As a Hindi name
लेना
to take; to buy, get; to take on; an element of compound verbs
ली · feminine
Cited formation "ली" is ल + -ई: ल means "the twenty-eighth consonant in Hindi", and the suffix -ई forms abstract nouns (fem.). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §8(14) — cited from the extracted rule table
Cited formation "ली" is ल + -ई: ल means "the twenty-eighth consonant in 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
Cited formation "ली" is ल + -ई: ल means "the twenty-eighth consonant in Hindi", and the suffix -ई forms diminutives (fem.). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §9(6) — cited from the extracted rule table
a Hindi word, a tadbhava: evolved from the Sanskrit through Prakrit लभते — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Etymology tree Sanskrit रभ॑ते (rábhate) Sanskrit लभते (labhate) Prakrit 𑀮𑀳𑀇 (lahaï) ▲ Prakrit 𑀡𑁂𑀇 (ṇei)influ. ▲ Prakrit 𑀤𑁂𑀇 (dei)influ. Prakrit 𑀮𑁂𑀇 (lei) Hindi लेना Inherited from Prakrit लेइ (lei), adapted from लहइ (lahaï) by analogy with देइ (dei, “give”) (whence Hindi देना (de…” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
a Hindi word; it is not Sanskrit
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
clinging to, adhering &c.
Verified derivationMultiple readings (2)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "lī" is the nominative dual of "li" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Dictionary citations
1. lī (cf. √ rī) cl. 9. P. (Dhātup. xxxi, 31) lināti, to adhere, obtain (not usually found); cl. 1. P. layati (xxxiv, 6), to melt, liquefy, dissolve (not usually found); cl. 4. Ā. (xxvi, 30) līyate (Ved. also lāyate; pf. lilye, lilyuḥ, Br. &c.; lilāya, lalau Gr.; aor. aleṣṭa, ŚBr.; alaiṣīt, alāsīt, alāsta Gr.; fut. letā, lātā; leṣyati or lāsyati, ˚te, ib.; inf. letum or lātum, ib.; ind.p. -lāyam, AV.; Br.; līya, MBh.; Kāv. &c.), to cling or press closely, stick or adhere to (loc.), MBh.; R. &c.; to remain sticking, Suśr.; to lie, recline, alight or settle on, hide or cower down in (loc.), disappear, vanish, MBh.; Kāv. &c.: Caus. P. lāpayati or lāyayati, to cause to cling &c., Br. &c.; Ā. lāpayate, to deceive; to obtain honour; to humble, Pāṇ. i, 3, 70 : Desid. lilīṣati, ˚te Gr.: Intens. lelīyate, lelayīti, leleti, ib. (cf. lelāya).
2. lī f. clinging to, adhering &c., L.
= capala, L.
lī I. 1 P. (layati) To melt, dissolve. II. 9 P. (lināti) 1 To adhere. 2 To melt, usually with vi. III. 4 A. (līyate, līna) 1 To stick or adhere firmly to, cling to; M. 3. 5. 2 To clasp, embrace. 3 To lie or rest on, recline, stay or dwell in, lurk, hide, cower; (bhṛgāṃganāḥ) līyaṃte mukulāṃtareṣu śanakaiḥ saṃjātalajjā iva Ratn. 1. 26; hariśiśurutpatituṃ drāgaṃgānyākuṃcya līyate nibhṛtaṃ Bv. 1. 106; R. 3. 9; Ś. 6. 16; Ku. 1. 12, 7. 21; Bk. 18. 13; Ki. 5. 26. 4 To be dissolved, melt away. 5 To be sticky or viscous. 6 To be absorbed in, be devoted or attached to; mādhava manasijaviśikhabhayādiva bhāvanayā tvayi līnā Gīt. 4. 7 To vanish, disappear. — Caus. ( lāpayati-te, lāyayati-te, līnayati-te, lālayati-te) To melt, dissolve, liquefy. (The form lāpayate is used in the sense of ‘to honour’, ‘cause to be honoured’; jaṭābhirlāpayate = pūjāmadhigacchati; cf. P. I. 3. 70).
lī r. 4th cl. (līyate) r. 9th cl. (lināti) 1 To join, to adhere or cling to, to be in union or connexion with. 2 To obtain. r. 10th cl. (layati lāyayati lāpayati lālayati or līnayati) To melt, to liquefy, to fuse or dissolve. With āṅ, To waste away. With pra and vi, To acquire or gain.
li m. (only L.; perhaps connected with √ lī) weariness, fatigue
loss, destruction
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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