प्रभु

See also: प्रभा

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit प्रभु (prabhu).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /pɾə.bʱuː/, [pɾɐ.bʱuː]

Noun

प्रभु • (prabhu) m

1. master, lord
2. God, god

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:भगवान

3. brother (term of address used among males)

Declension

Declension of प्रभु (masc u-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभु prabhu
oblique	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओं prabhuõ
vocative	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओ prabhuo

Proper noun

प्रभु • (prabhu) m or f by sense

1. a surname, equivalent to English Prabhu

Declension

NOTE: This term is declined masculine or feminine according to the gender of the referent.

Declension of प्रभु (masc u-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभु prabhu
oblique	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओं prabhuõ
vocative	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओ prabhuo

Declension of प्रभु (fem u-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुएँ prabhuẽ
oblique	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओं prabhuõ
vocative	प्रभु prabhu	प्रभुओ prabhuo

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

• प्रभू (prabhū́)

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• প্ৰভু (Assamese script)
• ᬧ᭄ᬭᬪᬸ (Balinese script)
• প্রভু (Bengali script)
• 𑰢𑰿𑰨𑰥𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀧𑁆𑀭𑀪𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• ပြဘု (Burmese script)
• પ્રભુ (Gujarati script)
• ਪ੍ਰਭੁ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑍁 (Grantha script)
• ꦥꦿꦨꦸ (Javanese script)
• 𑂣𑂹𑂩𑂦𑂳 (Kaithi script)
• ಪ್ರಭು (Kannada script)
• ប្រភុ (Khmer script)
• ປ຺ຣຠຸ (Lao script)
• പ്രഭു (Malayalam script)
• ᢒᡵᠠᢨᡠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘢𑘿𑘨𑘥𑘳 (Modi script)
• ᢒᠷᠠᠪᠾᠤ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧂𑧠𑧈𑧅𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐥𑑂𑐬𑐨𑐸 (Newa script)
• ପ୍ରଭୁ (Odia script)
• ꢦ꣄ꢬꢩꢸ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆥𑇀𑆫𑆨𑆶 (Sharada script)
• 𑖢𑖿𑖨𑖥𑖲 (Siddham script)
• ප්‍රභු (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩰 𑪙𑩼𑩳𑩒 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚞𑚶𑚤𑚡𑚰 (Takri script)
• ப்ரபு⁴ (Tamil script)
• ప్రభు (Telugu script)
• ปฺรภุ (Thai script)
• པྲ་བྷུ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒣𑓂𑒩𑒦𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨞𑩇𑨫𑨡𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰHú-s, from *pro- (“forward”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”). Cognate with Latin probus (“excellent, good”), which was also used as a given name.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /pɾɐ.bʱú/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾɐ.bʱu/

Adjective

प्रभु • (prabhú) stem

1. good, excelling, mighty, powerful, rich, abundant
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.188.5:

     विराट् सम्राड्विभ्वीः प्रभ्वीर्बह्वीश्च भूयसीश्च याः ।
     दुरो घृतान्यक्षरन् ॥

     virāṭ samrāḍvibhvīḥ prabhvīrbahvīśca bhūyasīśca yāḥ.
     duro ghṛtānyakṣaran.

     The sovereign all-imperial Doors, wide, excellent, many and manifold,
     Have poured their streams of holy oil.

2. (with ablative) more powerful than
3. (with genitive) having power over
4. (with locative, infinitive or in compounda) able, capable, having power to
5. (with dative) a match for
6. constant, eternal

