conversant with

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of कुश॑ल

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुश॑लः (kúśalaḥ)	कुश॑लौ (kúśalau) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुश॑लाः (kúśalāḥ) कुश॑लासः¹ (kúśalāsaḥ¹)
accusative	कुश॑लम् (kúśalam)	कुश॑लौ (kúśalau) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुश॑लान् (kúśalān)
instrumental	कुश॑लेन (kúśalena)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लैः (kúśalaiḥ) कुश॑लेभिः¹ (kúśalebhiḥ¹)
dative	कुश॑लाय (kúśalāya)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
ablative	कुश॑लात् (kúśalāt)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
genitive	कुश॑लस्य (kúśalasya)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लेषु (kúśaleṣu)
vocative	कुश॑ल (kúśala)	कुश॑लौ (kúśalau) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुश॑लाः (kúśalāḥ) कुश॑लासः¹ (kúśalāsaḥ¹)

• ¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of कुश॑ला

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुश॑ला (kúśalā)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लाः (kúśalāḥ)
accusative	कुश॑लाम् (kúśalām)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लाः (kúśalāḥ)
instrumental	कुश॑लया (kúśalayā) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लाभिः (kúśalābhiḥ)
dative	कुश॑लायै (kúśalāyai)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लाभ्यः (kúśalābhyaḥ)
ablative	कुश॑लायाः (kúśalāyāḥ) कुश॑लायै² (kúśalāyai²)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लाभ्यः (kúśalābhyaḥ)
genitive	कुश॑लायाः (kúśalāyāḥ) कुश॑लायै² (kúśalāyai²)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुश॑लायाम् (kúśalāyām)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लासु (kúśalāsu)
vocative	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लाः (kúśalāḥ)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of कुश॑ल

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुश॑लम् (kúśalam)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लानि (kúśalāni) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)
accusative	कुश॑लम् (kúśalam)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लानि (kúśalāni) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)
instrumental	कुश॑लेन (kúśalena)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लैः (kúśalaiḥ) कुश॑लेभिः¹ (kúśalebhiḥ¹)
dative	कुश॑लाय (kúśalāya)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
ablative	कुश॑लात् (kúśalāt)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
genitive	कुश॑लस्य (kúśalasya)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लेषु (kúśaleṣu)
vocative	कुश॑ल (kúśala)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लानि (kúśalāni) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Derived terms

• कुशलेन (kuśalena)
• कौशल (kauśala)

Descendants

• Gandhari: 𐨐𐨂𐨭𐨫 (kuśala)
• → Hindi: कुशल (kuśal) (learned)
• → Indonesian: kusala (learned)
• → Nepali: कुशल (kuśal) (learned)
• Pali: kusala
• Prakrit: 𑀓𑀼𑀲𑀮 (kusala)
  • Hindi: कुसल (kusal)
• → Tocharian B: kuśal (learned)

Noun

कुश॑ल • (kúśala) stem, n

1. welfare, well-being, prosperous condition, happiness
2. benevolence
3. virtue
4. cleverness, competence, ability
5. religious merit

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of कुश॑ल

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	कुश॑लम् (kúśalam)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लानि (kúśalāni) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)
accusative	कुश॑लम् (kúśalam)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लानि (kúśalāni) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)
instrumental	कुश॑लेन (kúśalena)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लैः (kúśalaiḥ) कुश॑लेभिः¹ (kúśalebhiḥ¹)
dative	कुश॑लाय (kúśalāya)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
ablative	कुश॑लात् (kúśalāt)	कुश॑लाभ्याम् (kúśalābhyām)	कुश॑लेभ्यः (kúśalebhyaḥ)
genitive	कुश॑लस्य (kúśalasya)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लानाम् (kúśalānām)
locative	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लयोः (kúśalayoḥ)	कुश॑लेषु (kúśaleṣu)
vocative	कुश॑ल (kúśala)	कुश॑ले (kúśale)	कुश॑लानि (kúśalāni) कुश॑ला¹ (kúśalā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Descendants

• → Khmer: កុសល (kosɑl)
• Pali: kusala
• → Thai: กุศล (gù-sǒn)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899), “कुशल”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 297, column 2.