As a deity name
Name 494 of the Vishnu Sahasranāma — Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva), as taught by Bhishma to Yudhishthira on his deathbed
As a Hindi name
उत्तर · noun · masculine
दक्षिण दिशा के सामने की दिशा । ईशान और वायव्य कोण के बीच की दिशा । उदीची · किसी बात को सुनकर उसके समाधान के लिये कही हुई बात । जवाब · प्रतिकार । बदला । जैसे, हम गलियों का उत्तर घूसों से देंगे — Śabdasāgara
उत्तर · adj
पिछला । बाद का । उपरांत का · ऊपर का । जैसे, उत्तरदंत । उत्तरहुनु । उत्तरारणी · बढ़कर । श्रेष्ठ । जैसे,—लोकोत्तर — Śabdasāgara
उत्तर · masculine
reply, answer; north (cardinal direction)
उत्तर
north, northern; following, after, subsequent
Platts (p. 15) also records: (f. -ā), & s.m. Farther; posterior
Cited formation "उत्तर" is उत्- + तर: तर means "wet, soaked, moist", and the prefix उत्- forms upwards, superior. CHD Basic Grammar App. I §3(9) — cited from the extracted rule table
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi उत्तर — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Learned borrowing from Sanskrit उत्तर (uttara).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
1. uttara mfn. (compar. fr. 1. ud; opposed to adhara; declined, Gram. 238. a), upper, higher, superior (e.g. uttare dantās, the upper teeth), RV.; AV.; TS.; ChUp.; Ragh. &c.
northern (because the northern part of India is high), AV.; Mn.; Suśr.; Pañcat. &c.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
result, the chief or prevalent result or characteristic, what remains or is left, conclusion, remainder, excess, over and above, (often ifc., e.g. bhayottara, attended with danger…
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (8)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "uttara" is the vocative of "uttarā" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
M3 · meaning shifts "uttara" is derived from "ut" with the tarap suffix — a related word whose meaning shifts, so both meanings are shown.
ut ind. a particle of doubt or deliberation (= 2. uta, q.v.), L.
(for the prep. ud See 1. ud.)
1. uttara mfn. (compar. fr. 1. ud; opposed to adhara; declined, Gram. 238. a), upper, higher, superior (e.g. uttare dantās, the upper teeth), RV.; AV.; TS.; ChUp.; Ragh. &c.
northern (because the northern part of India is high), AV.; Mn.; Suśr.; Pañcat. &c.
Related forms
Dictionary citations
1. uttara mfn. (compar. fr. 1. ud; opposed to adhara; declined, Gram. 238. a), upper, higher, superior (e.g. uttare dantās, the upper teeth), RV.; AV.; TS.; ChUp.; Ragh. &c.
northern (because the northern part of India is high), AV.; Mn.; Suśr.; Pañcat. &c.
left (opposed to dakṣiṇa or right, because in praying the face being turned to the east the north would be on the left hand), AV.; KātyŚr.; MBh. &c.
later, following, subsequent, latter, concluding, posterior, future, RV.; AV.; KātyŚr.; MBh.; Ragh.; Hit. &c. (opposed to pūrva, &c. e.g. uttaraḥ kālaḥ, future time; uttaraṃ vākyam, a following speech, answer, reply; phalam uttaram, subsequent result, future consequence; varṣottareṣu, in future years)
followed by (e.g. smottara mfn. followed by ‘sma’, Pāṇ. iii, 3, 176)
uttarā f. (ā), of. (scil. diś) the northern quarter, the north, Kathās. &c.
N. of each of the Nakṣatras that contain the word ‘uttara’ (cf. uttara-phalgunī, &c.)
ut ind. a particle of doubt or deliberation (= 2. uta, q.v.), L.
(for the prep. ud See 1. ud.)
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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