मधु

See also: मृध and मेध

Bhojpuri

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit मधु (madhu).

Noun

मधु (madhu) ? (Kaithi 𑂧𑂡𑂳)

1. honey

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Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit मधु (mádhu).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /mə.d̪ʱuː/

Noun

मधु • (madhu) m (Urdu spelling مدھو‎)

1. honey

   हर मधुमक्खी रानी के लिए मधु बनाती है।

   har madhumakkhī rānī ke lie madhu banātī hai.

   Every honeybee makes honey for the queen.

   Synonym: शहद (śahad)

Declension

Declension of मधु (masc u-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	मधु madhu	मधु madhu
oblique	मधु madhu	मधुओं madhuõ
vocative	मधु madhu	मधुओ madhuo

Related terms

• मधुर (madhur, “sweet”)

References

• Platts, John T. (1884), “मधु”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.

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Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• madhu (Latin script)
• 𑀫𑀥𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• মধু (Bengali script)
• මධු (Sinhalese script)
• မဓု or မꩪု (Burmese script)
• มธุ or มะธุ (Thai script)
• ᨾᨵᩩ (Tai Tham script)
• ມຘຸ or ມະຘຸ (Lao script)
• មធុ (Khmer script)

Noun

मधु n

1. Devanagari script form of madhu

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Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ᬫᬥᬸ (Balinese script)
• মধু (Assamese script)
• মধু (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰟𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀥𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• 𑌮𑌧𑍁 (Grantha script)
• મધુ (Gujarati script)
• ꦩꦣꦸ (Javanese script)
• មធុ (Khmer script)
• ಮಧು (Kannada script)
• ມຘຸ (Lao script)
• 𑘦𑘠𑘳 (Modi script)
• မဓု (Burmese script)
• 𑧆𑧀𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐢𑐸 (Newa script)
• ମଧୁ (Oriya script)
• ꢪꢤꢸ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆣𑆶 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖠𑖲 (Siddham script)
• మధు (Telugu script)
• มธุ (Thai script)
• མདྷུ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒡𑒳 (Tirhuta script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *mádʰu (“honey, wine”), from Proto-Indo-European *médʰu (“honey, wine, mead”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬜𐬎‎ (maδu), Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu), Lithuanian medùs, Old Church Slavonic медъ (medŭ, “honey”), Old English medu (whence English mead).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /mɐ́.d̪ʱu/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ.d̪ʱu/

Noun

मधु • (mádhu) n

1. honey
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 2.39.6:

     ओष्ठाविव मध्व्आस्ने वदन्ता स्तनाविव पिप्यतं जीवसे नः ।
     नासेव नस्तन्वो रक्षितारा कर्णाविव सुश्रुता भूतमस्मे ॥

     oṣṭhāviva madhvāsne vadantā stanāviva pipyataṃ jīvase naḥ .
     nāseva nastanvo rakṣitārā karṇāviva suśrutā bhūtamasme .

     Like two lips that with the mouth speak honey, like two breasts that nourish our existence,
     Like the two nostrils that protect our being, be to us like our ears that hear distinctly.

2. mead; any sweet liquid
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.38.8:

     वाजेवाजेऽवत वाजिनो नो धनेषु विप्रा अमृता ऋतज्ञाः ।
     अस्य मध्वः पिबत मादयध्वं तृप्ता यात पथिभिर्देवयानैः ॥

     vājevāje’vata vājino no dhaneṣu viprā amṛtā ṛtajñāḥ .
     asya madhvaḥ pibata mādayadhvaṃ tṛptā yāta pathibhirdevayānaiḥ .

     Deep-skilled in Law eternal, deathless, Singers, O Vajins, help us in each fray for booty.
     Drink of this mead, be satisfied, be joyful: then go on paths which Gods are wont to travel.

3. the juice or nectar of flowers, any sweet intoxicating drink, wine or spirituous liquor
4. (poetic) milk or anything produced from milk (as butter, ghee etc.)

Declension

Neuter u-stem declension of मधु (mádhu)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	मधु mádhu	मधुनी mádhunī	मधू / मधु / मधूनि¹ mádhū / mádhu / mádhūni¹
Vocative	मधु / मधो mádhu / mádho	मधुनी mádhunī	मधू / मधु / मधूनि¹ mádhū / mádhu / mádhūni¹
Accusative	मधु mádhu	मधुनी mádhunī	मधू / मधु / मधूनि¹ mádhū / mádhu / mádhūni¹
Instrumental	मधुना / मध्वा² mádhunā / mádhvā²	मधुभ्याम् mádhubhyām	मधुभिः mádhubhiḥ
Dative	मधवे / मध्वे³ mádhave / mádhve³	मधुभ्याम् mádhubhyām	मधुभ्यः mádhubhyaḥ
Ablative	मधोः / मधुनः¹ / मध्वः³ mádhoḥ / mádhunaḥ¹ / mádhvaḥ³	मधुभ्याम् mádhubhyām	मधुभ्यः mádhubhyaḥ
Genitive	मधोः / मधुनः¹ / मध्वः³ mádhoḥ / mádhunaḥ¹ / mádhvaḥ³	मधुनोः mádhunoḥ	मधूनाम् mádhūnām
Locative	मधुनि mádhuni	मधुनोः mádhunoḥ	मधुषु mádhuṣu
Notes	¹Later Sanskrit ²Vedic ³Less common

Descendants

• Magadhi Prakrit: [Term?]
  • Assamese: মৌ (mou)
  • Bengali: মউ (môu)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀫𑀳𑀼 (mahu)
  • Konkani: म्होंव (mhõv)
• Pali: madhu
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀫𑀥𑀼 (madhu)
  • Gujarati: મધ (madh)
  • Hindustani:

    Hindi: मधु (madhu)

    Urdu: مدھو‎ (madhu)

  • Romani: mol, mod, mou
• → Assamese: মধু (modhu) (learned)
• → Bengali: মধু (môdhu) (learned)
• → Bhojpuri: मधु (madhu) (learned)
• → Kannada: ಮಧು (madhu) (learned)
• → Malay: madu (learned)
  • Indonesian: madu
• → Marathi: मध (madh) (learned)
• → Old Javanese: madhu
  • Javanese: ꦩꦢꦸ (madu)
  • → Balinese: ᬫᬥᬸ (madu)
• → Old Marathi: 𑘦𑘟𑘳 (madu) (learned)
• → Rohingya: modú (learned)
• → Sinhalese: මධු (madhu) (learned)
• → Sundanese: ᮙᮓᮥ (madu)
• → Old Tamil: 𑀫𑀢𑀼 (matu)
  • Tamil: மது (matu)
• → Telugu: మధువు (madhuvu) (learned)

Related terms

• माधव (mā́dhava)

Proper noun

मधु • (madhu) m

1. name of the first month of the year - Chaitra, the season of spring
2. name of Shiva
3. name of a demon killed by Vishnu

References

• Monier Williams (1899), “मधु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, OCLC 458052227, page 779/2.