महिला

See also: महल and मह्ल

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit महिला (mahilā).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /mə.ɦɪ.lɑː/, [mɐ.ɦɪ.läː], /mɛː.ɦɪ.lɑː/, [mɛː.ɦɪ.läː]

Noun

महिला • (mahilā) f (Urdu spelling مَہِیلا)

1. lady, female, woman

   Synonyms: नारी (nārī), स्त्री (strī), मां समान (mā̃ samān)

   यह स्नानघर केवल महिलाओं के लिए है।

   yah snānghar keval mahilāõ ke lie hai.

   This bathroom is for ladies only.

Declension

Declension of महिला (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	महिला mahilā	महिलाएँ mahilāẽ
oblique	महिला mahilā	महिलाओं mahilāõ
vocative	महिला mahilā	महिलाओ mahilāo

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989), “महिला”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “महिला”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press

Nepali

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʌ.ilä]
• Phonetic Devanagari: मइला

Noun

महिला • (mahilā)

1. woman, female

   Synonyms: स्त्री (strī), नारी (nārī), आइमाई (āimāī)

2. lady
3. ma'am

References

• “महिला”, in नेपाली बृहत् शब्दकोश (nepālī br̥hat śabdakoś) [Comprehensive Nepali Dictionary]‎^[4], Kathmandu: Nepal Academy, 2018
• Schmidt, Ruth L. (1993), “महिला”, in A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali, Ratna Sagar

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• মহিলা (Assamese script)
• ᬫᬳᬶᬮᬵ (Balinese script)
• মহিলা (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰮𑰰𑰩𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀮𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• မဟိလာ (Burmese script)
• મહિલા (Gujarati script)
• ਮਹਿਲਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌲𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦩꦲꦶꦭꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂧𑂯𑂱𑂪𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಮಹಿಲಾ (Kannada script)
• មហិលា (Khmer script)
• ມຫິລາ (Lao script)
• മഹിലാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠮᠠᡥᡳᠯᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘦𑘮𑘱𑘩𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠮᠠᠾᠢᠯᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧆𑧎𑧒𑧉𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐴𑐶𑐮𑐵 (Newa script)
• ମହିଲା (Odia script)
• ꢪꢲꢶꢭꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆲𑆴𑆬𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖮𑖰𑖩𑖯 (Siddham script)
• මහිලා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩴𑪂𑩑𑩽𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚢𑚩𑚮𑚥𑚭 (Takri script)
• மஹிலா (Tamil script)
• మహిలా (Telugu script)
• มหิลา (Thai script)
• མ་ཧི་ལཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒯𑒱𑒪𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨢𑨱𑨁𑨬𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Uncertain. Probably from a group of feminine terms derived from Proto-Indo-Iranian *maȷ́ʰā́ (“big”) < Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s meaning "cow", denoting a large feminine animal, or referring to a woman. The relationship or common origin with Girnar Ashokan Prakrit 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀟𑀸 (mahiḍā, “woman”) is unclear. Possible cognate with Khotanese mijṣe (“woman”).

Compare Vedic मही (mahī́), महीलुका (mahī́lukā, “cow”), and the development of महिषी (máhiṣī, “female buffalo > a high-ranking woman (RV.) > first wife of a king (RV.)”) with महिष (mahiṣa, “buffalo, great”).

Descendants with mē̆h- are probably due to influence from मेहना (mehanā, “woman”) and its descendants.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /mɐ.ɦi.lɑ́ː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /mɐ.ɦi.l̪ɑː/

Noun

महिला • (mahilā́) stem, f

1. a woman, a female
2. name of a river

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of महिला

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	महिला (mahilā́)	महिले (mahilé)	महिलाः (mahilā́ḥ)
accusative	महिलाम् (mahilā́m)	महिले (mahilé)	महिलाः (mahilā́ḥ)
instrumental	महिलया (mahiláyā) महिला¹ (mahilā́¹)	महिलाभ्याम् (mahilā́bhyām)	महिलाभिः (mahilā́bhiḥ)
dative	महिलायै (mahilā́yai)	महिलाभ्याम् (mahilā́bhyām)	महिलाभ्यः (mahilā́bhyaḥ)
ablative	महिलायाः (mahilā́yāḥ) महिलायै² (mahilā́yai²)	महिलाभ्याम् (mahilā́bhyām)	महिलाभ्यः (mahilā́bhyaḥ)
genitive	महिलायाः (mahilā́yāḥ) महिलायै² (mahilā́yai²)	महिलयोः (mahiláyoḥ)	महिलानाम् (mahilā́nām)
locative	महिलायाम् (mahilā́yām)	महिलयोः (mahiláyoḥ)	महिलासु (mahilā́su)
vocative	महिले (máhile)	महिले (máhile)	महिलाः (máhilāḥ)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• >? Ashokan Prakrit: (Girnar) 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀟𑀸 (mahiḍā)
• Pali: महिला (mahilā)
• Prakrit: महिला (mahilā), महिलिया (mahiliyā), महेला (mahelā)
  • Central Indo-Aryan:
    • Hindi: महर (mahar), महरी (mahrī), मेहर (mehar), मेहरा (mehrā)
  • Eastern Indo-Aryan:
    • Bihari: मेहरी (mehrī, “first wife”)
    • Maithili: मेहर (mēhar)
    • Old Awadhi: महरि (mahari)
  • Northern Indo-Aryan:
    • Nepali: मेहेरि (meheri)
  • Northwestern Indo-Aryan:
    • Punjabi: ਮਿਹਰੀ (mihrī)
    • Sindhi: [script needed] (mihirī)
  • Western Indo-Aryan:
    • Old Gujarati: महेलि (maheli)
      • Gujarati: મેળા (meḷā)
• → Assamese: মহিলা (mohila)
• → Bengali: মহিলা (mohila)
• → Gujarati: મહિલા (mahilā)
• → Hindi: महिला (mahilā)
  • → Indian English: mahila
• → Kannada: ಮಹಿಳೆ (mahiḷe)
• → Marathi: महिला (mahilā)
• → Malayalam: മഹിള (mahiḷa)
• → Odia: ମହିଳା (mahiḷā)
• → Tamil: மகிலை (makilai)
• → Telugu: మహిళ (mahiḷa)
• → Urdu: مہیلا (mahīlā)

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899), “महिला”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 803, column 3.