चूर्ण

See also: चरण and चरणौ

Hindi

Alternative forms

• चूरा (cūrā), चूरन (cūran)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit चूर्ण (cūrṇa). Doublet of चूना (cūnā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃuːɾɳ/

Noun

चूर्ण • (cūrṇ) m

1. powder (finely ground substance)
2. (specifically, medicine) digestive powder

Declension

Declension of चूर्ण (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	चूर्ण cūrṇ	चूर्ण cūrṇ
oblique	चूर्ण cūrṇ	चूर्णों cūrṇõ
vocative	चूर्ण cūrṇ	चूर्णो cūrṇo

Derived terms

• चूर्ण करना (cūrṇ karnā, “to pulverize”)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• চূৰ্ণ (Assamese script)
• ᬘᬹᬃᬡ (Balinese script)
• চূর্ণ (Bengali script)
• 𑰓𑰳𑰨𑰿𑰜 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀘𑀽𑀭𑁆𑀡 (Brahmi script)
• စူရ်္ဏ (Burmese script)
• ચૂર્ણ (Gujarati script)
• ਚੂਰ੍ਣ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌚𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌣 (Grantha script)
• ꦕꦹꦂꦟ (Javanese script)
• 𑂒𑂴𑂩𑂹𑂝 (Kaithi script)
• ಚೂರ್ಣ (Kannada script)
• ចូណ៌ (Khmer script)
• ຈູຣ຺ຓ (Lao script)
• ചൂര്ണ (Malayalam script)
• ᢜᡠᡠᡵᢏᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘓𑘴𑘨𑘿𑘜 (Modi script)
• ᢋᠤᠤᠷᢏᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦳𑧕𑧈𑧠𑦼 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐔𑐹𑐬𑑂𑐞 (Newa script)
• ଚୂର୍ଣ (Odia script)
• ꢗꢹꢬ꣄ꢠ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆖𑆷𑆫𑇀𑆟 (Sharada script)
• 𑖓𑖳𑖨𑖿𑖜 (Siddham script)
• චූර්‍ණ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩡𑩒𑩛𑩼 𑪙𑩪 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚏𑚱𑚤𑚶𑚘 (Takri script)
• சூர்ண (Tamil script)
• చూర్ణ (Telugu script)
• จูรฺณ (Thai script)
• ཙཱུ་རྞ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒔𑒴𑒩𑓂𑒝 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨣𑨃𑨊𑨫𑩇𑨘 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Unknown, according to prior literature.

One possibility which has not been proposed thus far is a derivation from क्षु॒ण्ण (kṣuṇṇá, “pounded, pulverised”), from the root क्षुद् (kṣud). This is semantically attractive, but the known descendants are Prakrit 𑀔𑀼𑀡𑁆𑀡 (khuṇṇa) ~ 𑀙𑀼𑀡𑁆𑀡 (chuṇṇa), where the initial is (expectedly) aspirated. The loss of aspiration can be explained by comparing with another case of loss of aspiration for a term from the same root: Sanskrit क्षु॒द्र (kṣudrá) > Prakrit 𑀘𑀼𑀮𑁆𑀮 (culla, “small”), alongside 𑀔𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀤 (khudda), 𑀔𑀼𑀮𑁆𑀮 (khulla), 𑀙𑀼𑀮𑁆𑀮 (chulla, “small”).

The previously proposed theories are all considered not compelling by Mayrhofer:

• Somehow influenced by मू॒र्ण (mūrṇá, “crushed”), from मृ (mṛ, “to crush”).
• Connected to चर्व् (carv, “to chew”), but this is rejected by Mayrhofer and Turner.
• Somehow from a palatalised form of कॄ (kṝ, “to scatter”), whence e.g. कि॒रण॑ (kiráṇa, “dust”). This is considered too uncertain by Clayton.
• Some sort of Prakritism from अति (ati, “very”) +‎ वृ (vṛ, “to cover”), with the latter bearing a form such as ऊर्णोति (ūrṇoti, “to cover”, pres) resulting in *aty-ūrṇ- > *(a)cūrṇ- under Prakritic sound changes.

