आलु

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit आलु (ālu).

Pronunciation

(Delhi) IPA^(key): /ɑː.luː/, [äː.luː]

Noun

आलु • (ālu) m (Urdu spelling آلو)

Alternative spelling of आलू (ālū)

Declension

Declension of आलु (masc u-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	आलु ālu	आलु ālu
oblique	आलु ālu	आलुओं āluõ
vocative	आलु ālu	आलुओ āluo

Nepali

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [älu]
Phonetic Devanagari: आलु

Noun

आलु • (ālu)

potato
zero, jack

Newar

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [alu]

Noun

आलु • (ālu) ? (Newa Spelling 𑐁𑐮𑐸)

plastic

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

আলু (Assamese script)
ᬆᬮᬸ (Balinese script)
আলু (Bengali script)
𑰁𑰩𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀆𑀮𑀼 (Brahmi script)
အာလု (Burmese script)
આલુ (Gujarati script)
ਆਲੁ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌆𑌲𑍁 (Grantha script)
ꦄꦴꦭꦸ (Javanese script)
𑂄𑂪𑂳 (Kaithi script)
ಆಲು (Kannada script)
អាលុ (Khmer script)
ອາລຸ (Lao script)
ആലു (Malayalam script)
ᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠯᡠ (Manchu script)
𑘁𑘩𑘳 (Modi script)
ᠠᢗᠯᠤ (Mongolian script)
𑦡𑧉𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
𑐁𑐮𑐸 (Newa script)
ଆଲୁ (Odia script)
ꢃꢭꢸ (Saurashtra script)
𑆄𑆬𑆶 (Sharada script)
𑖁𑖩𑖲 (Siddham script)
ආලු (Sinhalese script)
𑩐𑩛𑩽𑩒 (Soyombo script)
𑚁𑚥𑚰 (Takri script)
ஆலு (Tamil script)
ఆలు (Telugu script)
อาลุ (Thai script)
ཨཱ་ལུ (Tibetan script)
𑒂𑒪𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
𑨀𑨊𑨬𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɑː.lu/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈɑː.l̪u/

Etymology 1

Of unclear origin. Has been compared to Latin alvus (“belly, bowels”) and Lithuanian eldijà (“canoe”).

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, f

a pitcher, a small water jar

Declension

Feminine u-stem declension of आलु (ālu)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	आलुः āluḥ	आलू ālū	आलवः ālavaḥ
Vocative	आलो ālo	आलू ālū	आलवः ālavaḥ
Accusative	आलुम् ālum	आलू ālū	आलूः ālūḥ
Instrumental	आल्वा ālvā	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभिः ālubhiḥ
Dative	आलवे / आल्वै¹ ālave / ālvai¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Ablative	आलोः / आल्वाः¹ / आल्वै² āloḥ / ālvāḥ¹ / ālvai²	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Genitive	आलोः / आल्वाः¹ / आल्वै² āloḥ / ālvāḥ¹ / ālvai²	आल्वोः ālvoḥ	आलूनाम् ālūnām
Locative	आलौ / आल्वाम्¹ ālau / ālvām¹	आल्वोः ālvoḥ	आलुषु āluṣu
Notes	¹Later Sanskrit ²Brāhmaṇas

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Dravidian; compare Tamil ஆர் (ār, “common mountain ebony”) and ஆரம் (āram, “sandalwood”).

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, m

ebony, black ebony

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of आलु (ālu)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	आलुः āluḥ	आलू ālū	आलवः ālavaḥ
Vocative	आलो ālo	आलू ālū	आलवः ālavaḥ
Accusative	आलुम् ālum	आलू ālū	आलून् ālūn
Instrumental	आलुना / आल्वा¹ ālunā / ālvā¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभिः ālubhiḥ
Dative	आलवे / आल्वे¹ ālave / ālve¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Ablative	आलोः / आल्वः¹ āloḥ / ālvaḥ¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Genitive	आलोः / आल्वः¹ āloḥ / ālvaḥ¹	आल्वोः ālvoḥ	आलूनाम् ālūnām
Locative	आलौ ālau	आल्वोः ālvoḥ	आलुषु āluṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Etymology 3

Of uncertain origin. Has been suggested to derive from Proto-Indo-Aryan *HaHlu, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HaHlu, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHlu (“edible root”), and thus be cognate with Latin ālium (“onion, garlic”). However, Mayrhofer considers this derivation unconvincing, perhaps due to the general principle of specific plant names usually being borrowed from local substrates rather than being inherited in Indo-European languages.

