Consonant stems  ·  irregular nouns

Irregular consonant stems

Seven words that follow no regular paradigm — each with its own stem alternation. They include some of the commonest nouns in the language: pathin "path", pums "man", śvan "dog", yuvan "young", ahan "day", sakhi "friend", ap "waters" (plural only). Whitney §393–431.


Three unique stems: panthān- (strong), pathi- (middle), path- (weak). Whitney §394.

pathin m. "path, road"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
panthāḥ
panthānau
panthānaḥ
Acc.
panthānam
panthānau
pathaḥ
Ins.
pathā
pathibhyām
pathibhiḥ
Dat.
pathe
pathibhyām
pathibhyaḥ
Abl.
pathaḥ
pathibhyām
pathibhyaḥ
Gen.
pathaḥ
pathoḥ
pathām
Loc.
pathi
pathoḥ
pathiṣu
Voc.
panthāḥ
panthānau
panthānaḥ

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

pathin m. "path, road"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
Voc.
0 / 0 correct

Strong pumāṃs-, weak puṃs-. The s drops before bh: pum-bhyām. Whitney §395.

pums m. "man, male"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
pumān
pumāṃsau
pumāṃsaḥ
Acc.
pumāṃsam
pumāṃsau
puṃsaḥ
Ins.
puṃsā
pumbhyām
pumbhiḥ
Dat.
puṃse
pumbhyām
pumbhyaḥ
Abl.
puṃsaḥ
pumbhyām
pumbhyaḥ
Gen.
puṃsaḥ
puṃsoḥ
puṃsām
Loc.
puṃsi
puṃsoḥ
puṃsu
Voc.
puman
pumāṃsau
pumāṃsaḥ

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

pums m. "man, male"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
Voc.
0 / 0 correct

Strong śvān-, weak śun- (the vowel changes entirely!), middle śva-. Whitney §427.

śvan m. "dog"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
śvā
śvānau
śvānaḥ
Acc.
śvānam
śvānau
śunaḥ
Ins.
śunā
śvabhyām
śvabhiḥ
Dat.
śune
śvabhyām
śvabhyaḥ
Abl.
śunaḥ
śvabhyām
śvabhyaḥ
Gen.
śunaḥ
śunoḥ
śunām
Loc.
śuni
śunoḥ
śvasu
Voc.
śvan
śvānau
śvānaḥ

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

śvan m. "dog"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
Voc.
0 / 0 correct

Strong yuvān-, weak yūn- (with long ū!), middle yuva-. Parallel to śvan. Whitney §427.

yuvan m. "young man"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
yuvā
yuvānau
yuvānaḥ
Acc.
yuvānam
yuvānau
yūnaḥ
Ins.
yūnā
yuvabhyām
yuvabhiḥ
Dat.
yūne
yuvabhyām
yuvabhyaḥ
Abl.
yūnaḥ
yuvabhyām
yuvabhyaḥ
Gen.
yūnaḥ
yūnoḥ
yūnām
Loc.
yūni
yūnoḥ
yuvasu
Voc.
yuvan
yuvānau
yuvānaḥ

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

yuvan m. "young man"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
Voc.
0 / 0 correct

Neuter with n/r alternation: nom. sg. ahaḥ (or ahar), ins. ahnā, pl. ahāni. Whitney §430.

ahan n. "day"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
ahaḥ
ahnī
ahāni
Acc.
ahaḥ
ahnī
ahāni
Ins.
ahnā
ahobhyām
ahobhiḥ
Dat.
ahne
ahobhyām
ahobhyaḥ
Abl.
ahnaḥ
ahobhyām
ahobhyaḥ
Gen.
ahnaḥ
ahnoḥ
ahnām
Loc.
ahani
ahnoḥ
ahaḥsu

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

ahan n. "day"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
0 / 0 correct

Strong sakhāy-, weak sakhy-/sakhi-. Unique gen. sg. sakhyuḥ (with -u-!), acc. pl. sakhīn. Whitney §431.

sakhi m. "friend, companion"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
sakhā
sakhāyau
sakhāyaḥ
Acc.
sakhāyam
sakhāyau
sakhīn
Ins.
sakhyā
sakhibhyām
sakhibhiḥ
Dat.
sakhye
sakhibhyām
sakhibhyaḥ
Abl.
sakhyuḥ
sakhibhyām
sakhibhyaḥ
Gen.
sakhyuḥ
sakhyoḥ
sakhīnām
Loc.
sakhyau
sakhyoḥ
sakhiṣu
Voc.
sakhe
sakhāyau
sakhāyaḥ

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

sakhi m. "friend, companion"
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
Voc.
0 / 0 correct

Defective — only plural forms exist. p → d before bh: adbhiḥ. Whitney §393.

ap f. "waters" (plural only)
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
āpaḥ
Acc.
apaḥ
Ins.
adbhiḥ
Dat.
adbhyaḥ
Abl.
adbhyaḥ
Gen.
apām
Loc.
apsu

Exercise

Fill in all forms. The cells marked "—" are defective (no form exists).

ap f. "waters" (plural only)
SingularDualPlural
Nom.
Acc.
Ins.
Dat.
Abl.
Gen.
Loc.
0 / 0 correct
Whitney §393–431 · MacDonell §90 · Monier-Williams s.v. pathin, pums, śvan, yuvan, ahan, sakhi, ap
svapna·space
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