नारि

A rare, dialectal alternative form of नारी (nā́rī), attested in the Middle Vedic period. Similar alteration in vowel length is also observed in नप्ती (naptī́) ~ नप्ति (naptí) and रात्रि (rā́tri) ~ रात्री (rā́trī). The presence of such alteration in other languages (see नप्ति (napti)) suggests that this vowel shortening was not innovated by Sanskrit but rather inherited from Proto-Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-Europenan. This term goes back to Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hnā́riš, which was a dialectal variant of the more widely used *Hnā́riH. See नारी (nā́rī) for cognates.

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /nɑ́ː.ɾi/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈn̪ɑː.ɾi/

नारि • (nā́ri) f

1. (Vedic) Alternative form of नारी (nārī); a woman
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.43.6:

     शं नः॑ कर॒त्यर्व॑ते सु॒गं मे॒षाय॑ मे॒ष्ये॑ ।
     नृभ्यो॒ नारि॑भ्यो॒ गवे॑ ॥

     śáṃ naḥ karatyárvate sugáṃ meṣā́ya meṣyé.
     nṛ́bhyo nā́ribhyo gáve.

     May he (Rudra) grant health to our steeds, wellbeing to our rams and ewes,
     To men, to women, and to the cows.

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.86.11:

     इन्द्राणीमासु नारिषु सुभगामहमश्रवम् ।
     नह्यस्या अपरं चन जरसा मरते पतिर्विश्वस्मादिन्द्र उत्तरः ॥

     indrāṇīmāsu nāriṣu subhagāmahamaśravam .
     nahyasyā aparaṃ cana jarasā marate patirviśvasmādindra uttaraḥ .

     So I have heard Indrāṇī being called most fortunate among these women,
     For never shall her Consort die in future time through length of days. Supreme is Indra overall.