कदा

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *kadáH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kadáH. Cognate with Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬛𐬁‎ (kadā, “when”).

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /kɐ.d̪ɑ́ː/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈkɐ.d̪ɑː/

कदा • (kadā́)

1. when, at what time?

   कदापि ― kadāpi ― sometimes

2. someday, one day

   कदा न ― kadā na ― never

   कदा चित् ― kadā cit ― at some time

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 8.5.22:

     कदा वां तौग्र्यो विधत्समुद्रे जहितो नरा ।
     यद्वां रथो विभिष्पतात् ॥

     kadā vāṃ taugryo vidhatsamudre jahito narā .
     yadvāṃ ratho vibhiṣpatāt .

     When did the son of Tugra serve you, Men? Abandoned in the sea,
     That with winged steeds your car might fly.

3. how?
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.29.3:

     का ते अस्त्यरंकृतिः सूक्तैः कदा नूनं ते मघवन्दाशेम ।
     विश्वा मतीरा ततने त्वायाधा म इन्द्र शृणवो हवेमा ॥

     kā te astyaraṃkṛtiḥ sūktaiḥ kadā nūnaṃ te maghavandāśema .
     viśvā matīrā tatane tvāyādhā ma indra śṛṇavo havemā .

     What satisfaction do our hymns afford thee? When, Maghavan? Now let us do thee service.
     Hymns, only hymns, with love for thee, I weave thee: then hear, O Indra, these mine invocations.

• Monier Williams (1899), “कदा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, OCLC 458052227, page 248.