गर्भ

See also: ग्रभ्

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit गर्भ (garbha). Doublet of गाभ (gābh, “pregnancy in animals”)

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /ɡəɾbʱ/

Noun

गर्भ • (garbh) m (Urdu spelling گربھ‎)

1. womb

Declension

Declension of गर्भ (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	गर्भ garbh	गर्भ garbh
oblique	गर्भ garbh	गर्भों garbhõ
vocative	गर्भ garbh	गर्भो garbho

Derived terms

• गर्भावस्था (garbhāvasthā)
• गर्भवती (garbhavtī)
• गर्भिणी (garbhiṇī)
• गर्भनली (garbhanlī)
• गर्भपात (garbhapāt)

Related terms

• गर्भाशय (garbhāśay)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ᬕᬃᬪ (Balinese script)
• গৰ্ভ (Assamese script)
• গর্ভ (Bengali script)
• 𑰐𑰨𑰿𑰥 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀕𑀭𑁆𑀪 (Brahmi script)
• 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌭 (Grantha script)
• ગર્ભ (Gujarati script)
• ਗਰੑਭ (Gurmukhi script)
• ꦒꦂꦨ (Javanese script)
• គភ៌ (Khmer script)
• ಗರ್ಭ (Kannada script)
• ຄຣ຺ຠ (Lao script)
• ഗര്ഭ (Malayalam script)
• 𑘐𑘨𑘿𑘥 (Modi script)
• ᠺᠠᠷᠪᠾᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• ᡤᠠᡵᢨᠠ (Manchu script)
• ဂရ်္ဘ (Burmese script)
• 𑦰𑧈𑧠𑧅 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐐𑐬𑑂𑐨 (Newa script)
• ଗର୍ଭ (Oriya script)
• ꢔꢬ꣄ꢩ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆓𑆫𑇀𑆨 (Sharada script)
• 𑖐𑖨𑖿𑖥 (Siddham script)
• ගර්භ (Sinhalese script)
• గర్భ (Telugu script)
• ครฺภ (Thai script)
• ག་རྦྷ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒑𑒩𑓂𑒦 (Tirhuta script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *gárbʰas, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷólbʰ-o-s, from *gʷelbʰ- (“womb”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬡𐬀‎ (gar^əβa), Ancient Greek δελφύς (delphús, “womb”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɡɐ́ɾ.bʱɐ/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɐɾ.bʱɐ/

Noun

गर्भ • (gárbha) m

1. the womb
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 4.27.1:

     गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषामवेदमहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा।
     शतं मा पुर आयसीररक्षन्नध श्येनो जवसा निरदीयम्॥

     gárbhe nú sánnánveṣāmavedamahám devā́nām jánimāni víśvā. śatám mā púra ā́yasīrarakṣannádha śyenó javásā níradīyam.

     As I lay within the womb, I considered all generations of these Gods in order.
     A hundred iron fortresses confined me but forth I flew with rapid speed as a Falcon.

2. fetus, embryo
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 3.29.2:

     अरण्योर्निहितो जातवेदा गर्भ इव सुधितो गर्भिणीषु।

     aráṇyorníhito jātávedā gárbha iva súdhito garbhíṇīṣu

     In the two fire-sticks Jātavedas lieth, just like the well-placed embryo in pregnant women.

3. child, offspring, brood (especially of birds)
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.73.2:

     अभीवृतेव ता महापदेन ध्वान्तात्प्रपित्वादुदरन्त गर्भाः॥

     abhī́vṛteva tā́ mahāpadéna dhvāntā́tprapitvā́dúdaranta gárbhāḥ.

     As if encompassed by the Mighty-footed, from darkness, near at hand, forth came the Children.

4. the inside, middle or interior of anything
   • c. 400 BCE, Mahābhārata

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of गर्भ (gárbha)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	गर्भः gárbhaḥ	गर्भौ gárbhau	गर्भाः / गर्भासः¹ gárbhāḥ / gárbhāsaḥ¹
Vocative	गर्भ gárbha	गर्भौ gárbhau	गर्भाः / गर्भासः¹ gárbhāḥ / gárbhāsaḥ¹
Accusative	गर्भम् gárbham	गर्भौ gárbhau	गर्भान् gárbhān
Instrumental	गर्भेण gárbheṇa	गर्भाभ्याम् gárbhābhyām	गर्भैः / गर्भेभिः¹ gárbhaiḥ / gárbhebhiḥ¹
Dative	गर्भाय gárbhāya	गर्भाभ्याम् gárbhābhyām	गर्भेभ्यः gárbhebhyaḥ
Ablative	गर्भात् gárbhāt	गर्भाभ्याम् gárbhābhyām	गर्भेभ्यः gárbhebhyaḥ
Genitive	गर्भस्य gárbhasya	गर्भयोः gárbhayoḥ	गर्भाणाम् gárbhāṇām
Locative	गर्भे gárbhe	गर्भयोः gárbhayoḥ	गर्भेषु gárbheṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Derived terms

• गर्भिणी (garbhíṇī, “pregnant”)
• सगर्भ्य (ságarbhya, “full-blooded brother”)

Descendants

• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀕𑀩𑁆𑀪 (gabbha)
• ⇒ Maharastri Prakrit: *𑀕𑀩𑁆𑀪-𑀅 (*gabbha-a)
  • Old Marathi:

    Devanagari script: गाभा (gābhā)

    Modi script: 𑘐𑘰𑘥𑘰 (gābhā)

    • Marathi: गाभा (gābhā)
• Paisaci Prakrit:
  • Punjabi: ਗੱਭ (gabbha, “middle”)
• Pali: gabbha
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀕𑀩𑁆𑀪 (gabbha)
  • Hindi: गाभ (gābh, “pregnancy in animals”)
• → Hindi: गर्भ (garbh)
• → Kannada: ಗರ್ಭ (garbha)
• → Khmer: គភ៌ (kɔə)
• → Lao: ຄັນ (khan)
• → Tamil-Kannada: *karu (“embryo”)
  • Kannada: ಕರು (karu, “calf”)
  • Tamil: கரு (karu)
• → Telugu: గర్భము (garbhamu)
• → Thai: ครรภ์ (kan)

References

• “ग॑भ” in Carl Cappeller, A Sanskrit–English Dictionary: Based upon the St. Petersburg Lexicons, Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, 1891, →OCLC, page 150, column 1.
• Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1893), “गर्भ”, in A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout, London: Oxford University Press, page 083
• Monier Williams (1899), “गर्भ”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 349, column 2.
• Horace Hayman Wilson, A dictionary in Sanscrit and English, 2nd ed., Calcutta: Education Press, Circular Road, 1832, page 284