दंत-कथा (dant-kathaa)

noun A compound noun meaning 'legend' or 'folk tale' -- literally something closer to 'tooth-story' due to its etymology, but the meaning is purely 'legend/myth' with no connection to teeth in actual use.
Sense 1 : legend, folk tale, myth
noun, feminine
Synonyms: कथा (kathaa, meaning scope: any story, not just legendary ones), किस्सा (kissaa), गाथा (gaathaa, literary), लोक-कथा (lok-kathaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The दंत (dant) here actually comes from an old sense related to 'oral transmission' (stories passed mouth to mouth, generation to generation), not literally 'tooth' in any functional sense today -- so don't overthink the literal parts. You'll hear this word used for things like ancient legends about kings, gods, or places, similar to how English uses 'legend' or 'folklore.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to break this into दंत (dant, tooth) + कथा (kathaa, story) and search for a literal connection -- there is none in modern usage; treat दंत-कथा (dant-kathaa) as a single fixed word meaning 'legend.' 2) It refers to traditional or old stories passed down (myths, legends), not to any story someone tells you today -- for that, कहानी (kahaanii) or किस्सा (kissaa) is the natural choice.
Sample Sentences:
यह मंदिर एक पुरानी दंत-कथा से जुड़ा है। This temple is connected to an old legend.
(yah mandir ek puraanii dant-kathaa se judaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
गाँव के बुज़ुर्ग बच्चों को यह दंत-कथा सुनाया करते थे। The village elders used to tell this legend to the children.
(gaanv ke buzurg bachchon ko yah dant-kathaa sunaayaa karte the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या यह सच्ची घटना है या सिर्फ़ एक दंत-कथा? Is this a true event or just a legend?
(kyaa yah sachchii ghatnaa hai yaa sirf ek dant-kathaa?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस राजा की वीरता की दंत-कथाएँ आज भी सुनाई जाती हैं। Legends of this king's valor are still told today.
(is raajaa kii viirtaa kii dant-kathaaen aaj bhii sunaaii jaatii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
इतिहासकारों ने इस दंत-कथा की सत्यता पर सवाल उठाया। Historians raised questions about the authenticity of this legend.
(itihaaskaaron ne is dant-kathaa kii satytaa par savaal uthaayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश यह दंत-कथा सच होती और वह खज़ाना वाकई यहीं दबा होता। If only this legend were true and that treasure were really buried right here.
(kaash yah dant-kathaa sach hotii aur vah khazaanaa vaakaii yahiin dabaa hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वह दंत-कथा न सुनी होती, तो मैं इस जगह कभी न आता। If I hadn't heard that legend, I would never have come to this place.
(agar vah dant-kathaa n sunii hotii, to main is jagah kabhii n aataa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Passive
इस पहाड़ी के बारे में एक दिलचस्प दंत-कथा प्रचलित है कि यहाँ कभी एक साधु तपस्या करते थे। There is an interesting legend prevalent about this hill, that once a sage used to meditate here.
(is pahaadii ke baare men ek dilchasp dant-kathaa prachlit hai ki yahaan kabhii ek saadhu tapasyaa karte the।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद यह दंत-कथा किसी वास्तविक घटना पर आधारित हो। Perhaps this legend is based on some real event.
(shaayad yah dant-kathaa kisii vaastvik ghatnaa par aadhaarit ho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): दंत-कथा ([[दंत-कथा]])
(sg.f.oblique): दंत-कथा ([[दंत-कथा]])
(pl.f.direct): दंत-कथाएँ ([[दंत-कथाएँ]])
(pl.f.oblique): दंत-कथाओं ([[दंत-कथाओं]])