छाया

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit छाया (chāyā́). Doublet of छाँव (chā̃v) and साया (sāyā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃʰɑː.jɑː/, [t͡ʃʰäː.jäː]

Noun

छाया • (chāyā) f (Urdu spelling چھایا)

1. shade, a shady place

   Synonym: छाँव (chā̃v)

   तुम्हें छाया में बैठना चाहिए, क्योंकि बहुत गर्मी है।

   tumhẽ chāyā mẽ baiṭhnā cāhie, kyõki bahut garmī hai.

   You should sit in the shade, because it is very hot.

2. shadow, silhouette

   Synonym: परछाई (parchāī)

   पृथ्वी की छाया चन्द्रमा पर है।

   pŕthvī kī chāyā candramā par hai.

   The earth's shadow is on the moon.

3. (rare) apparition, spectre
4. (figuratively) refuge, protection, shelter

Declension

Declension of छाया (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	छाया chāyā	छायाएँ chāyāẽ
oblique	छाया chāyā	छायाओं chāyāõ
vocative	छाया chāyā	छायाओ chāyāo

Proper noun

छाया • (chāyā) f

1. (Hinduism) Chhaya, the goddess of shadows, the wife of Sun God Surya
2. a female given name, Chhaya, from Sanskrit

Declension

Declension of छाया (sg-only fem ā-stem)

	singular
direct	छाया chāyā
oblique	छाया chāyā
vocative	छाया chāyā

References

• Platts, John T. (1884), “छाया”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co., page 457
• Bahri, Hardev (1989), “छाया”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons, page 212.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• chāyā (Latin script)
• 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ছাযা (Bengali script)
• ඡායා (Sinhalese script)
• ဆာယာ or ꧡႃယႃ (Burmese script)
• ฉายา (Thai script)
• ᨨᩣᨿᩣ (Tai Tham script)
• ຉາຍາ or ຉາຢາ (Lao script)
• ឆាយា (Khmer script)
• 𑄍𑄂𑄠𑄂 (Chakma script)

Noun

छाया f

1. Devanagari script form of chāyā

Declension

Declension table of "छाया" (feminine)

Case / Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	छाया (chāyā)	छायायो (chāyāyo) or छाया (chāyā)
Accusative (second)	छायं (chāyaṃ)	छायायो (chāyāyo) or छाया (chāyā)
Instrumental (third)	छायाय (chāyāya)	छायाहि (chāyāhi) or छायाभि (chāyābhi)
Dative (fourth)	छायाय (chāyāya)	छायानं (chāyānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	छायाय (chāyāya)	छायाहि (chāyāhi) or छायाभि (chāyābhi)
Genitive (sixth)	छायाय (chāyāya)	छायानं (chāyānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	छायाय (chāyāya) or छायायं (chāyāyaṃ)	छायासु (chāyāsu)
Vocative (calling)	छाये (chāye)	छायायो (chāyāyo) or छाया (chāyā)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ছায়া (Assamese script)
• ᬙᬵᬬᬵ (Balinese script)
• ছায়া (Bengali script)
• 𑰔𑰯𑰧𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဆာယာ (Burmese script)
• છાયા (Gujarati script)
• ਛਾਯਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌛𑌾𑌯𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦖꦴꦪꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂓𑂰𑂨𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಛಾಯಾ (Kannada script)
• ឆាយា (Khmer script)
• ຉາຍາ (Lao script)
• ഛായാ (Malayalam script)
• ᡮᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠶᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘔𑘰𑘧𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠼᠠᢗᠶ᠋ᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦴𑧑𑧇𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐕𑐵𑐫𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଛାଯା (Odia script)
• ꢘꢵꢫꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆗𑆳𑆪𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖔𑖯𑖧𑖯 (Siddham script)
• ඡායා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩢𑩛𑩻𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚐𑚭𑚣𑚭 (Takri script)
• ச²ாயா (Tamil script)
• ఛాయా (Telugu script)
• ฉายา (Thai script)
• ཚཱ་ཡཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒕𑒰𑒨𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨤𑨊𑨪𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *śćaHyáH (“shadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃ih₂, from *(s)ḱeh₃- (“darkness, shadow”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬀-𐬯𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀 (a-saiia, “shadowless”), Persian سایه (sâye, “shadow”), Latin obscūrus, Ancient Greek σκιά (skiá), English shadow.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕʰɑː.jɑ́ː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /t͡ɕʰɑː.jɑː/

Noun

छा॒या • (chāyā́) stem, f

1. shadow; shade; shady place
   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 6.16.38:

     उप च्छायाम् इव घृणेर् अगन्म शर्म ते वयम् ।

     upa cchāyām iva ghṛṇer aganma śarma te vayam.

