ढाई

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Old Hindi अढाई (aḍhāī), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀅𑀟𑁆𑀠𑀸𑀇𑀬 (aḍḍhāiya), from Sanskrit अर्धतृतीय (ardhatṛtīya, “[two full ones and] the half of the third”). Cognate with Bengali আড়াই (aṛai), Assamese আঢ়ৈ (arhoi).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /ɖʱɑː.iː/, [ɖʱäː.iː]

Numeral

ढाई • (ḍhāī) (Urdu spelling ڈھائی)

1. two and a half

   ढाई लाख रुपये ― ḍhāī lākh rupye ― two-hundred and fifty thousand rupees (literally, “two and a half lakh rupees”)

2. half past two

See also

• डेढ़ (ḍeṛh)
• साढ़े (sāṛhe)

References

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “ardhatr̥tīya”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press