By surface analysis, from the root चूर्ण् (cūrṇ) +‎ -अ (-a); the root is of course a back-formation from this term. Given the lack of known etymologies, this term itself is plausibly a Sanskritization of Prakrit 𑀘𑀼𑀡𑁆𑀡 (cuṇṇa).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕuːɾ.ɳɐ/

Adjective

चूर्ण • (cūrṇa) stem

1. minute
   • 550 CE, Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā 81.6:

     विषमं कृष्णश्वेतं लघु कौबेरं प्रमाणतेजोवत् ।
     निम्बफलत्रिपुटधान्यकचूर्णाः स्युः पाण्ड्यवाटभवाः ॥

     viṣamaṃ kṛṣṇaśvetaṃ laghu kauberaṃ pramāṇatejovat.
     nimbaphalatripuṭadhānyakacūrṇāḥ syuḥ pāṇḍyavāṭabhavāḥ.

     • 1946 translation by Panditbhushan V. Subrahmanya Shastri and Vidwan M. Ramkrishna Bhat

       [those from the North country] are rough, black or white, light, of good size and brilliancy; and those from Pandya Vata are like the neem fruit, or coriander seed, trigonal and very minute

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of चूर्ण

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चूर्णः (cūrṇaḥ)	चूर्णौ (cūrṇau)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ)
accusative	चूर्णम् (cūrṇam)	चूर्णौ (cūrṇau)	चूर्णान् (cūrṇān)
instrumental	चूर्णेन (cūrṇena)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णैः (cūrṇaiḥ)
dative	चूर्णाय (cūrṇāya)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	चूर्णात् (cūrṇāt)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	चूर्णस्य (cūrṇasya)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णानाम् (cūrṇānām)
locative	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णेषु (cūrṇeṣu)
vocative	चूर्ण (cūrṇa)	चूर्णौ (cūrṇau)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ)

Feminine ā-stem declension of चूर्णा

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चूर्णा (cūrṇā)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ)
accusative	चूर्णाम् (cūrṇām)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ)
instrumental	चूर्णया (cūrṇayā)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णाभिः (cūrṇābhiḥ)
dative	चूर्णायै (cūrṇāyai)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णाभ्यः (cūrṇābhyaḥ)
ablative	चूर्णायाः (cūrṇāyāḥ)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णाभ्यः (cūrṇābhyaḥ)
genitive	चूर्णायाः (cūrṇāyāḥ)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णानाम् (cūrṇānām)
locative	चूर्णायाम् (cūrṇāyām)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णासु (cūrṇāsu)
vocative	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ)

Neuter a-stem declension of चूर्ण

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चूर्णम् (cūrṇam)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णानि (cūrṇāni)
accusative	चूर्णम् (cūrṇam)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णानि (cūrṇāni)
instrumental	चूर्णेन (cūrṇena)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णैः (cūrṇaiḥ)
dative	चूर्णाय (cūrṇāya)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	चूर्णात् (cūrṇāt)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	चूर्णस्य (cūrṇasya)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णानाम् (cūrṇānām)
locative	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णेषु (cūrṇeṣu)
vocative	चूर्ण (cūrṇa)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णानि (cūrṇāni)

Noun

चूर्ण • (cūrṇa) stem, m

1. powder
2. chalk, lime
   • 550 CE, Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā 27.36

