Hindustani etymology

Origin of āp (आप آپ), tum (तुम تم) and tū (तू تو)

In Hindustani, the pronoun āp, which denotes respect or formalism, originates from Sanskrit ātmana (आत्मन),^[4] which denotes the higher self or level of consciousness.

The pronoun tum, which denotes informality or intimacy, originates from Prakrit tumma (तुम्म), ultimately from Sanskrit yushma (युष्म) (the base of the 2nd person plural pronoun).^[5]

The pronoun tū, also originates from Prakrit tuhu (तुहुं).^[6] In modern usage, tū is used widely in India to denote a wide range of attitudes, dependent on context, from extreme informality, to derision and even extreme reverence. However, usage of tū in most contexts is considered highly offensive in Urdu, with the exception being tu used as second-person pronoun for God. This is a trend comparable to the decline of "thou" in English and of "tu" in Brazilian Portuguese.

Origin of hai (है ہے)

One of the most common words in Hindustani is hai ("is"). It originates from the following developments:

• Sanskrit: asti ("is") / bhavati ("being") and from Prakrit hoi
• Prakrit: ahai (here a and i are two separate vowels)

Sanskrit s sometimes becomes h in Prakrits.

Shortening of ahai produced hai. In some older works in Hindustani literature, one can find usage of ahai. For example, Bharatendu Harishchandra wrote: "निज भाषा उन्नति अहै, सब उन्नति को मूल" ("نِج بھاشا اُنّتی اہَے، سب اُنّتی کو مُول "). In Marathi the अ remained, and the equivalent of hai is āhe (आहे). Similarly, the Sindhi word for "hai" is āhe.

Derivation of jātā (जाता جاتا) and gayā (गया گیا)

The word jātā ("goes") is from Sanskrit root yā (yāti, yāta). ya often becomes "ja" in Prakrit.

The word gayā ("went") is from Sanskrit root gam (gacchati), from gatah. Here t transforms to y in Prakrit.

Ājā (आजा آجا) and dādā (दादा دادا)

The word ājā has also been used in Northern India and Pakistan for "grandfather". It is indeed derived from arya meaning "sir" in this case. Jains nuns are addressed either as Aryika or Ajji.

The word dādā also has a similar meaning which varies by region. It is used in some regions for "father", in other regions for "older brother", or even for "grandfather" in other regions. This word is an amalgam of two sources:

• Sanskrit tāta used to address intimate persons which means either "sir" or "dear".
• Tau meaning "father's older brother" is also derived from tāta.

Baṛā (बड़ा بڑا)

The word "baṛā" ("older/bigger") is derived from the Sanskrit vridhha through Prakrit vaḍḍha.

Loanwords from Sanskrit

Loanwords from Persian

Persian loanwords not artificially added to Hindustani are derived from Classical Persian, which is a historical dialect, and not the same as modern-day Persian.

Loanwords from Turkic languages

There are a very small number of pure Turkic words in Hindustani, numbering as little as 24 according to some sources.^[8] Other words attributed to Turkish are words which are common to Hindustani and Turkish, but which have other origins, mostly Arabic or Persian.^[9] Both languages also share mutual loans from English. Most notably, some honorifics and surnames common in the Hindustani belt originate from Turkic languages. This is most probably due to the influence of Mughal rulers, who were ethnically Turkic. Examples of honorifics include 'Ḳhānam' (ख़ानम خانم), 'Bājī' (बाजी باجی), and 'Begam' (बेगम بیگم). Common surnames include 'Ḳhān' (ख़ान خان), 'Chuġtāī' (चुग़ताई چغتائی), 'Pāshā' (पाशा پاشا), and 'Arsalān' (अर्सलान ارسلان). Some common Turkic words used in everyday Hindustani are 'Qainchī' (क़ैंची قینچی) - scissors, 'Annā' (अन्ना انّا) - governess, 'Tamġā' (तमग़ा تمغہ) - medal, and 'Chaqmaq' (चक़मक़ چقمق) - flint.

Loanwords from Arabic

Some of the most commonly used loanwords from Arabic include 'Waqt' (वक़्त وقت)-time, 'Qalam' (क़लम قلم)-pen 'Kitāb' (किताब کتاب)-book, 'Qarīb' (क़रीब قریب)-near, 'Sahī' (सही صحیح)-correct, 'Gharīb' (ग़रीब غریب)-poor, 'Amīr' (अमीर امیر)-rich, Duniyā (दुनिया دنیا)-world, 'Hisāb' (हिसाब حساب)-calculation, 'Qudrat' (क़ुदरत قدرت)- nature, 'Nasīb' (नसीब نصیب)-fate, 'Ajīb' (अजीब عجیب)-unusual, 'Qānūn' (क़ानून قانون)-law, 'Khabar' (ख़बर خبر)-news, Akhbār (अख़बार اخبار)-newspaper, 'Qilā' (क़िला قلعہ)-fort, 'Kursī' (कुर्सी کرسی)-chair, 'Sharbat' (शर्बत شربت)-drink/beverage, 'Qamīs' (क़मीस قميص)-shirt, 'Zarūrī (ज़रूरी ضروری)-necessary, etc.^[10]

Loanwords from Portuguese

A small number of words were borrowed from Portuguese due to interaction with colonists and missionaries. These include the following:

Loanwords from English

Loanwords were borrowed from English into Hindustani through interaction with the British East India Company and later British rule. English-language education for the native administrative and richer classes during the period of British rule accelerated the adoption of English vocabulary in Hindustani. Many technical and modern terms were borrowed from English, such as doctor (डॉक्टर ڈاکٹر), taxi (टैक्सी ٹیکسی), and kilometer (किलोमीटर کلومیٹر). The influence of English and assimilation of new loanwords continues to the present day.