-ओं

-ओं

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Apabhramsa -आहुं (-āhuṃ) or -अहुं (-ahuṃ), from a blending of -आणं (-āṇaṃ, genitive plural) (from Sanskrit -आनाम् (-ānām)) with one or both of:

• Sauraseni Apabhramsa -अहु (-ahu, genitive singular) or -अहो (-ahŏ) (from Sanskrit -अस्य (-asya)[1]). This blending would be supported by the Sauraseni Apabhramsa instrumental/locative plural form -अहिं (-ahiṃ/-ihiṃ/-ē̆hiṃ) (from Sanskrit -एभिः (-ebhiḥ)).
• Sauraseni Apabhramsa -आहुं (-ā̆huṃ) or Sauraseni Apabhramsa -आहं (-ā̆haṃ), ultimately from Sanskrit -असाम् (-asām), the genitive plural of -अस् (-as), the as-stem ending. Such a transfer might indeed have occurred since the genitive singular in Sauraseni Apabhramsa -अहु (-ahu) was modified to match the as-stem genitive singular ending -अहो (-ahŏ), from Sanskrit -असः (-asaḥ).[2]

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /õː/

Suffix

-ओं • (-õ)

1. oblique plural of -आ m (-ā)
2. oblique plural of -आँ m (-ā̃)
3. vocative plural of -आँ m (-ā̃)
4. oblique plural of masculine and feminine consonant-stems

References

1. Oberlies, Thomas (2005) A Historical Grammar of Hindi, Grazer Vergleichende Arbeiten, →ISBN, page 1
2. Oberlies, Thomas (2005) A Historical Grammar of Hindi, Grazer Vergleichende Arbeiten, →ISBN, page 6