छोटा
See also: छोटो, छींट, छोटी, and छोटे
Hindi
Etymology
Inherited from Ashokan Prakrit *𑀙𑁄𑀝𑁆𑀝 (*choṭṭa). Compare Nepali छोटो (choṭo, “small”), Gujarati છોટું (choṭũ), Punjabi ਛੋਟਾ (choṭā, “small”), Oriya ଛୋଟ (choṭô, “small, lesser”), Assamese ছোট (süto, “junior, low grade”), Sinhalese චූටි (cūṭi, “small”).
Earlier lexicographers spuriously suggested Sanskrit क्षुद्रक (kṣudraka, “small, insignificant”) but from this one would expect > MIA *khuḍḍaga ~ *chuḍḍaga > NIA *khūḍā ~ *chūḍā, with Hindi generally preferring *kh-.
Pronunciation
- (Delhi Hindi) IPA(key): /t͡ʃʰoː.ʈɑː/, [t͡ʃʰoː.ʈäː]
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: छो‧टा
Adjective
छोटा • (choṭā) (Urdu spelling چھوٹا)
- little, small
- बाहर एक छोटा बच्चा खड़ा है।
- bāhar ek choṭā baccā khaṛā hai.
- There's a small child standing outside.
- छोटी सी दुकान ― choṭī sī dukān ― a small shop
- younger, junior, minor, lesser
- छोटा भाई ― choṭā bhāī ― younger brother
- छोटी बहन ― choṭī bahan ― younger sister
- subordinate, inferior, common
- trivial, trifling, unimportant, of no consequence
- छोटी बात ― choṭī bāt ― trivial matter
- low, mean, insignificant, contemptible; common
- अगर छोटे आदमी को आवाज़ मिलती है तो वह छोटा नहीं रहता है।
- agar choṭe ādmī ko āvāz miltī hai to vah choṭā nahī̃ rahtā hai.
- If an insignificant man is given a voice he does not stay insignificant.
- छोटे लोग ― choṭe log ― insignificant people, powerless people
Declension
Declension of छोटा (ā-stem)
masculine | feminine | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
direct | छोटा choṭā | छोटे choṭe | छोटी choṭī | छोटी choṭī |
oblique | छोटे choṭe | छोटे choṭe | छोटी choṭī | छोटी choṭī |
vocative | छोटे choṭe | छोटे choṭe | छोटी choṭī | छोटी choṭī |
Descendants
- → Kashmiri: ژھۆٹ (ċhoṭ)
- → Marathi: छोटे (choṭe)
References
- McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “छोटा”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
- Platts, John T. (1884), “छोटा”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.