As a Hindi name
नी · nī
(dialec., Bhojpurī), A suffixed emphatic particle — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 1163
नी · nī
An insep. prefix = ni, q.v — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 1163
नहीं
no, not (negative response to a yes-no question); no, not (used for negation of statements in the indicative and contrafactual moods)
नी
Śabdasāgara also records: नेता । प्रधान । अगुआ । समासांत में प्रयुक्त । जैसे, ग्रामणी, सेनानी, अग्रणी
Cited formation "नी" is न + -ई: न means "the twentieth consonant of Hindi", and the suffix -ई forms abstract nouns (fem.). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §8(14) — cited from the extracted rule table
Cited formation "नी" is नना + -ई: नना means "माता", and the suffix -ई forms abstract nouns (fem.). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §8(14) — cited from the extracted rule table — base gloss: Śabdasāgara
Cited formation "नी" is न + -ई: न means "the twentieth consonant of Hindi", and the suffix -ई forms 'belonging to', 'having', 'coming from' (adjectives). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §9(6) — cited from the extracted rule table
a Hindi word, a tadbhava: evolved from the Sanskrit through Prakrit नहि — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Inherited from Prakrit 𑀡𑀳𑀺 (ṇahi) (with spontaneous nasalization), from Sanskrit नहि (nahí, “surely not”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *naǰʰí, from earlier *ná gʲʰí, from Proto-Indo-European *né + *gʰí. Cognate with Assamese নাই (nai), Bengali নাই (nai), Braj नहीं (nahī̃), Marathi ना…” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
na—hi See na-hi.
na-hi (na-hi, MaitrS. & ŚBr.) ind. (g. cādi) for not, surely not, by no means, not at all (often strengthened by other particles, as aṅga, nu, sma), RV.; &c. (nahikam, g. cādi).
a Hindi word; it is not Sanskrit
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
leading, guiding, a leader or guide (mostly ifc., cf. and agra-ṇī, agreṇī; but also alone, cf.; &c.)
Verified derivationMultiple readings (3)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "nī" is the nominative dual of "ni" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Gender counterpart
The kosha attests this stem in the feminine, the masculine, and the neuter — the same name serves without alteration.
Dictionary citations
1. nī for nis (q.v.) before r.
2. nī (for 1. See p. 543, col. 3) cl. 1. P. Ā. (Dhātup. xxii, 5) nayati, ˚te (pf. P. nināya, 2. sg. ninetha, RV., 1. pl. nīnima, TS.; Subj. ninīthas Pot. ninīyāt, RV.; Impv. ninetu, MaitrS.; Ā. ninye, Br. &c.; -nayām āsa, MBh.; -nayāṃ cakre, R.; aor. P. 3. du. anītām, Subj. neṣi, nethā or netha, RV.; anaiṣīt Subj. neṣati, ˚ṣat, 3. pl. Ā. aneṣata, ib.; anayīt, AV.; fut. neṣyati, AV.; ˚te, Br.; nayiṣyati, ˚te, MBh.; R.; netā, nayitā, ib.; ind.p. nītvā, Br. &c.; nayitvā, MBh.; -nīya, AV. &c.; inf. neṣaṇi, RV.; netavai, ˚tos and nayitum, Br.; netum, ib. &c. &c.), to lead, guide, conduct, direct, govern (also with agram and gen.; cf. agra-ṇī), RV. &c. &c.; to lead &c. towards or to (acc. with or without prati dat., loc. or artham ifc.), ib.; to lead or keep away, exclude from (abl.), AitBr.; (Ā.) to carry off for one's self (as a victor, owner &c.), AV.; TĀr.; MBh.; (Ā., rarely P.) to lead home i.e. marry, MBh.; R.; to bring into any state or condition (with acc., e.g. with vaśam, to bring into subjection, subdue [Ā. RV. x, 84, 3; AV. v, 19, 5; P. Ragh. viii, 19]; with śūdra-tām, to reduce to a Śūdra, Mn. iii, 15; with sākṣyam [Ā.], to admit as a witness, viii, 197; with vyāghra-tām, to change into a tiger, Hit.; with vikrayam, to sell, Yājñ.; with paritoṣam, to satisfy, Pañc.; with duḥkham, to pain, Amar.; rarely, with loc., e.g. duhitṛ-tve, to make a person one's daughter, R. i, 44, 38; or with an adv. in -sāt, e.g. bhasmasāt to reduce to ashes, Pañc. i, 198/199); to draw (a line &c.), ŚāṅkhŚr.; Sūryas.; to pass or spend (time), Yājñ.; Kāv. &c.; (with daṇḍam) to bear the rod i.e. inflict punishment, Mn.; Yājñ. (with vyavahāram) to conduct a process, Yājñ.; (with kriyām) to conduct a ceremony, preside over a religious act, MBh.; to trace, track, find out, ascertain, settle, decide (with anyathā, ‘wrongly’), Mn.; Yājñ.; MBh. &c.; (Ā.) to be foremost or chief, Pāṇ. i, 3, 36 : Caus. nāyayati, ˚te, to cause to lead &c.; to cause to be led by (instr.), Mn. v, 104 (cf. Pāṇ. i, 4, 52, Vārtt. 5, Pat.) : Desid. ninīṣati, te (AV. xix, 50, 5, w.r. nineṣati), to wish to lead or bring or carry to or into (acc. or dat.), AV.; Up.; MBh. &c.; to wish to carry away, R.; to wish to spend or pass (time), Naiṣ.; to wish to exclude from (abl.), AitBr.; to wish to find out or ascertain, investigate, MBh. : Intens. nenīyate to lead as a captive, have in one's power, rule, govern, TS.; VS.; MBh.
3. nī mfn. leading, guiding, a leader or guide (mostly ifc., cf. Pāṇ. iii, 2, 61 and agra-ṇī, agreṇī; but also alone, cf. vi, 4, 77; 82 &c.)
4. nī P. ny-eti (3. pl. ni-yanti; p. -yat; impf. ny-āyan ind.p. nītya), to go into (cf. nyāya), enter, come or fall into, incur (acc.), RV.; AV.; TS.; ŚBr.; to undergo the nature of i.e. to be changed into (˚bhāvam), RPrāt.
5. nī in comp. = 1. ni (p. 538, col. 3).
1. ni ind. down, back, in, into, within (except, AV. x, 8, 7 always prefixed either to verbs or to nouns; in the latter case it has also the meaning of negation or privation [cf. ‘down-hearted’ = heartless]; sometimes w.r. for nis)
it may also express kṣepa, dāna, upa-rama, ā-śraya, mokṣa &c., L.
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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