स्म
Sanskrit
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (Vedic) IPA(key): /smɐ/
- (Classical) IPA(key): /s̪mɐ/
Particle
स्म • (sma)
- a particle indicating the past tense when used with a present-tense verb form
- c. 300 BCE, Pañcatantra 1:
- भासुरको नाम सिंहः प्रतिवसति स्म
- bhāsurako nāma siṃhaḥ prativasati sma
- Once upon a time there lived a lion named Bhāsuraka.
- भासुरको नाम सिंहः प्रतिवसति स्म
- an expletive particle
- a particle for emphasis; ever; verily
- c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.12.8:
- यस्त्वाम॑ग्ने ह॒विष्प॑तिर्दू॒तं दे॑व सप॒र्यति॑ ।
तस्य॑ स्म प्रावि॒ता भ॑व ॥- yastvāmagne haviṣpatirdūtaṃ deva saparyati .
tasya sma prāvitā bhava . - O Agni the Deva, whichever oblation-master honours you the messenger,
May you ever be his protector.
- yastvāmagne haviṣpatirdūtaṃ deva saparyati .
- यस्त्वाम॑ग्ने ह॒विष्प॑तिर्दू॒तं दे॑व सप॒र्यति॑ ।
Usage notes
- As an expletive particle, it often follows a prohibitory particle such as मा (mā).
References
- Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890), “स्म”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan
- Monier Williams (1899), “स्म”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, OCLC 458052227, page 1271/2.