छींट

See also: छोटो, छोटी, छोटा, and छोटे

Hindi

Alternative forms

• छीट (chīṭ)

Etymology

Inherited from Ashokan Prakrit *𑀙𑀺𑀝𑁆 (*chiṭ). Related to छींटना (chī̃ṭnā, “to splash, scatter”), छिड़कना (chiṛaknā). Probably unrelated to Sanskrit चित्र (citra, “spotted”), whence चीता (cītā, “cheetah”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃʰĩːʈ/

Noun

छींट • (chī̃ṭ) f

1. splash, drop; scattering

   पानी की छींटें मारना ― pānī kī chī̃ṭẽ mārnā ― to splash water (at someone)

2. the stain made on fabric from a drop of water or other liquid
3. chintz (a calico-pattern Indian fabric)

Declension

Declension of छींट (fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	छींट chī̃ṭ	छींटें chī̃ṭẽ
oblique	छींट chī̃ṭ	छींटों chī̃ṭõ
vocative	छींट chī̃ṭ	छींटो chī̃ṭo

Descendants

• → Dutch: sits
  • → Russian: си́тец (sítec), си́тецъ (sítec) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)
    • → Buryat: сиитис (siitis)
    • → Ingrian: sitsa
    • → Yakut: сиидэс (siides)
    • → Yup'ik: ciitsaaq
• → English: chintz
• → Faroese: kins (probably through another European language)
• → Persian: چیت (čit)
  • → Azerbaijani: çit
  • → Georgian: ჩითი (čiti)
  • → Ottoman Turkish: چیت (çit)
    • Turkish: çit
    • → Armenian: չիթ (čʻitʻ)

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “छींट”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “छीँट”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha