जातु

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• জাতু (Assamese script)
• ᬚᬵᬢᬸ (Balinese script)
• জাতু (Bengali script)
• 𑰕𑰯𑰝𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀚𑀸𑀢𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• ဇာတု (Burmese script)
• જાતુ (Gujarati script)
• ਜਾਤੁ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌜𑌾𑌤𑍁 (Grantha script)
• ꦗꦴꦠꦸ (Javanese script)
• 𑂔𑂰𑂞𑂳 (Kaithi script)
• ಜಾತು (Kannada script)
• ជាតុ (Khmer script)
• ຊາຕຸ (Lao script)
• ജാതു (Malayalam script)
• ᡯᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᢠᡠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘕𑘰𑘝𑘳 (Modi script)
• ᠽᠠᢗᢐᠤ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦵𑧑𑦽𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐖𑐵𑐟𑐸 (Newa script)
• ଜାତୁ (Odia script)
• ꢙꢵꢡꢸ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆘𑆳𑆠𑆶 (Sharada script)
• 𑖕𑖯𑖝𑖲 (Siddham script)
• ජාතු (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩣𑩛𑩫𑩒 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚑𑚭𑚙𑚰 (Takri script)
• ஜாது (Tamil script)
• జాతు (Telugu script)
• ชาตุ (Thai script)
• ཛཱ་ཏུ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒖𑒰𑒞𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨥𑨊𑨙𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

The other meanings come from the original sense of "by birth", which is from a neuter adverbial accusative of Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́aHtúš, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-tu-, from *ǵenh₁- (“to be born”). Equivalent to जन् (jan, root) +‎ -तु (-tu). Compare a parallel formations in Latin nātū, and English nature.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /d͡ʑɑ́ː.tu/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /d͡ʑɑː.t̪u/

Adverb

जातु॑ • (jā́tu) (root जन्)

1. (Vedic) from birth; innately
   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.27.11:

     यस्यानक्षा दुहिता जात्व् आस

     yásyānakṣā́ duhitā́ jā́tv ā́sa

     If one's daughter is blind by nature

2. (Vedic, Classical Sanskrit) at all; ever
3. possibly; perhaps (typically preceded by अपि (api) or followed by चिद् (cid))
4. some day; once upon a time

Usage notes

When preceded by न (na) in न जातु (na jātu), the meaning is "not at all" or "never".