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of चूर्ण

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चूर्णः (cūrṇaḥ)	चूर्णौ (cūrṇau) चूर्णा¹ (cūrṇā¹)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ) चूर्णासः¹ (cūrṇāsaḥ¹)
accusative	चूर्णम् (cūrṇam)	चूर्णौ (cūrṇau) चूर्णा¹ (cūrṇā¹)	चूर्णान् (cūrṇān)
instrumental	चूर्णेन (cūrṇena)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णैः (cūrṇaiḥ) चूर्णेभिः¹ (cūrṇebhiḥ¹)
dative	चूर्णाय (cūrṇāya)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	चूर्णात् (cūrṇāt)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	चूर्णस्य (cūrṇasya)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णानाम् (cūrṇānām)
locative	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णेषु (cūrṇeṣu)
vocative	चूर्ण (cūrṇa)	चूर्णौ (cūrṇau) चूर्णा¹ (cūrṇā¹)	चूर्णाः (cūrṇāḥ) चूर्णासः¹ (cūrṇāsaḥ¹)

• ¹Vedic

Descendants

Inherited

• Pali: cuṇṇa
• Prakrit: 𑀘𑀼𑀡𑁆𑀡 (cuṇṇa)
  • Central Indo-Aryan:
    • Hindustani:
      • Hindi: चूना (cūnā)
  • Eastern Indo-Aryan:
    • Bengali-Assamese:
      • Assamese: চূণ (sun)
      • Bengali: চুন (cun)

From *चूर (*cūra)

• Dardic:
  • Kashmiri: ژوٗر (ċūr)
• Prakrit: 𑀘𑀽𑀭 (cūra)
  • Central Indo-Aryan:
    • Hindustani:
      • Hindi: चूर (cūr), चूरा (cūrā)
      • Urdu: چُور (cūr), چُورَا (cūrā)
  • Eastern Indo-Aryan:
    • Bengali-Assamese:
      • Assamese: চূৰ (sur)
      • Bengali: চুর (cur)
    • Odia: ଚୂର (cura)
  • Northern Indo-Aryan:
    • Kumaoni: चुरो
    • Nepali: चुर (cura)
  • Insular Indo-Aryan:
    • Dhivehi: ހުނި (huni)
    • Sinhalese: හුනු (hunu)
  • Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
    • Punjabic:
      • Punjabi: ਚੂਰ / چُور (cūr)
    • Sindhic:
      • Kachchi: ચૂરો (cūro)
      • Sindhi: چُورُ / चूरु (cūru), چُورو / चूरो (cūro)
  • Southern Indo-Aryan:
    • Marathi: चूर (cūr), चुरा (curā)
  • Western Indo-Aryan:
    • Gujarati: ચૂર (cūr), ચૂરો (cūro)
  • ⇒ Prakrit: 𑀘𑀽𑀭𑁂𑀇 (cūrei) (see there for further descendants)

Borrowed

• → Malayalam: ചൂർണ്ണം (cūṟṇṇaṁ), ചൂർണം (cūṟṇaṁ)
• → Telugu: చూర్ణము (cūrṇamu), చూర్ణం (cūrṇaṁ)
• → Tocharian B: cūrṇä, curm

Noun

चूर्ण • (cūrṇa) stem, n

1. rice mixed with sesame
   • c. 800 BCE, Yājñavalkya 1.303
2. (rhetoric) a kind of easy prose
   • Vām 1.3.25
3. (poetry) dividing a word by separating double consonant for obtaining a different sense (in a riddle etc.)

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of चूर्ण

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	चूर्णम् (cūrṇam)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णानि (cūrṇāni)
accusative	चूर्णम् (cūrṇam)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णानि (cūrṇāni)
instrumental	चूर्णेन (cūrṇena)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णैः (cūrṇaiḥ)
dative	चूर्णाय (cūrṇāya)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
ablative	चूर्णात् (cūrṇāt)	चूर्णाभ्याम् (cūrṇābhyām)	चूर्णेभ्यः (cūrṇebhyaḥ)
genitive	चूर्णस्य (cūrṇasya)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णानाम् (cūrṇānām)
locative	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णयोः (cūrṇayoḥ)	चूर्णेषु (cūrṇeṣu)
vocative	चूर्ण (cūrṇa)	चूर्णे (cūrṇe)	चूर्णानि (cūrṇāni)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899), “चूर्ण”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0401.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “*cūra”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 267