बिन्दु

See also: बन्दी and बन्द

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• bindu (Latin script)
• 𑀩𑀺𑀦𑁆𑀤𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• বিন্দু (Bengali script)
• බින්‍දු (Sinhalese script)
• ဗိန္ဒု or ၿိၼ္ၻု or ၿိၼ်ၻု (Burmese script)
• พินฺทุ or พินทุ (Thai script)
• ᨻᩥᨶ᩠ᨴᩩ (Tai Tham script)
• ພິນ຺ທຸ or ພິນທຸ (Lao script)
• ពិន្ទុ (Khmer script)
• 𑄝𑄨𑄚𑄴𑄘𑄪 (Chakma script)

Noun

बिन्दु n

1. Devanagari script form of bindu

Declension

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	बिन्दु (bindu)	बिन्दूनि (bindūni) or बिन्दू (bindū)
Accusative (second)	बिन्दुं (binduṃ)	बिन्दूनि (bindūni) or बिन्दू (bindū)
Instrumental (third)	बिन्दुना (bindunā)	बिन्दूहि (bindūhi) or बिन्दूभि (bindūbhi)
Dative (fourth)	बिन्दुस्स (bindussa) or बिन्दुनो (binduno)	बिन्दूनं (bindūnaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	बिन्दुस्मा (bindusmā) or बिन्दुम्हा (bindumhā)	बिन्दूहि (bindūhi) or बिन्दूभि (bindūbhi)
Genitive (sixth)	बिन्दुस्स (bindussa) or बिन्दुनो (binduno)	बिन्दूनं (bindūnaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	बिन्दुस्मिं (bindusmiṃ) or बिन्दुम्हि (bindumhi)	बिन्दूसु (bindūsu)
Vocative (calling)	बिन्दु (bindu)	बिन्दूनि (bindūni) or बिन्दू (bindū)

Declension table of "बिन्दु" (neuter)

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

• विन्दु (vindu) — later variant

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• বিন্দু (Assamese script)
• ᬩᬶᬦ᭄ᬤᬸ (Balinese script)
• বিন্দু (Bengali script)
• 𑰤𑰰𑰡𑰿𑰟𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀩𑀺𑀦𑁆𑀤𑀼 (Brahmi script)
• ဗိန္ဒု (Burmese script)
• બિન્દુ (Gujarati script)
• ਬਿਨ੍ਦੁ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌬𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍁 (Grantha script)
• ꦧꦶꦤ꧀ꦢꦸ (Javanese script)
• 𑂥𑂱𑂢𑂹𑂠𑂳 (Kaithi script)
• ಬಿನ್ದು (Kannada script)
• ពិន្ទុ (Khmer script)
• ພິນ຺ທຸ (Lao script)
• ബിന്ദു (Malayalam script)
• ᠪᡳᠨᡩᡠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘤𑘱𑘡𑘿𑘟𑘳 (Modi script)
• ᠪᠢᠨᢑᠤ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧄𑧒𑧁𑧠𑦿𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐧𑐶𑐣𑑂𑐡𑐸 (Newa script)
• ବିନ୍ଦୁ (Odia script)
• ꢨꢶꢥ꣄ꢣꢸ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆧𑆴𑆤𑇀𑆢𑆶 (Sharada script)
• 𑖤𑖰𑖡𑖿𑖟𑖲 (Siddham script)
• බින්‍දු (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩲𑩑𑩯 𑪙𑩭𑩒 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚠𑚮𑚝𑚶𑚛𑚰 (Takri script)
• பி³ந்து³ (Tamil script)
• బిన్దు (Telugu script)
• พินฺทุ (Thai script)
• བི་ནྡུ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒥𑒱𑒢𑓂𑒠𑒳 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨠𑨁𑨝𑩇𑨛𑨃 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bindúṣ, of uncertain further origin. Per Turner, it is likely a substrate borrowing related to उण्डुक (uṇḍuka, “network”), इन्दु (indu, “drop”), इण्ड्व (iṇḍva, “(two) mats”), वीटा (vīṭā, “stick used in tipcat”), वृन्त (vṛnta, “stalk”) and विटप (viṭapa, “tree”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /bin.dú/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈbin̪.d̪u/

Noun

बिन्दु • (bindú) stem, m (once n)

