छोटा

Inherited from Ashokan Prakrit *𑀙𑁄𑀝𑁆𑀝 (*choṭṭa). Compare Nepali छोटो (choṭo, “small”), Gujarati છોટું (choṭũ), Punjabi ਛੋਟਾ (choṭā, “small”), Oriya ଛୋଟ (choṭô, “small, lesser”), Assamese ছোট (süto, “junior, low grade”), Sinhalese චූටි (cūṭi, “small”).

Earlier lexicographers spuriously suggested Sanskrit क्षुद्रक (kṣudraka, “small, insignificant”) but from this one would expect > MIA *khuḍḍaga ~ *chuḍḍaga > NIA *khūḍā ~ *chūḍā, with Hindi generally preferring *kh-.

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃʰoː.ʈɑː/, [t͡ʃʰoː.ʈäː]

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• Hyphenation: छो‧टा

छोटा • (choṭā) (Urdu spelling چھوٹا‎)

1. little, small

   बाहर एक छोटा बच्चा खड़ा है।

   bāhar ek choṭā baccā khaṛā hai.

   There's a small child standing outside.

   छोटी सी दुकान ― choṭī sī dukān ― a small shop

2. younger, junior, minor, lesser

   छोटा भाई ― choṭā bhāī ― younger brother

   छोटी बहन ― choṭī bahan ― younger sister

3. subordinate, inferior, common
4. trivial, trifling, unimportant, of no consequence

   छोटी बात ― choṭī bāt ― trivial matter

5. low, mean, insignificant, contemptible; common

   अगर छोटे आदमी को आवाज़ मिलती है तो वह छोटा नहीं रहता है।

   agar choṭe ādmī ko āvāz miltī hai to vah choṭā nahī̃ rahtā hai.

   If an insignificant man is given a voice he does not stay insignificant.

   छोटे लोग ― choṭe log ― insignificant people, powerless people

• → Kashmiri: ژھۆٹ‎ (ċhoṭ)
• → Marathi: छोटे (choṭe)

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “छोटा”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Platts, John T. (1884), “छोटा”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.