चतुर

See also: चतुर्, चूतर, चैत्र, and चित्र

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit चतुर (catura).

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃə.t̪ʊɾ/, [t͡ʃɐ.t̪ʊɾ]

Adjective

चतुर • (catur) (indeclinable)

Derived terms

चतुराई (caturāī)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

চতুৰ (Assamese script)
ᬘᬢᬸᬭ (Balinese script)
চতুর (Bengali script)
𑰓𑰝𑰲𑰨 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀘𑀢𑀼𑀭 (Brahmi script)
စတုရ (Burmese script)
ચતુર (Gujarati script)
ਚਤੁਰ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰 (Grantha script)
ꦕꦠꦸꦫ (Javanese script)
𑂒𑂞𑂳𑂩 (Kaithi script)
ಚತುರ (Kannada script)
ចតុរ (Khmer script)
ຈຕຸຣ (Lao script)
ചതുര (Malayalam script)
ᢜᠠᢠᡠᡵᠠ (Manchu script)
𑘓𑘝𑘳𑘨 (Modi script)
ᢋᠠᢐᠤᠷᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
𑦳𑦽𑧔𑧈 (Nandinagari script)
𑐔𑐟𑐸𑐬 (Newa script)
ଚତୁର (Odia script)
ꢗꢡꢸꢬ (Saurashtra script)
𑆖𑆠𑆶𑆫 (Sharada script)
𑖓𑖝𑖲𑖨 (Siddham script)
චතුර (Sinhalese script)
𑩡𑩫𑩒𑩼 (Soyombo script)
𑚏𑚙𑚰𑚤 (Takri script)
சதுர (Tamil script)
చతుర (Telugu script)
จตุร (Thai script)
ཙ་ཏུ་ར (Tibetan script)
𑒔𑒞𑒳𑒩 (Tirhuta script)
𑨣𑨙𑨃𑨫 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Of unclear origin.

Traditionally derived from चतुर् (catur, “four”), with an interpretation of "having the four"; the four in question are folk-etymologically interpreted as the Vedas.^[1]

An alternative theory considers the word a Dravidian borrowing; compare Tamil சதுர் (catur, “ability, skill, dexterity”) and Telugu చదువు (caduvu, “to read, study”).^[2] In light of the exact phonetic and semantic match as well as the word's lack of attestation in Vedic, this derivation is quite likely. However, it is also possible that the Dravidian terms are borrowed from Indo-Aryan rather than the other way around.^[3]

The relation to words like चटुल (caṭula, “trembling, unsteady, fine”), चटु (caṭu, “kind or flattering words”), and चाटु (cāṭu, “pleasing words, flattery”) is unclear and uncertain.^[1]^[3]

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕɐ.tu.ɾɐ/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕɐ.t̪u.ɾɐ/

Adjective

चतुर • (catura)

dexterous, clever, ingenious, shrewd
charming, agreeable

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of चतुर
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चतुरः (caturaḥ)	चतुरौ (caturau) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुराः (caturāḥ) चतुरासः¹ (caturāsaḥ¹)
vocative	चतुर (catura)	चतुरौ (caturau) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुराः (caturāḥ) चतुरासः¹ (caturāsaḥ¹)
accusative	चतुरम् (caturam)	चतुरौ (caturau) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुरान् (caturān)
instrumental	चतुरेण (catureṇa)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरैः (caturaiḥ) चतुरेभिः¹ (caturebhiḥ¹)
dative	चतुराय (caturāya)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
ablative	चतुरात् (caturāt)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
genitive	चतुरस्य (caturasya)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुराणाम् (caturāṇām)
locative	चतुरे (cature)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुरेषु (catureṣu)

¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of चतुरा
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चतुरा (caturā)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराः (caturāḥ)
vocative	चतुरे (cature)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराः (caturāḥ)
accusative	चतुराम् (caturām)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराः (caturāḥ)
instrumental	चतुरया (caturayā) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुराभिः (caturābhiḥ)
dative	चतुरायै (caturāyai)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुराभ्यः (caturābhyaḥ)
ablative	चतुरायाः (caturāyāḥ) चतुरायै² (caturāyai²)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुराभ्यः (caturābhyaḥ)
genitive	चतुरायाः (caturāyāḥ) चतुरायै² (caturāyai²)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुराणाम् (caturāṇām)
locative	चतुरायाम् (caturāyām)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुरासु (caturāsu)

¹Vedic
²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of चतुर
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चतुरम् (caturam)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराणि (caturāṇi) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)
vocative	चतुर (catura)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराणि (caturāṇi) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)
accusative	चतुरम् (caturam)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराणि (caturāṇi) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)
instrumental	चतुरेण (catureṇa)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरैः (caturaiḥ) चतुरेभिः¹ (caturebhiḥ¹)
dative	चतुराय (caturāya)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
ablative	चतुरात् (caturāt)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
genitive	चतुरस्य (caturasya)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुराणाम् (caturāṇām)
locative	चतुरे (cature)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुरेषु (catureṣu)

¹Vedic

Noun

चतुर • (catura) stem, m

a round pillow
Labeo rohita, a fish of the carp family Cyprinidae, found in the Ganges river

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of चतुर
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चतुरः (caturaḥ)	चतुरौ (caturau) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुराः (caturāḥ) चतुरासः¹ (caturāsaḥ¹)
vocative	चतुर (catura)	चतुरौ (caturau) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुराः (caturāḥ) चतुरासः¹ (caturāsaḥ¹)
accusative	चतुरम् (caturam)	चतुरौ (caturau) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)	चतुरान् (caturān)
instrumental	चतुरेण (catureṇa)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरैः (caturaiḥ) चतुरेभिः¹ (caturebhiḥ¹)
dative	चतुराय (caturāya)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
ablative	चतुरात् (caturāt)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
genitive	चतुरस्य (caturasya)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुराणाम् (caturāṇām)
locative	चतुरे (cature)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुरेषु (catureṣu)

¹Vedic

Noun

चतुर • (catura) stem, n

an elephant's stable

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of चतुर
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चतुरम् (caturam)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराणि (caturāṇi) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)
vocative	चतुर (catura)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराणि (caturāṇi) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)
accusative	चतुरम् (caturam)	चतुरे (cature)	चतुराणि (caturāṇi) चतुरा¹ (caturā¹)
instrumental	चतुरेण (catureṇa)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरैः (caturaiḥ) चतुरेभिः¹ (caturebhiḥ¹)
dative	चतुराय (caturāya)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
ablative	चतुरात् (caturāt)	चतुराभ्याम् (caturābhyām)	चतुरेभ्यः (caturebhyaḥ)
genitive	चतुरस्य (caturasya)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुराणाम् (caturāṇām)
locative	चतुरे (cature)	चतुरयोः (caturayoḥ)	चतुरेषु (catureṣu)

¹Vedic

Derived terms

चातुर्य (cāturya)

Descendants

→ Hindi: चतुर (catur) (learned)
→ Punjabi: ਚਤਰ (catar) (learned)
→ Telugu: చతుర (catura)

References

Monier Williams (1899) “चतुर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 386/1.
[3] Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 178
^ Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) “catur”, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 205.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎^[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 370-1

[EWAia-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 178

[2] Burrow, T., Emeneau, M. B. (1984) “catur”, in A Dravidian etymological dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 205.

[KEWA-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎^[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 370-1

[1]

[2]

[3]