बीज

See also: बाज़ी, बाज़, बजे, and बाजा

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit बीज (bī́ja). Doublet of बीआ (bīā), a tadbhava.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /biːd͡ʒ/

• Audio (Delhi):

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Noun

बीज • (bīj) m (Urdu spelling بیج)

1. seed, seedling
2. nucleus (clarification of this definition is needed)

   Synonym: नाभिक (nābhik)

3. kernel

Declension

Declension of बीज (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	बीज bīj	बीज bīj
oblique	बीज bīj	बीजों bījõ
vocative	बीज bīj	बीजो bījo

References

• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975), “बीज”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. “Sea of Hindi words”] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha, page 3521
• Caturvedi, Mahendra; Bhola Nath Tiwari (1970), “बीज”, in A practical Hindi-English dictionary, Delhi: National Publishing House, page 526
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “बीज”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 738
• Bahri, Hardev (1989), “बीज”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons, page 460.

Marathi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bid͡ʑ/, [biːd͡ʑ]

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit बीज (bīja). First attested as Old Marathi 𑘤𑘲𑘕 (bīja, “seed”). Doublet of बी (bī).

Noun

बीज • (bīj) n

1. seed, seedling

   Synonym: बी (bī)

2. (informal) semen

   Synonyms: वीर्य (vīrya), रेत (ret)

Declension

Declension of बीज (neut cons-stem)

	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन
nominative प्रथमा	बीज bīj	बीजे, बीजं bīje, bīja
oblique सामान्यरूप	बीजा bījā	बीजां- bījā̃-
accusative / dative द्वितीया / चतुर्थी	बीजाला bījālā	बीजांना bījānnā
ergative	बीजाने, बीजानं bījāne, bījāna	बीजांनी bījānnī
instrumental	बीजाशी bījāśī	बीजांशी bījāuśī
locative सप्तमी	बीजात bījāt	बीजांत bījānta
vocative संबोधन	बीजा bījā	बीजांनो bījānno

Oblique Note: The oblique case precedes all postpositions.
There is no space between the stem and the postposition.
Locative Note: -त (-ta) is a postposition.

Genitive declension of बीज (neut cons-stem)

	masculine object पुल्लिंगी कर्म		feminine object स्त्रीलिंगी कर्म		neuter object नपुसकलिंगी कर्म		oblique सामान्यरूप
	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन	singular* एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन
singular subject एकवचनी कर्ता	बीजाचा bījācā	बीजाचे bījāce	बीजाची bījācī	बीजाच्या bījācyā	बीजाचे, बीजाचं bījāce, bījāca	बीजाची bījācī	बीजाच्या bījācyā
plural subject अनेकवचनी कर्ता	बीजांचा bījāñcā	बीजांचे bījāñce	बीजांची bījāñcī	बीजांच्या bījāñcyā	बीजांचे, बीजांचं bījāñce, bījāñca	बीजांची bījāñcī	बीजांच्या bījāñcyā

^* Note: Word-final ए (e) in neuter words is alternatively written with the anusvara and pronounced as अ (a).
Oblique Note: For most postpostions, the oblique genitive can be optionally inserted between the stem and the postposition.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Marathi 𑘤𑘲𑘕 (bīja), from Maharastri Prakrit 𑀩𑀺𑀇𑀚𑁆𑀚 (biijja), from Sanskrit द्वितीय (dvitīya). Doublet of द्वितीय (dvitīy).

Noun

बीज • (bīj) n (archaic)

1. Dwitiya; the second day (tithi) in the lunar fortnight (paksha) of the Hindu calendar.

Declension

Declension of बीज (neut cons-stem)

	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन
nominative प्रथमा	बीज bīj	बीजे, बीजं bīje, bīja
oblique सामान्यरूप	बीजा bījā	बीजां- bījā̃-
accusative / dative द्वितीया / चतुर्थी	बीजाला bījālā	बीजांना bījānnā
ergative	बीजाने, बीजानं bījāne, bījāna	बीजांनी bījānnī
instrumental	बीजाशी bījāśī	बीजांशी bījāuśī
locative सप्तमी	बीजात bījāt	बीजांत bījānta
vocative संबोधन	बीजा bījā	बीजांनो bījānno

Oblique Note: The oblique case precedes all postpositions.
There is no space between the stem and the postposition.
Locative Note: -त (-ta) is a postposition.

