Hindi

[ hin-dee ]
/ ˈhɪn di /

noun

the most widely spoken of the modern Indic vernaculars, especially its best-known variety, Western Hindi.
a literary language derived from Hindustani, used by Hindus.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Hindi

1790–1800; <Hindi, Urdu, equivalent to Persian Hind, Hindu (compare Sanskrit Sindhu the river Indus; sense extended to “region of the Indus, Sind”) + -ī suffix of appurtenance; replacing Hinduee<Persian Hinduī

Words nearby Hindi

Hindenburg, Hindenburg line, hinder, Hindfell, hindgut, Hindi, hindmost, Hindoo, Hindoostani, hindquarter, hindrance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Hindi

British Dictionary definitions for Hindi

Hindi
/ (ˈhɪndɪ) /

noun

a language or group of dialects of N central India. It belongs to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family and is closely related to UrduSee also Hindustani
a formal literary dialect of this language, the official language of India, usually written in Nagari script
a person whose native language is Hindi

Word Origin for Hindi

C18: from Hindi hindī, from Hind India, from Old Persian Hindu the river Indus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012