सपत्नी

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit सपत्नी (sapátnī). Doublet of सौत (saut).

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /sə.pət̪.niː/, [s̪ə.pət̪̚.n̪iː]

सपत्नी • (sapatnī) f (Urdu spelling سپتنی‎)

1. (literary) a co-wife, rival wife
   • 1984, डॉ॰ प्यारेलाल शुक्ल, भक्तिकालीन काव्य में चित्रित नारी-जीवन‎, Allahabad: Sāhityavāṇī, →OCLC, page 335:

     कैकेयी की सपत्नी-ईर्ष्या में उसका पुत्र-प्रेम कारण बन गया। पुत्र का हित बाधित होता देख कर उसकी सपत्नी-ईर्ष्या जाग उठती है।

     kaikeyī kī sapatnī-īrṣyā mẽ uskā putra-prem kāraṇ ban gayā. putra kā hit bādhit hotā dekh kar uskī sapatnī-īrṣyā jāg uṭhtī hai.

     Kaikeyi's jealousy for her co-wife was caused by her love for her son. Seeing her son's well-being obstructed would awaken her jealousy for her co-wife.

• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975), “सपत्नी”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha, page 4947

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *sapátniH, from Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-pót-nih₂, from *sm̥- (“together, co-”) + *pótnih₂ (“wife”).[1] Cognate with Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬞𐬀𐬚𐬥𐬍‎ (hapaθnī, “co-wife”), Pashto بن‎ (bën). By surface analysis, स- (sa-, copulative prefix) +‎ पत्नी (pátnī, “wife”).

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /sɐ.pɐ́t.niː/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /s̪ɐˈpɐt̪.n̪iː/

सपत्नी • (sapátnī) f

1. a co-wife, rival wife; another wife of one’s polygamous husband
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.145.1:

     इमां खनाम्योषधिं वीरुधं बलवत्तमाम्।
     यया सपत्नीं बाधते यया संविन्दते पतिम्॥

     imāṃ khanāmyoṣadhiṃ vīrudhaṃ balavattamām.
     yayā sapatnīṃ bādhate yayā saṃvindate patim.

     From out the earth I dig this plant, a herb of most effectual power,
     Wherewith one quells the co-wife and gains the husband for herself.

   • c. 500 BCE – 100 BCE, Rāmāyaṇa 2.8.37:

     दर्पान्निराकृता पूर्वं त्वया सौभाग्यवत्तया । राममाता सपत्नी ते कथं वैरं न शातयेत् ॥

     darpānnirākṛtā pūrvaṃ tvayā saubhāgyavattayā . rāmamātā sapatnī te kathaṃ vairaṃ na śātayet .

     Out of your fortune [being the favourite wife of the husband] you slighted her earlier with [your] pride. How will she, Rama's mother, your co-wife [Kausalya] remain without retaliating?

   • c. 700 CE – 900 CE, Bhāgavata Purāṇa 2.7.8:

     विद्धः सपत्न्य्उदितपत्त्रिभिरन्ति राज्ञो बालोऽपि सन्नुपगतस्तपसे वनानि । तस्मा अदाद् ध्रुवगतिं गृणते प्रसन्नो दिव्याः स्तुवन्ति मुनयो यदुपर्यधस्तात् ॥

     viddhaḥ sapatnyuditapattribhiranti rājño bāloʼpi sannupagatastapase vanāni . tasmā adād dhruvagatiṃ gṛṇate prasanno divyāḥ stuvanti munayo yaduparyadhastāt .

     Insulted by the sharp words [lit. arrows] spoken by the co-wife before the king, the boy [Dhruva] took to do tapas in forests. A pleased [Vishnu] gave to the extolling Dhruva, a firm position [as Polaris star], which is lauded even by divine munis.

• Pali: sapattī
• Prakrit: 𑀲𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀻 (savattī), 𑀲𑀉𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀻 (saüttī)
  • Hindustani: saut

    Hindi: सौत

    Urdu: سوت‎

  • Old Marathi: savatī

    Devanagari script: सवती

    Modi script: 𑘭𑘪𑘝𑘲

    • Marathi: सवत (savat)
• ⇒ Prakrit: 𑀲𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀺𑀡𑀻 (savattiṇī)
  • Hindi: सौतन (sautan)
• → Hindi: सपत्नी (sapatnī) (learned)

• Monier Williams (1899), “सपत्नी”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1149.
• Hellwig, Oliver (2010-2023), “sapatnī”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.
• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890), “सपत्नी”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan, page 1625
• Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1893), “सपत्नी”, in A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout, London: Oxford University Press, page 334
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “sapátnī”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 760