नख

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit नख (nakha). Doublet of नाख़ून (nāxūn). Cognate with Classical Persian ناخُن, Central Kurdish نینۆک (nînok), Northern Kurdish neynok, Baluchi ناہن (náhun) / ناکن (nákun), Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux), Latin unguis, Old Armenian եղունգն (ełungn) and English nail.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /nəkʰ/, [nɐkʰ]

Noun

नख • (nakh) m (Urdu spelling نکھ)

1. (anatomy) nail, fingernail (of the finger or toe), claw, talon

   Synonym: नाख़ून (nāxūn) (colloquial)

   वह व्यक्ति नख से शिख तक गीला है।

   vah vyakti nakh se śikh tak gīlā hai.

   That man is soaked from his (toe) nails to the hair on his head.

Declension

Declension of नख (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	नख nakh	नख nakh
oblique	नख nakh	नखों nakhõ
vocative	नख nakh	नखो nakho

References

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

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• nakha (Latin script)
• 𑀦𑀔 (Brahmi script)
• নখ (Bengali script)
• නඛ (Sinhalese script)
• နခ or ၼၶ (Burmese script)
• นข or นะขะ (Thai script)
• ᨶᨡ (Tai Tham script)
• ນຂ or ນະຂະ (Lao script)
• នខ (Khmer script)
• 𑄚𑄈 (Chakma script)

Noun

नख m or n

1. Devanagari script form of nakha (“nail”)

Declension

Declension table of "नख" (masculine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	नखो (nakho)	नखा (nakhā)
Accusative (second)	नखं (nakhaṃ)	नखे (nakhe)
Instrumental (third)	नखेन (nakhena)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Dative (fourth)	नखस्स (nakhassa) or नखाय (nakhāya) or नखत्थं (nakhatthaṃ)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	नखस्मा (nakhasmā) or नखम्हा (nakhamhā) or नखा (nakhā)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	नखस्स (nakhassa)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	नखस्मिं (nakhasmiṃ) or नखम्हि (nakhamhi) or नखे (nakhe)	नखेसु (nakhesu)
Vocative (calling)	नख (nakha)	नखा (nakhā)

Declension table of "नख" (neuter)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	नखं (nakhaṃ)	नखानि (nakhāni)
Accusative (second)	नखं (nakhaṃ)	नखानि (nakhāni)
Instrumental (third)	नखेन (nakhena)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Dative (fourth)	नखस्स (nakhassa) or नखाय (nakhāya) or नखत्थं (nakhatthaṃ)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	नखस्मा (nakhasmā) or नखम्हा (nakhamhā) or नखा (nakhā)	नखेहि (nakhehi) or नखेभि (nakhebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	नखस्स (nakhassa)	नखानं (nakhānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	नखस्मिं (nakhasmiṃ) or नखम्हि (nakhamhi) or नखे (nakhe)	नखेसु (nakhesu)
Vocative (calling)	नख (nakha)	नखानि (nakhāni)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• নখ (Assamese script)
• ᬦᬔ (Balinese script)
• নখ (Bengali script)
• 𑰡𑰏 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀦𑀔 (Brahmi script)
• နခ (Burmese script)
• નખ (Gujarati script)
• ਨਖ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌨𑌖 (Grantha script)
• ꦤꦑ (Javanese script)
• 𑂢𑂎 (Kaithi script)
• ನಖ (Kannada script)
• នខ (Khmer script)
• ນຂ (Lao script)
• നഖ (Malayalam script)
• ᠨᠠᡘᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘡𑘏 (Modi script)
• ᠨᠠᠻᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧁𑦯 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐣𑐏 (Newa script)
• ନଖ (Odia script)
• ꢥꢓ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆤𑆒 (Sharada script)
• 𑖡𑖏 (Siddham script)
• නඛ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩯𑩝 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚝𑚋 (Takri script)
• நக² (Tamil script)
• నఖ (Telugu script)
• นข (Thai script)
• ན་ཁ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒢𑒐 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨝𑨌 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hnakʰás, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃nogʰ- (“nail”). Cognate with Classical Persian ناخُن, Central Kurdish نینۆک (nînok), Northern Kurdish neynok, Baluchi ناہن (náhun) / ناکن (nákun), Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux), Latin unguis, Old Armenian եղունգն (ełungn) and English nail.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /nɐ.kʰɐ́/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /n̪ɐ.kʰɐ/

