नभस्

Sanskrit

FWOTD – 16 October 2021

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• নভস্ (Assamese script)
• ᬦᬪᬲ᭄ (Balinese script)
• নভস্ (Bengali script)
• 𑰡𑰥𑰭𑰿 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀦𑀪𑀲𑁆 (Brahmi script)
• နဘသ် (Burmese script)
• નભસ્ (Gujarati script)
• ਨਭਸ੍ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌨𑌭𑌸𑍍 (Grantha script)
• ꦤꦨꦱ꧀ (Javanese script)
• 𑂢𑂦𑂮𑂹 (Kaithi script)
• ನಭಸ್ (Kannada script)
• នភស៑ (Khmer script)
• ນຠສ຺ (Lao script)
• നഭസ് (Malayalam script)
• ᠨᠠᢨᠠᠰ᠌ (Manchu script)
• 𑘡𑘥𑘭𑘿 (Modi script)
• ᠨᠠᠪᠾᠠᠰ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧁𑧅𑧍𑧠 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐣𑐨𑐳𑑂 (Newa script)
• ନଭସ୍ (Odia script)
• ꢥꢩꢱ꣄ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆤𑆨𑆱𑇀 (Sharada script)
• 𑖡𑖥𑖭𑖿 (Siddham script)
• නභස් (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩯𑩳𑪁 𑪙 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚝𑚡𑚨𑚶 (Takri script)
• நப⁴ஸ் (Tamil script)
• నభస్ (Telugu script)
• นภสฺ (Thai script)
• ན་བྷ་ས྄ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒢𑒦𑒮𑓂 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨝𑨡𑨰𑨴 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *nebʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *nábʰas

Sanskrit नभस् (nabhas)

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *nábʰas (“cloud, mist”), from Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos. Cognate with Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬠𐬀𐬵 (nabah), Ancient Greek νέφος (néphos), Latin nebula, Hittite 𒉈𒂊𒁉𒅖 (nēpis).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /nɐ́.bʱɐs/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /n̪ɐ.bʱɐs̪/

Noun

नभस् • (nábhas) stem, n

1. mist, fog, clouds, vapour
   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.96.6:

     तं शग्मासो अरुषासो अश्वा बृहस्पतिं सहवाहो वहन्ति।
     सहश्चिद्यस्य नीलवत्सधस्थं नभो न रूपमरुषं वसानाः॥

     taṃ śagmāso aruṣāso aśvā bṛhaspatiṃ sahavāho vahanti.
     sahaścidyasya nīlavatsadhasthaṃ nabho na rūpamaruṣaṃ vasānāḥ.

     Him, this Bṛhaspati, his red-hued horses, drawing together, full of strength, bring hither.
     Robed in red colour like the cloud, they carry the Lord of Might whose friendship gives a dwelling.

2. the sky or atmosphere (in dual: heaven and earth)
   • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda
3. ether (as an element)

Declension

Neuter as-stem declension of नभस्

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	नभः (nábhaḥ)	नभसी (nábhasī)	नभांसि (nábhāṃsi)
accusative	नभः (nábhaḥ)	नभसी (nábhasī)	नभांसि (nábhāṃsi)
instrumental	नभसा (nábhasā)	नभोभ्याम् (nábhobhyām)	नभोभिः (nábhobhiḥ)
dative	नभसे (nábhase)	नभोभ्याम् (nábhobhyām)	नभोभ्यः (nábhobhyaḥ)
ablative	नभसः (nábhasaḥ)	नभोभ्याम् (nábhobhyām)	नभोभ्यः (nábhobhyaḥ)
genitive	नभसः (nábhasaḥ)	नभसोः (nábhasoḥ)	नभसाम् (nábhasām)
locative	नभसि (nábhasi)	नभसोः (nábhasoḥ)	नभःसु (nábhaḥsu)
vocative	नभः (nábhaḥ)	नभसी (nábhasī)	नभांसि (nábhāṃsi)

Descendants

• Pali: nabha
• Prakrit: 𑀡𑀳 (ṇaha)
• → Bengali: নভ (nobho)
• → Hindi: नभ (nabh)
• → Tamil: நபம் (napam)

References

• Monier Williams (1899), “नभस्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 527.
• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890), “नभस्”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan, page 877
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “nábhas-”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 400