वाच्

See also: वच् and वाचा

Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *wā́kš (“speech, voice”), from Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs (“speech, voice”), from *wekʷ- (“to speak”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬬𐬁𐬑𐬱 (vāxš), Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps), Latin vōx, Persian آواز (âvâz).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ʋɑ́ːt͡ɕ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ʋɑːt͡ɕ/

Noun

वाच् • (vā́c) stem, f

1. speech, voice, talk, language (also of animals), sound (also of inanimate objects as of the stones used for pressing, of a drum etc.)
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 5.76.1:

     आ भात्यग्निरुषसामनीकमुद्विप्राणां देवया वाचो अस्थुः ।
     अर्वाञ्चा नूनं रथ्येह यातं पीपिवांसमश्विना घर्ममच्छ ॥

     ā bhātyagniruṣasāmanīkamudviprāṇāṃ devayā vāco asthuḥ.
     arvāñcā nūnaṃ rathyeha yātaṃ pīpivāṃsamaśvinā gharmamaccha.

     Agni, the bright face of the Dawns, is shining; the singers' pious voices have ascended.
     Borne on your chariot, Aśvins, turn you hither and come unto our full and rich libation.

   वाचम् (vācam)-√ṛ, √īr or √iṣ — to raise the voice, utter a sound, cry, call

2. a word, saying, phrase, sentence, statement, asseveration

   वाचं (vācaṃ)-√vad — to speak words

   वाचं व्या (vācaṃ vyā)-√hṛ — to utter words

   वाचं (vācaṃ)-√dā +dative — to address words to

   वाचा सत्यं (vācā satyaṃ)-√kṛ — to promise verbally in marriage, plight troth

Proper noun

वाच् • (vāc) stem, f

1. Speech personified as the goddess of speech Vāc

Declension

Declension of वाच्

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	वाक् (vā́k)	वाचौ (vā́cau)	वाचः (vā́caḥ)
Vocative	वाक् (vā́k)	वाचौ (vā́cau)	वाचः (vā́caḥ)
Accusative	वाचम् (vā́cam)	वाचौ (vā́cau)	वाचः (vā́caḥ), वाचः (vācáḥ)
Instrumental	वाचा (vācā́)	वाग्भ्याम् (vāgbhyā́m)	वाग्भिः (vāgbhíḥ)
Dative	वाचे (vācé)	वाग्भ्याम् (vāgbhyā́m)	वाग्भ्यः (vāgbhyáḥ)
Ablative	वाचः (vācáḥ)	वाग्भ्याम् (vāgbhyā́m)	वाग्भ्यः (vāgbhyáḥ)
Genitive	वाचः (vācáḥ)	वाचोः (vācóḥ)	वाचम् (vācám)
Locative	वाचि (vācí)	वाचोः (vācóḥ)	वक्षु (vakṣú)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “वाच्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0936.