Noun

न॒ख • (nakhá) stem, m or n

1. (anatomy) nail
   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.163.5:

     मेहनाद्वनंकरणाल्लोमभ्यस्ते नखेभ्यः ।
     यक्ष्मं सर्वस्मादात्मनस्तमिदं वि वृहामि ते ॥

     mehanādvanaṃkaraṇāllomabhyaste nakhebhyaḥ.
     yakṣmaṃ sarvasmādātmanastamidaṃ vi vṛhāmi te.

     From what is voided from within, and from thy hair, and from thy nails,
     From all thyself from top to toe, I drive thy malady away.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of नख

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	नखः (nakháḥ)	नखौ (nakháu) नखा¹ (nakhā́¹)	नखाः (nakhā́ḥ) नखासः¹ (nakhā́saḥ¹)
accusative	नखम् (nakhám)	नखौ (nakháu) नखा¹ (nakhā́¹)	नखान् (nakhā́n)
instrumental	नखेन (nakhéna)	नखाभ्याम् (nakhā́bhyām)	नखैः (nakháiḥ) नखेभिः¹ (nakhébhiḥ¹)
dative	नखाय (nakhā́ya)	नखाभ्याम् (nakhā́bhyām)	नखेभ्यः (nakhébhyaḥ)
ablative	नखात् (nakhā́t)	नखाभ्याम् (nakhā́bhyām)	नखेभ्यः (nakhébhyaḥ)
genitive	नखस्य (nakhásya)	नखयोः (nakháyoḥ)	नखानाम् (nakhā́nām)
locative	नखे (nakhé)	नखयोः (nakháyoḥ)	नखेषु (nakhéṣu)
vocative	नख (nákha)	नखौ (nákhau) नखा¹ (nákhā¹)	नखाः (nákhāḥ) नखासः¹ (nákhāsaḥ¹)

• ¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of नख

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	नखम् (nakhám)	नखे (nakhé)	नखानि (nakhā́ni) नखा¹ (nakhā́¹)
accusative	नखम् (nakhám)	नखे (nakhé)	नखानि (nakhā́ni) नखा¹ (nakhā́¹)
instrumental	नखेन (nakhéna)	नखाभ्याम् (nakhā́bhyām)	नखैः (nakháiḥ) नखेभिः¹ (nakhébhiḥ¹)
dative	नखाय (nakhā́ya)	नखाभ्याम् (nakhā́bhyām)	नखेभ्यः (nakhébhyaḥ)
ablative	नखात् (nakhā́t)	नखाभ्याम् (nakhā́bhyām)	नखेभ्यः (nakhébhyaḥ)
genitive	नखस्य (nakhásya)	नखयोः (nakháyoḥ)	नखानाम् (nakhā́nām)
locative	नखे (nakhé)	नखयोः (nakháyoḥ)	नखेषु (nakhéṣu)
vocative	नख (nákha)	नखे (nákhe)	नखानि (nákhāni) नखा¹ (nákhā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Descendants

• Pali: nakha
• Prakrit: 𑀡𑀳 (ṇaha), 𑀡𑀓𑁆𑀔 (ṇakkha)
  • Old Punjabi:

    Gurmukhi script: ਨਹੁ (nahu)

    Shahmukhi script: نہ (nahu)

    • Punjabi:

      Gurmukhi script: ਨਹੁੰ (nahũ), ਨਹੂੰ (nahū̃), ਨਹਿ (nahi), ਨਹਿੰ (nahĩ)

      Shahmukhi script: نَون٘ہہ (nauṉh), نَہُوں (nahūṉ), نَہُں (nahuṉ)

  • Romani: naj
• → Assamese: নখ (nokh)
• → Bengali: নখ (nokh)
• → Gujarati: નખ (nakh)
• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: नख (nakh)

  Urdu: نَکھ (nakh)

• → Konkani: नाखूट (nākhūṭ)
• → Marathi: नख (nakh)
• → Odia: ନଖ (nakha)
• → Tamil: நகம் (nakam)
• → Telugu: నఖము (nakhamu)