1. a detached particle, drop, globule, dot, spot
2. (with हिरण्यय (hiraṇyaya)) a pearl
3. a drop of water taken as a measure
4. a spot or mark of coloured paint on the body of an elephant
5. (grammar, lexicography) (at the end of a compound also बिन्दुक (binduka)) the dot over a letter representing the anusvara (supposed to be connected with शिव (śiva) and of great mystical importance)
6. a zero or cypher (in manuscripts put over an erased word to show that it ought not to be erased = "stet")
7. a particular mark like a dot made in cauterizing
8. a mark made by the teeth of a lover on the lips of his mistress
9. a coloured mark made on the forehead between the eyebrows
10. (in dramatic language) the sudden development of a secondary incident (which, like a drop of oil in water, expands and furnishes an important element in the plot)
11. name of a man g. बिदादि (bidā-di)
12. name of an आङ्गिरस (āṅgirasa) (author of RV. 8.83 and 9.30)
13. name of the author of a रसपद्धति (rasa-paddhati)
14. (in the plural) name of a warrior tribe g. दामन्यादि (dāmany-ādi)

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of बिन्दु (bindú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	बिन्दुः bindúḥ	बिन्दू bindū́	बिन्दवः bindávaḥ
Vocative	बिन्दो bíndo	बिन्दू bíndū	बिन्दवः bíndavaḥ
Accusative	बिन्दुम् bindúm	बिन्दू bindū́	बिन्दून् bindū́n
Instrumental	बिन्दुना / बिन्द्वा¹ bindúnā / bindvā́¹	बिन्दुभ्याम् bindúbhyām	बिन्दुभिः bindúbhiḥ
Dative	बिन्दवे bindáve	बिन्दुभ्याम् bindúbhyām	बिन्दुभ्यः bindúbhyaḥ
Ablative	बिन्दोः bindóḥ	बिन्दुभ्याम् bindúbhyām	बिन्दुभ्यः bindúbhyaḥ
Genitive	बिन्दोः bindóḥ	बिन्द्वोः bindvóḥ	बिन्दूनाम् bindūnā́m
Locative	बिन्दौ bindaú	बिन्द्वोः bindvóḥ	बिन्दुषु bindúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Neuter u-stem declension of बिन्दु (bindú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	बिन्दु bindú	बिन्दुनी bindúnī	बिन्दूनि / बिन्दु¹ / बिन्दू¹ bindū́ni / bindú¹ / bindū́¹
Vocative	बिन्दु / बिन्दो bíndu / bíndo	बिन्दुनी bíndunī	बिन्दूनि / बिन्दु¹ / बिन्दू¹ bíndūni / bíndu¹ / bíndū¹
Accusative	बिन्दु bindú	बिन्दुनी bindúnī	बिन्दूनि / बिन्दु¹ / बिन्दू¹ bindū́ni / bindú¹ / bindū́¹
Instrumental	बिन्दुना / बिन्द्वा¹ bindúnā / bindvā́¹	बिन्दुभ्याम् bindúbhyām	बिन्दुभिः bindúbhiḥ
Dative	बिन्दुने / बिन्दवे¹ bindúne / bindáve¹	बिन्दुभ्याम् bindúbhyām	बिन्दुभ्यः bindúbhyaḥ
Ablative	बिन्दुनः / बिन्दोः¹ bindúnaḥ / bindóḥ¹	बिन्दुभ्याम् bindúbhyām	बिन्दुभ्यः bindúbhyaḥ
Genitive	बिन्दुनः / बिन्दोः¹ bindúnaḥ / bindóḥ¹	बिन्दुनोः bindúnoḥ	बिन्दूनाम् bindūnā́m
Locative	बिन्दुनि / बिन्दौ¹ bindúni / bindaú¹	बिन्दुनोः bindúnoḥ	बिन्दुषु bindúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Derived terms

• चन्द्रबिन्दु (candrabindu)
• बिन्दुसार (bindusāra)

Descendants

• → Bengali: বিন্দু (bindu)
• → Hindi: बिंदु (bindu)
• → Old Javanese: windu
  • Javanese: ꦮꦶꦤ꧀ꦢꦸ (windu, “a period of eight (Javanese) years”)
    • → Indonesian: windu (“eight years”)
  • → Balinese: ᬯᬶᬦ᭄ᬤᬸ (windu, “zero; dot, period, point”)
• → Punjabi: ਬਿੰਦੂ (bindū)
• Pali: bindu
• → Tamil: பிந்து (pintu)
• → Telugu: బిందువు (binduvu)
• → Thai: พินทุ (pin-tú)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “बिन्दु”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0731.