सेवा

See also: सेवि

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit सेवा (sevā). The use as in bus service is a semantic loan from English service.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /seː.ʋɑː/, [seː.ʋäː]

Noun

सेवा • (sevā) f

1. service, care

   सैनिक सेवा ― sainik sevā ― military service

2. service, facility

   बस सेवा ― bas sevā ― bus service

Declension

Declension of सेवा (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	सेवा sevā	सेवाएँ sevāẽ
oblique	सेवा sevā	सेवाओं sevāõ
vocative	सेवा sevā	सेवाओ sevāo

Derived terms

• सेवा करना (sevā karnā, “to serve, to take care”)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• সেৱা (Assamese script)
• ᬲᬾᬯᬵ (Balinese script)
• সেবা (Bengali script)
• 𑰭𑰸𑰪𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀲𑁂𑀯𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• သေဝါ (Burmese script)
• સેવા (Gujarati script)
• ਸੇਵਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌸𑍇𑌵𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦱꦺꦮꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂮𑂵𑂫𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಸೇವಾ (Kannada script)
• សេវា (Khmer script)
• ເສວາ (Lao script)
• സേവാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠰᡝᠸᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘭𑘹𑘪𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠰᠧᠸᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧍𑧚𑧊𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐳𑐾𑐰𑐵 (Newa script)
• ସେଵା (Odia script)
• ꢱꢾꢮꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆱𑆼𑆮𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖭𑖸𑖪𑖯 (Siddham script)
• සෙවා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑪁𑩔𑩾𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚨𑚲𑚦𑚭 (Takri script)
• ஸேவா (Tamil script)
• సేవా (Telugu script)
• เสวา (Thai script)
• སེ་ཝཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒮𑒹𑒫𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨰𑨄𑨭𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From the root सेव् (sev).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /sɐj.ʋɑː/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈs̪eː.ʋɑː/

Noun

सेवा • (sevā) stem, f

1. going or resorting to, visiting, frequenting
2. service, attendance on
3. worship, homage, reverence, devotion to
4. sexual intercourse
5. addiction to, indulgence in, practice or employment or frequent enjoyment of

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of सेवा (sevā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	सेवा sevā	सेवे seve	सेवाः sevāḥ
Vocative	सेवे seve	सेवे seve	सेवाः sevāḥ
Accusative	सेवाम् sevām	सेवे seve	सेवाः sevāḥ
Instrumental	सेवया / सेवा¹ sevayā / sevā¹	सेवाभ्याम् sevābhyām	सेवाभिः sevābhiḥ
Dative	सेवायै sevāyai	सेवाभ्याम् sevābhyām	सेवाभ्यः sevābhyaḥ
Ablative	सेवायाः / सेवायै² sevāyāḥ / sevāyai²	सेवाभ्याम् sevābhyām	सेवाभ्यः sevābhyaḥ
Genitive	सेवायाः / सेवायै² sevāyāḥ / sevāyai²	सेवयोः sevayoḥ	सेवानाम् sevānām
Locative	सेवायाम् sevāyām	सेवयोः sevayoḥ	सेवासु sevāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• → Hindi: सेवा (sevā)
• → Old Javanese: sewa
  • Javanese: ꦱꦺꦧ (séba, “to pay homage”)
  • → Balinese: ᬲᬾᬯ (séwa), ᬲᬾᬩ (séba)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “सेवा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1247.