उल्का

Borrowed from Sanskrit उल्का (ulkā, “meteor”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European root shared with Proto-Celtic *lowtus (“ash”) (compare Welsh lludw (“ash”), Breton ludu (“ash”)). Or, possibly related to Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber, gold-silver alloy”), Persian ارک‎ (ark, “sun”) and Pashto اکره‎ (akára, “meteor”) (Metathesis of *-rk- > *-kr-).

Many sources link it to Latin Vulcanus (“god of fire”), but Mallory & Adams reject this as Vulcanus is an Etruscan word.

• IPA^(key): /ʊl.kɑː/

उल्का • (ulkā) f

1. (astronomy) meteor
   • (Can we date this quote?), Pradeep Kumar Mishra, अंतरिक्ष नगर [Space City]:

     परंतु पंकज इधर-उधर ऊपर-नीचे होकर बचता रहा। अचानक दोनों के बीच में एक बड़ा सा उल्का पिंड आ गया।

     parantu paṅkaj idhar-udhar ūpar-nīce hokar bactā rahā. acānak donõ ke bīc mẽ ek baṛā sā ulkā piṇḍ ā gayā.

     But Pankaj saved himself going here-and-there, under-and-over. Suddenly, a meteor came between the two.

   उल्का वर्षा ― ulkā varṣā ― meteor shower

• Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press
• Monier-Williams (1872): A Sanskṛit-English Dictionary Etymologically and Philologically Arranged: With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon, and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages
• Blažek, Václav (2010): The Indo-european "Smith"