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 formation in Latin nātū, and English nature.

Pronunciation

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

Adverb

जातु • (jātu)

1. (Vedic) from birth, innately
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 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".