मृग (mrig)
noun
A literary/classical word for 'deer' or 'antelope', met mostly in poetry, mythology, and set expressions (like मृगतृष्णा (mrigtrishnaa)) rather than everyday speech about animals.
Sense
1
:
deer, antelope (literary/classical term)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: हिरन (hiran, everyday word), बारहसिंगा (baarahsingaa, specifically a large antlered deer)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: This word lives on mainly in classical and devotional registers -- think of Sanskrit-flavored poetry, the Ramayana's golden deer (the माया मृग (maayaa mrig, illusory/magical deer) that lures Sita), or the zodiac sign मृग (mrig/मृग राशि, Capricorn). A Delhi kid pointing at a deer in the zoo will say हिरन (hiran), not मृग (mrig).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use मृग (mrig) as their everyday word for 'deer' after meeting it in a poem or in the zodiac sign मृग (mrig, Capricorn) -- in ordinary conversation हिरन (hiran) is what people actually say. 2) मृग (mrig) is grammatically masculine even when referring to a doe; there is no separate feminine form in common use.
Sample Sentences:
वन में एक स्वर्ण मृग विचरण करता था।
In the forest wandered a golden deer.
(van men ek svarn mrig vichran kartaa thaa।)
सीता ने उस माया मृग को देखकर राम से उसे लाने का हठ किया।
Seeing that illusory deer, Sita insisted that Ram bring it to her.
(siitaa ne us maayaa mrig ko dekhkar raam se use laane kaa hath kiyaa।)
मृग वन में इधर-उधर कुलाँचें भरते हैं।
Deer leap here and there in the forest.
(mrig van men idhar-udhar kulaanchen bharte hain।)
मृग की भाँति चंचल नेत्रों वाली वह कन्या सबका मन मोह लेती थी।
That maiden, with eyes restless as a deer's, used to enchant everyone's heart.
(mrig kii bhaanti chanchal netron vaalii vah kanyaa sabkaa man moh letii thii।)
यदि मृग वन में स्वच्छंद विचरते, तो यह भूमि और भी सुंदर लगती।
If deer roamed freely in the forest, this land would seem even more beautiful.
(yadi mrig van men svachchhand vicharte, to yah bhoomi aur bhii sundar lagtii।)
हे मृगराज, इस वन के मृगों की रक्षा करो।
O lord of deer, protect the deer of this forest.
(he mrigraaj, is van ke mrigon kii rakshaa karo।)
कवि ने मृगनयनी नायिका का वर्णन किया है।
The poet has described a heroine with deer-like eyes.
(kavi ne mrignaynii naayikaa kaa varnan kiyaa hai।)
पुराणों में कहा गया है कि चंद्रमा पर एक मृग का चिह्न है।
It is said in the Puranas that there is the mark of a deer on the moon.
(puraanon men kahaa gayaa hai ki chandrmaa par ek mrig kaa chihn hai।)
मृग राशि वालों के लिए यह वर्ष शुभ फलदायी माना जाता है।
This year is considered auspicious and fruitful for those of the Capricorn sign.
(mrig raashi vaalon ke lie yah varsh shubh phaldaayii maanaa jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
मृग
(mrig)
(sg.m.oblique):
मृग
(mrig)
(pl.m.direct):
मृग
(mrig)
(pl.m.oblique):
मृगों
(mrigon)