     To thee for shelter are we come, as to the shade from fervent heat

2. reflection
   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda
3. shading or blending of colours; play of light or colour

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of छा॒या

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	छा॒या (chāyā́)	छा॒ये (chāyé)	छा॒याः (chāyā́ḥ)
accusative	छा॒याम् (chāyā́m)	छा॒ये (chāyé)	छा॒याः (chāyā́ḥ)
instrumental	छा॒यया॑ (chāyáyā) छा॒या¹ (chāyā́¹)	छा॒याभ्या॑म् (chāyā́bhyām)	छा॒याभिः॑ (chāyā́bhiḥ)
dative	छा॒यायै॑ (chāyā́yai)	छा॒याभ्या॑म् (chāyā́bhyām)	छा॒याभ्यः॑ (chāyā́bhyaḥ)
ablative	छा॒यायाः॑ (chāyā́yāḥ) छा॒यायै॑² (chāyā́yai²)	छा॒याभ्या॑म् (chāyā́bhyām)	छा॒याभ्यः॑ (chāyā́bhyaḥ)
genitive	छा॒यायाः॑ (chāyā́yāḥ) छा॒यायै॑² (chāyā́yai²)	छा॒ययोः॑ (chāyáyoḥ) छा॒योः¹ (chāyóḥ¹)	छा॒याना॑म् (chāyā́nām)
locative	छा॒याया॑म् (chāyā́yām)	छा॒ययोः॑ (chāyáyoḥ) छा॒योः¹ (chāyóḥ¹)	छा॒यासु॑ (chāyā́su)
vocative	छाये॑ (chā́ye)	छाये॑ (chā́ye)	छायाः॑ (chā́yāḥ)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• Ashokan Prakrit: 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (chāyā)
  • Ardhamagadhi Prakrit: 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (chāyā)
  • Khasa Prakrit:
    • Garhwali: छेलु (chelu)
    • Kumaoni: छोयो (choyo), छइल (chaila)
    • Nepali: छाया (chāyā, “freckle”), छाहारि (chāhāri)
  • Magadhi Prakrit: 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (chāyā), 𑀙𑀸𑀆 (chāā)
    • Assamese: ছাঁ (sã)
    • Bihari:
      • Bhojpuri: छाँह (chā̃h)
      • Maithili: छाँह (chā̃h), छाहरि (chāhari)
    • Odia: ଛାଇ (chāi)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀙𑀸𑀆 (chāā), 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (chāyā)
  • Paisaci Prakrit:
    • Punjabi: ਛਾਂ (chā̃) / چھاں (chāṉ), ਛਾ (chā)
    • Sindhi: छाँ (chā̃), छांवा (chā̃vā)
  • Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸 (chāyā), 𑀙𑀸𑀆 (chāā)
    • Gujarati: છાંયડી (chā̃yaḍī)
    • Hindustani:

      Hindi: छाँव (chā̃v), छाईं (chāī̃)

      Urdu: چھاؤں (chā'oṉ)

• ⇒ Ashokan Prakrit: *𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸-𑀇𑀮𑁆𑀮 (*chāyā-illa)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀙𑀸𑀇𑀮𑁆𑀮 (chāilla)
• ⇒ Ashokan Prakrit: *𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸-𑀇𑀮𑁆𑀮-𑀇𑀓𑀸 ~ *𑀙𑀸𑀬𑀸-𑀉𑀮𑁆𑀮-𑀇𑀓𑀸 (*chāyā-illa-ikā ~ *chāyā-ulla-ikā)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: *𑀙𑀸𑀆-𑀇𑀮𑁆𑀮-𑀇𑀆 ~ *𑀙𑀸𑀆-𑀉𑀮𑁆𑀮-𑀇𑀆 (*chāā-illa-iā ~ *chāā-ulla-iā)
    • Konkani:

      Balbodh script: साव्ळी (sāvḷī)

      Kannada script: ಸಾವ್ಳೀ (sāvḷī)

      Latin script: savoli

    • Old Marathi:

      Balbodh script: साउली (sāulī)

      Modi script: 𑘭𑘰𑘄𑘩𑘲 (sāulī)

      • Marathi: सावली (sāvlī)
• Dardic:
  • Gawar-Bati: [script needed] (ċhāilat)
  • Kalasha: [script needed] (čhak)
  • Kashmiri: ژھاے (ċhāy)
  • Khowar: [script needed] (čhag)
  • Palula: [script needed] (čhay)
  • Shina: [script needed] (čhāi), [script needed] (čhaš)
  • Tirahi: [script needed] (ċāya)
  • Torwali: [script needed] (čoǰol)
  • Wotapuri-Katarqalai: [script needed] (sāil)
• Helu Prakrit:
  • Dhivehi: ހިޔަނި (hiyani)
  • Sinhalese: සෙය (seya)
• Pali: chāyā
  • → Khmer: ឆាយា (chaayiə)
  • → Burmese: ဆာယာ (hcaya)
  • → Thai: ฉายา (chǎa-yaa)
• → Assamese: ছায়া (saya)
• → Bengali: ছায়া (chaẏa)
• → Hindi: छाया (chāyā)
• → Old Javanese: chāyā, cāyā
  • > Javanese: ꦕꦃꦪ (cahya) (inherited)
• → Malay: cahaya
• → Telugu: ఛాయ (chāya)
• → Urdu: چھایا (chāyā)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899), “छाया”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 406, column 1.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “chāyā́”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 276