पुच्छ

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit पुच्छ (púccha), doublet of पूँछ (pū̃ch), a tadbhava.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /pʊt̪t͡ʃʰ/, [pʊ(t̚)t͡ʃʰ]

Noun

पुच्छ • (pucch) m

1. (rare, formal) tail

   Synonyms: दुम (dum), पूँछ (pū̃ch), लांगूल (lāṅgūl)

2. hind-part

Declension

Declension of पुच्छ (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	पुच्छ pucch	पुच्छ pucch
oblique	पुच्छ pucch	पुच्छों pucchõ
vocative	पुच्छ pucch	पुच्छो puccho

References

• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “पुच्छ”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “पुच्छ”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• পুচ্ছ (Assamese script)
• ᬧᬸᬘ᭄ᬙ (Balinese script)
• পুচ্ছ (Bengali script)
• 𑰢𑰲𑰓𑰿𑰔 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀧𑀼𑀘𑁆𑀙 (Brahmi script)
• ပုစ္ဆ (Burmese script)
• પુચ્છ (Gujarati script)
• ਪੁਚ੍ਛ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌪𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌛 (Grantha script)
• ꦥꦸꦕ꧀ꦖ (Javanese script)
• 𑂣𑂳𑂒𑂹𑂓 (Kaithi script)
• ಪುಚ್ಛ (Kannada script)
• បុច្ឆ (Khmer script)
• ປຸຈ຺ຉ (Lao script)
• പുച്ഛ (Malayalam script)
• ᢒᡠᢜᡮᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘢𑘳𑘓𑘿𑘔 (Modi script)
• ᢒᠤᢋᠼᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧂𑧔𑦳𑧠𑦴 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐥𑐸𑐔𑑂𑐕 (Newa script)
• ପୁଚ୍ଛ (Odia script)
• ꢦꢸꢗ꣄ꢘ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆥𑆶𑆖𑇀𑆗 (Sharada script)
• 𑖢𑖲𑖓𑖿𑖔 (Siddham script)
• පුච‍්ඡ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩰𑩒𑩡 𑪙𑩢 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚞𑚰𑚏𑚶𑚐 (Takri script)
• புச்ச² (Tamil script)
• పుచ్ఛ (Telugu script)
• ปุจฺฉ (Thai script)
• པུ་ཙྪ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒣𑒳𑒔𑓂𑒕 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨞𑨃𑨣𑩇𑨤 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *púšćas (“tail”), from Proto-Indo-European *puḱ-so-s (“tail”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬞𐬎𐬯𐬀 (pusa), Persian فش (foš, “tail”), English fox.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /pút.t͡ɕʰɐ/, [pút̚.t͡ɕʰɐ]
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈput̪.t͡ɕʰɐ/, [ˈput̪̚.t͡ɕʰɐ]

Noun

पुच्छ • (púccha) stem, m or n

1. tail
   • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda 7.56.8:

     य उभाभ्यां प्रहरसि पुच्छेन चास्येन च ।
     आस्ये न ते विषं किमु ते पुच्छधावसत्॥

     ya ubhābhyāṃ praharasi pucchena cāsyena ca.
     āsye na te viṣaṃ kimu te pucchadhāvasat.

     O you creature who inflicts wounds both with your mouth and with your tail,
     You have no poison in your mouth: what will be at the base of your tail?

2. hind-part

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of पुच्छ (púccha)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	पुच्छः púcchaḥ	पुच्छौ / पुच्छा¹ púcchau / púcchā¹	पुच्छाः / पुच्छासः¹ púcchāḥ / púcchāsaḥ¹
Vocative	पुच्छ púccha	पुच्छौ / पुच्छा¹ púcchau / púcchā¹	पुच्छाः / पुच्छासः¹ púcchāḥ / púcchāsaḥ¹
Accusative	पुच्छम् púccham	पुच्छौ / पुच्छा¹ púcchau / púcchā¹	पुच्छान् púcchān
Instrumental	पुच्छेन púcchena	पुच्छाभ्याम् púcchābhyām	पुच्छैः / पुच्छेभिः¹ púcchaiḥ / púcchebhiḥ¹
Dative	पुच्छाय púcchāya	पुच्छाभ्याम् púcchābhyām	पुच्छेभ्यः púcchebhyaḥ
Ablative	पुच्छात् púcchāt	पुच्छाभ्याम् púcchābhyām	पुच्छेभ्यः púcchebhyaḥ
Genitive	पुच्छस्य púcchasya	पुच्छयोः púcchayoḥ	पुच्छानाम् púcchānām
Locative	पुच्छे púcche	पुच्छयोः púcchayoḥ	पुच्छेषु púccheṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter a-stem declension of पुच्छ (púccha)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	पुच्छम् púccham	पुच्छे púcche	पुच्छानि / पुच्छा¹ púcchāni / púcchā¹
Vocative	पुच्छ púccha	पुच्छे púcche	पुच्छानि / पुच्छा¹ púcchāni / púcchā¹
Accusative	पुच्छम् púccham	पुच्छे púcche	पुच्छानि / पुच्छा¹ púcchāni / púcchā¹
Instrumental	पुच्छेन púcchena	पुच्छाभ्याम् púcchābhyām	पुच्छैः / पुच्छेभिः¹ púcchaiḥ / púcchebhiḥ¹
Dative	पुच्छाय púcchāya	पुच्छाभ्याम् púcchābhyām	पुच्छेभ्यः púcchebhyaḥ
Ablative	पुच्छात् púcchāt	पुच्छाभ्याम् púcchābhyām	पुच्छेभ्यः púcchebhyaḥ
Genitive	पुच्छस्य púcchasya	पुच्छयोः púcchayoḥ	पुच्छानाम् púcchānām
Locative	पुच्छे púcche	पुच्छयोः púcchayoḥ	पुच्छेषु púccheṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

• Bengali: পুচ্ছ (puccho)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀧𑀼𑀘𑁆𑀙 (puccha), 𑀧𑀼𑀁𑀙 (puṃcha)
  • Old Marathi: पुंस (puṃsa), पूंस (pūṃsa)
• Pali: puccha
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀧𑀼𑀘𑁆𑀙 (puccha), 𑀧𑀼𑀁𑀙 (puṃcha)
  • Gujarati: પૂંછડી (pū̃chḍī)
  • Hindi: पूँछ (pū̃ch)
  • Punjabi: ਪੂਛ (pūch)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “पुच्छ”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 631.