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of प्रभु (prabhú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	प्रभुः prabhúḥ	प्रभू prabhū́	प्रभवः prabhávaḥ
Vocative	प्रभो prábho	प्रभू prábhū	प्रभवः prábhavaḥ
Accusative	प्रभुम् prabhúm	प्रभू prabhū́	प्रभून् prabhū́n
Instrumental	प्रभुणा / प्रभ्वा¹ prabhúṇā / prabhvā́¹	प्रभुभ्याम् prabhúbhyām	प्रभुभिः prabhúbhiḥ
Dative	प्रभवे / प्रभ्वे¹ prabháve / prabhvé¹	प्रभुभ्याम् prabhúbhyām	प्रभुभ्यः prabhúbhyaḥ
Ablative	प्रभोः / प्रभ्वः¹ prabhóḥ / prabhváḥ¹	प्रभुभ्याम् prabhúbhyām	प्रभुभ्यः prabhúbhyaḥ
Genitive	प्रभोः / प्रभ्वः¹ prabhóḥ / prabhváḥ¹	प्रभ्वोः prabhvóḥ	प्रभूणाम् prabhūṇā́m
Locative	प्रभौ prabhaú	प्रभ्वोः prabhvóḥ	प्रभुषु prabhúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of प्रभ्वी (prabhvī́)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	प्रभ्वी prabhvī́	प्रभ्व्यौ / प्रभ्वी¹ prabhvyaù / prabhvī́¹	प्रभ्व्यः / प्रभ्वीः¹ prabhvyàḥ / prabhvī́ḥ¹
Vocative	प्रभ्वि prábhvi	प्रभ्व्यौ / प्रभ्वी¹ prábhvyau / prábhvī¹	प्रभ्व्यः / प्रभ्वीः¹ prábhvyaḥ / prábhvīḥ¹
Accusative	प्रभ्वीम् prabhvī́m	प्रभ्व्यौ / प्रभ्वी¹ prabhvyaù / prabhvī́¹	प्रभ्वीः prabhvī́ḥ
Instrumental	प्रभ्व्या prabhvyā́	प्रभ्वीभ्याम् prabhvī́bhyām	प्रभ्वीभिः prabhvī́bhiḥ
Dative	प्रभ्व्यै prabhvyaí	प्रभ्वीभ्याम् prabhvī́bhyām	प्रभ्वीभ्यः prabhvī́bhyaḥ
Ablative	प्रभ्व्याः / प्रभ्व्यै² prabhvyā́ḥ / prabhvyaí²	प्रभ्वीभ्याम् prabhvī́bhyām	प्रभ्वीभ्यः prabhvī́bhyaḥ
Genitive	प्रभ्व्याः / प्रभ्व्यै² prabhvyā́ḥ / prabhvyaí²	प्रभ्व्योः prabhvyóḥ	प्रभ्वीणाम् prabhvī́ṇām
Locative	प्रभ्व्याम् prabhvyā́m	प्रभ्व्योः prabhvyóḥ	प्रभ्वीषु prabhvī́ṣu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter u-stem declension of प्रभु (prabhú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	प्रभु prabhú	प्रभुणी prabhúṇī	प्रभूणि / प्रभु¹ / प्रभू¹ prabhū́ṇi / prabhú¹ / prabhū́¹
Vocative	प्रभु / प्रभो prábhu / prábho	प्रभुणी prábhuṇī	प्रभूणि / प्रभु¹ / प्रभू¹ prábhūṇi / prábhu¹ / prábhū¹
Accusative	प्रभु prabhú	प्रभुणी prabhúṇī	प्रभूणि / प्रभु¹ / प्रभू¹ prabhū́ṇi / prabhú¹ / prabhū́¹
Instrumental	प्रभुणा / प्रभ्वा¹ prabhúṇā / prabhvā́¹	प्रभुभ्याम् prabhúbhyām	प्रभुभिः prabhúbhiḥ
Dative	प्रभुणे / प्रभवे¹ / प्रभ्वे¹ prabhúṇe / prabháve¹ / prabhvé¹	प्रभुभ्याम् prabhúbhyām	प्रभुभ्यः prabhúbhyaḥ
Ablative	प्रभुणः / प्रभोः¹ / प्रभ्वः¹ prabhúṇaḥ / prabhóḥ¹ / prabhváḥ¹	प्रभुभ्याम् prabhúbhyām	प्रभुभ्यः prabhúbhyaḥ
Genitive	प्रभुणः / प्रभोः¹ / प्रभ्वः¹ prabhúṇaḥ / prabhóḥ¹ / prabhváḥ¹	प्रभुणोः prabhúṇoḥ	प्रभूणाम् prabhūṇā́m
Locative	प्रभुणि / प्रभौ¹ prabhúṇi / prabhaú¹	प्रभुणोः prabhúṇoḥ	प्रभुषु prabhúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Noun

प्रभु • (prabhú) stem, m

1. master, lord, king, prince (also applied to gods)
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.83.1:

     पवित्रं ते विततं ब्रह्मणस्पते प्रभुर्गात्राणि पर्येषि विश्वतः ।

     pavitraṃ te vitataṃ brahmaṇaspate prabhurgātrāṇi paryeṣi viśvataḥ.

     Thy cleansing filter is spreas, Brahmaṇaspati: as Prince, thou enterest its limbs from every side.

2. the chief or leader of a sect

Descendants

• Pali: pabhu (“master”), pahū (“able”)
• Prakrit: 𑀧𑀪𑀼 (pabhu), 𑀧𑀳𑀼 (pahu)
  • Bengali: পহু (pohu)
  • Maithili: पहू (pahū)
• → Bengali: প্রভু (probhu)
• → Hindi: प्रभु (prabhu)
• → Old Javanese: prabhu
  • Javanese: ꦥꦿꦧꦸ (prabu)
    • → Indonesian: prabu
  • → Balinese: ᬧ᭄ᬭᬪᬸ (prabu)
• → Kannada: ಪ್ರಭು (prabhu)
• → Tamil: பிரபு (pirapu)
• → Telugu: ప్రభువు (prabhuvu)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “प्रभु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 635.