As a deity name
Name 301 of the Gayatri Sahasranāma — Devi Bhagavata Purana, as taught by Sages
As a Hindi name
छाया · noun · feminine
प्रकाश का अभाव जो उसकी किरणों के व्यवधान के कारण किसी स्थान पर होता है । उजाला डालनेवाली वस्तु और किसी स्थान के बीच कोई दूसरी वस्तु पड़ जाने के कारण उत्पन्न कुछ अंधकार या कालिमा । वह थोड़ी थो़ड़ी दूर तक फैला हुआ अँधेरा जिसके आस पास का स्थान प्रकाशित हो । साया । जैसे, पेड़ की छाया, मंडप की छाया · वह स्थान जहाँ किसी प्रकार की आड़ या व्यवधान के कारण सूर्य, चंद्रमा, दीपक या और किसी आलीकपद वस्तु का उजाला न पड़ना हो · फैले हुए प्रकाश को कुछ दूर तक रोकनेवाली वस्तु की आकृति जो किसी दूसरी ओर अंधकार के रूप में दिखाई पड़ती है । परछाई । जैसे, खंभे की छाया । वि॰ दे॰ 'छाँह' — Śabdasāgara
छाया · ćhāyā · s.f.
Shade, shadow; a shady place; reflected image, reflection; light, lustre, splendour — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 457
छाया · feminine
Chhaya, the goddess of shadows, the wife of Sun God Surya; a female given name, Chhaya, from Sanskrit
छाया · feminine
shade, a shady place; shadow, silhouette; apparition, spectre; refuge, protection, shelter
Cited formation "छाया" is छाय + -आ: छाय means "= ćhay, ćhai, q.v", and the suffix -आ forms abstract, agent, action or instrumental nouns (masc.); also past participles. CHD Basic Grammar App. I §8(3) — cited from the extracted rule table — base gloss: Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago
Cited formation "छाया" is छाय + -आ: छाय means "= ćhay, ćhai, q.v", and the suffix -आ forms 'having' (adjectives). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §9(1) — cited from the extracted rule table — base gloss: Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi छाया — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Borrowed from Sanskrit छाया (chāyā́). Doublet of छाँव (chā̃v) and साया (sāyā).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
chāyā f. σκιά, shade, shadow, a shady place (‘a covered place, house’, Naigh. iii, 4), RV. i, 73, 8; ii, 33, 6; vi, 16, 38; AV.; VS. v, xv; AitBr. vii, 12; ŚBr. &c.
the shadow of a gnomon, Sūryas.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
σκιά, shade, shadow, a shady place (‘a covered place, house’, ), &c.
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (6)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "chāyā" is the feminine form of "chāya" — the same word with the feminine ending (nominative).
Dictionary citations
chāyā f. σκιά, shade, shadow, a shady place (‘a covered place, house’, Naigh. iii, 4), RV. i, 73, 8; ii, 33, 6; vi, 16, 38; AV.; VS. v, xv; AitBr. vii, 12; ŚBr. &c.
the shadow of a gnomon, Sūryas.
shelter, protection, Hit. iii, 8, 1/2
a reflected image, reflection, RV. v, 44, 6; x, 121, 2; VS. ii, 8; AV. v, 21, 8; PraśnUp.; Mn. &c.
shading or blending of colours, play of light or colours, lustre, light, colour, colour of the face, complexion, features, Suśr.; VarBṛS. lxviii, 89 ff.; Ragh. iv, 5; Megh. (ifc. f(ā). ) &c.
chāya m. granting shade (Śiva), MBh. xii, 10374
chāya n. (Pāṇ. ii, 4, 22 and 25; vi, 2, 14) ifc. (especially after a word to be taken in the gen.) shadow, Mn. iii, 274; Ragh. iv, 20; vii, 4; xii, 50
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
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