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, n

an esculent root, elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, syn. Arum campanulatum)
(neologism) potato

Declension

Neuter u-stem declension of आलु
Nom. sg.	आलु (ālu)
Gen. sg.	आलुनः (ālunaḥ)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī)	आलूनि (ālūni)
Vocative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī)	आलूनि (ālūni)
Accusative	आलु (ālu)	आलुनी (ālunī)	आलूनि (ālūni)
Instrumental	आलुना (ālunā)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभिः (ālubhiḥ)
Dative	आलुने (ālune)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
Ablative	आलुनः (ālunaḥ)	आलुभ्याम् (ālubhyām)	आलुभ्यः (ālubhyaḥ)
Genitive	आलुनः (ālunaḥ)	आलुनोः (ālunoḥ)	आलूनाम् (ālūnām)
Locative	आलुनि (āluni)	आलुनोः (ālunoḥ)	आलुषु (āluṣu)

Derived terms

आलुक (āluka)

Etymology 4

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Not attested in etymological dictionaries. Could be related to Etymologies 1 or 2, though it has the same gender as Etymology 3.”

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, n

a raft, float

Declension

Neuter u-stem declension of आलु (ālu)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	आलु ālu	आलुनी ālunī	आलूनि / आलु¹ / आलू¹ ālūni / ālu¹ / ālū¹
Vocative	आलु / आलो ālu / ālo	आलुनी ālunī	आलूनि / आलु¹ / आलू¹ ālūni / ālu¹ / ālū¹
Accusative	आलु ālu	आलुनी ālunī	आलूनि / आलु¹ / आलू¹ ālūni / ālu¹ / ālū¹
Instrumental	आलुना / आल्वा¹ ālunā / ālvā¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभिः ālubhiḥ
Dative	आलुने / आलवे¹ / आल्वे¹ ālune / ālave¹ / ālve¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Ablative	आलुनः / आलोः¹ / आल्वः¹ ālunaḥ / āloḥ¹ / ālvaḥ¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Genitive	आलुनः / आलोः¹ / आल्वः¹ ālunaḥ / āloḥ¹ / ālvaḥ¹	आलुनोः ālunoḥ	आलूनाम् ālūnām
Locative	आलुनि / आलौ¹ āluni / ālau¹	आलुनोः ālunoḥ	आलुषु āluṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Etymology 5

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Not attested in etymological dictionaries. Perhaps related to उलूक (ulūka, “owl”); see there for more.”

Noun

आलु • (ālu) stem, m

an owl

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of आलु (ālu)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	आलुः āluḥ	आलू ālū	आलवः ālavaḥ
Vocative	आलो ālo	आलू ālū	आलवः ālavaḥ
Accusative	आलुम् ālum	आलू ālū	आलून् ālūn
Instrumental	आलुना / आल्वा¹ ālunā / ālvā¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभिः ālubhiḥ
Dative	आलवे / आल्वे¹ ālave / ālve¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Ablative	आलोः / आल्वः¹ āloḥ / ālvaḥ¹	आलुभ्याम् ālubhyām	आलुभ्यः ālubhyaḥ
Genitive	आलोः / आल्वः¹ āloḥ / ālvaḥ¹	आल्वोः ālvoḥ	आलूनाम् ālūnām
Locative	आलौ ālau	आल्वोः ālvoḥ	आलुषु āluṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

References

Monier Williams (1899) “आलु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 154/1.
Mayrhofer, Manfred (2001) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 25
Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎^[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 80-1