Genitive declension of बीज (neut cons-stem)

	masculine object पुल्लिंगी कर्म		feminine object स्त्रीलिंगी कर्म		neuter object नपुसकलिंगी कर्म		oblique सामान्यरूप
	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन	singular* एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन
singular subject एकवचनी कर्ता	बीजाचा bījācā	बीजाचे bījāce	बीजाची bījācī	बीजाच्या bījācyā	बीजाचे, बीजाचं bījāce, bījāca	बीजाची bījācī	बीजाच्या bījācyā
plural subject अनेकवचनी कर्ता	बीजांचा bījāñcā	बीजांचे bījāñce	बीजांची bījāñcī	बीजांच्या bījāñcyā	बीजांचे, बीजांचं bījāñce, bījāñca	बीजांची bījāñcī	बीजांच्या bījāñcyā

^* Note: Word-final ए (e) in neuter words is alternatively written with the anusvara and pronounced as अ (a).
Oblique Note: For most postpostions, the oblique genitive can be optionally inserted between the stem and the postposition.

References

More information

Further reading

• Shankar Gopal Tulpule; Anne Feldhaus (1999), “बीज”, in A Dictionary of Old Marathi, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan

Marwari

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit बीज (bīja).

Noun

बीज (bīj) ?

1. seed
2. sprout
3. semen

Derived terms

• बीजणौ (bījṇau)

Further reading

• Bhanwar, Lal Suthar; Gahlot, Sukhveer Singh (1998), राजस्थानी-हिन्दी-अंग्रेजी कोश [rājasthānī-hindī-aṅgrejī koś, Rajasthani-Hindi-English Dictionary] (in Hindi), Jodhpur: Bharat Printers (Press), page 240

Old Marathi

Noun

बीज (bīja) n

1. Devanagari script form of 𑘤𑘲𑘕

Declension

Declension of बीज
	singular	plural
direct	बीज (bīja)	बिजें (bijeṃ)
oblique	बिजा (bijā)	बिजां (bijāṃ)
instrumental	बिजें (bijeṃ)	बिजीं (bijīṃ)
locative	बिजी (bijī)	बिजीं (bijīṃ)

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• bīja (Latin script)
• 𑀩𑀻𑀚 (Brahmi script)
• বীজ (Bengali script)
• බීජ (Sinhalese script)
• ဗီဇ or ဗဳဇ or ၿီၹ (Burmese script)
• พีช or พีชะ (Thai script)
• ᨻᩦᨩ (Tai Tham script)
• ພີຊ or ພີຊະ (Lao script)
• ពីជ (Khmer script)
• 𑄝𑄩𑄎 (Chakma script)

Noun

बीज n

1. Devanagari script form of bīja

Declension

Declension table of "बीज" (neuter)

Case / Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	बीजं (bījaṃ)	बीजानि (bījāni)
Accusative (second)	बीजं (bījaṃ)	बीजानि (bījāni)
Instrumental (third)	बीजेन (bījena)	बीजेहि (bījehi) or बीजेभि (bījebhi)
Dative (fourth)	बीजस्स (bījassa) or बीजाय (bījāya) or बीजत्थं (bījatthaṃ)	बीजानं (bījānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	बीजस्मा (bījasmā) or बीजम्हा (bījamhā) or बीजा (bījā)	बीजेहि (bījehi) or बीजेभि (bījebhi)
Genitive (sixth)	बीजस्स (bījassa)	बीजानं (bījānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	बीजस्मिं (bījasmiṃ) or बीजम्हि (bījamhi) or बीजे (bīje)	बीजेसु (bījesu)
Vocative (calling)	बीज (bīja)	बीजानि (bījāni)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• বীজ (Assamese script)
• ᬩᬷᬚ (Balinese script)
• বীজ (Bengali script)
• 𑰤𑰱𑰕 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀩𑀻𑀚 (Brahmi script)
• ဗီဇ (Burmese script)
• બીજ (Gujarati script)
• ਬੀਜ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌬𑍀𑌜 (Grantha script)
• ꦧꦷꦗ (Javanese script)
• 𑂥𑂲𑂔 (Kaithi script)
• ಬೀಜ (Kannada script)
• ពីជ (Khmer script)
• ພີຊ (Lao script)
• ബീജ (Malayalam script)
• ᠪᡳᡳᡯᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘤𑘲𑘕 (Modi script)
• ᠪᠢᠢᠽᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧄𑧓𑦵 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐧𑐷𑐖 (Newa script)
• ବୀଜ (Odia script)
• ꢨꢷꢙ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆧𑆵𑆘 (Sharada script)
• 𑖤𑖱𑖕 (Siddham script)
• බීජ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩲𑩑𑩛𑩣 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚠𑚯𑚑 (Takri script)
• பீ³ஜ (Tamil script)
• బీజ (Telugu script)
• พีช (Thai script)
• བཱི་ཛ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒥𑒲𑒖 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨠𑨁𑨊𑨥 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *bíHȷ́am (“seed, semen”). Cognate with Sogdian [script needed] (byz'k, “seed, semen”), Parachi bīz (“seed-corn”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /bíː.d͡ʑɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /biː.d͡ʑɐ/

