As a Hindi name
नहीं
no, not (negative response to a yes-no question); no, not (used for negation of statements in the indicative and contrafactual moods)
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).
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
leading or a leader
Verified derivationMultiple readings (2)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "nītha" is the vocative of "nīthā" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
M3 · meaning shifts "nīthā" is derived from "nī" with the thāl suffix — a related word whose meaning shifts, so both meanings are shown.
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.
nīthā f. way, trick, art, stratagem, RV.
also = (nītha) n. a mode in music, musical mode or air, song, hymn, ib.
Related forms
Dictionary citations
nītha m. leading or a leader, L.
N. of a man, MBh.
nītha m. (-thaḥ) A guider, a leader. n. (-thaṃ) Water. E. ṇī to guide, kathan Uṇādi aff.
nīthā f. way, trick, art, stratagem, RV.
also = (nītha) n. a mode in music, musical mode or air, song, hymn, ib.
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.
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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