Noun

बीज॑ • (bī́ja) stem, n

1. seed
   • c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE, Ṛgveda 5.53.13:

     येन तोकाय तनयाय धान्यं बीजं वहध्वे अक्षितम् ।
     अस्मभ्यं तद्धत्तन यद्व ईमहे राधो विश्वायु सौभगम् ॥

     yena tokāya tanayāya dhānyaṃ bījaṃ vahadhve akṣitam.
     asmabhyaṃ taddhattana yadva īmahe rādho viśvāyu saubhagam.

     Grant to us the bounty, that which we implore, through which, for child and progeny,
     Ye give the seed of corn that does not die, and bliss that reaches to all life.

2. semen
3. grain
4. origin
   • c. 400 BCE, Bhagavad Gītā 7.10:

     बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां सनातनम्

     bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sanātanam

     The origin I am of all beings, everlasting

5. any germ, generating element
   1. algebra

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of बीज॑

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	बीज॑म् (bī́jam)	बीजे॑ (bī́je)	बीजा॑नि (bī́jāni) बीजा॑¹ (bī́jā¹)
accusative	बीज॑म् (bī́jam)	बीजे॑ (bī́je)	बीजा॑नि (bī́jāni) बीजा॑¹ (bī́jā¹)
instrumental	बीजे॑न (bī́jena)	बीजा॑भ्याम् (bī́jābhyām)	बीजैः॑ (bī́jaiḥ) बीजे॑भिः¹ (bī́jebhiḥ¹)
dative	बीजा॑य (bī́jāya)	बीजा॑भ्याम् (bī́jābhyām)	बीजे॑भ्यः (bī́jebhyaḥ)
ablative	बीजा॑त् (bī́jāt)	बीजा॑भ्याम् (bī́jābhyām)	बीजे॑भ्यः (bī́jebhyaḥ)
genitive	बीज॑स्य (bī́jasya)	बीज॑योः (bī́jayoḥ)	बीजा॑नाम् (bī́jānām)
locative	बीजे॑ (bī́je)	बीज॑योः (bī́jayoḥ)	बीजे॑षु (bī́jeṣu)
vocative	बीज॑ (bī́ja)	बीजे॑ (bī́je)	बीजा॑नि (bī́jāni) बीजा॑¹ (bī́jā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Derived terms

• बीजक (bī́jaka)
• बीजगणित (bījagaṇita, “algebra”)

Descendants

Inherited

• Dardic:
  • Chitrali:
    • Kalasha: bi
    • Khowar: بی (bi)
  • Kashmiric:
    • Kashmiri: بیول (byōl)
  • Kohistani:
    • Kalami: بی (bi)
    • Torwali: بِژ (biž)
  • Shinaic:
    • Dangari:
      • Palula: bíi
    • Shina: बीँ (bī̃)
  • → Proto-Nuristani: *bī́ya (see there for further descendants)
• Gandhari: 𐨦𐨁𐨩 (biya)
• Niya Prakrit: 𐨧𐨁𐨗𐨹 (bhij́a)
• Prakrit: 𑀩𑀻𑀅 (bīa)
  • Central Indo-Aryan:
    • Hindustani:
      • Hindi: बीआ (bīā), बीया (bīyā)
  • Northern Indo-Aryan:
    • Nepali: बीउ (bīu)
  • Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
    • Punjabi: ਬੀ (bī)
  • Southern Indo-Aryan:
    • Konkani: बी / ಬೀ / bim (bī)
    • Old Marathi: बीं / 𑘤𑘲𑘽 (bīṃ)
      • Marathi: बी (bī)
  • Western Indo-Aryan:
    • Gujarati: બી (bī), બીયું (bīyũ)

Borrowed

• → Gujarati: બીજ (bīj)
• → Bengali: বীজ (bij)
• → Hindi: बीज (bīj)
• → Khmer: ពីជៈ (piicĕəʼ)
• → Kannada: ಬೀಜ (bīja)
• → Marathi: बीज (bīj)
• → Pali: bīja
  • → Burmese: ဗီဇ (bija.)
  • → Khmer: ពីជៈ (piicĕəʼ)
  • → Lao: ພືດ (phư̄t)
  • → Thai: พืช (pʉ̂ʉt)
• → Punjabi: ਬੀਜ (bīj)
• → Tamil: பீசம் (pīcam)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899), “बीज”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 732, column 2.
• Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2026), “bīja”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.