हंटर (hantar)
noun
A loanword from English 'hunter,' used mainly for a whip/lash and, secondarily, for a strict disciplinarian person; also survives as a surname/nickname element.
Sense
1
:
whip, lash (especially a leather riding-crop/whip used for discipline)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: कोड़ा (kodaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a classic colonial-era English loanword: British officers and schoolmasters used actual leather 'hunting whips' for discipline, and the Hindi word settled onto that specific object. Older schoolteachers in Delhi-NCR households are sometimes jokingly remembered as keeping a हंटर (hantar) handy, which feeds directly into the word's figurative sense of a strict disciplinarian.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume हंटर (hantar) only means a person who hunts, carrying over the English sense of 'hunter' -- in everyday Hindi this word almost always refers to the whip/lash object, not to a person who hunts animals. 2) The 'person who hunts' sense is not native to this word; for that meaning speakers say शिकारी (shikaarii).
Sample Sentences:
मास्टर जी की मेज़ पर हमेशा एक हंटर रखा रहता था।
A whip always lay on the master's desk.
(maastar jii kii mez par hameshaa ek hantar rakhaa rahtaa thaa।)
उसने घोड़े को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए हंटर से मारा।
He struck the horse with the whip to make it move forward.
(usne ghode ko aage badhaane ke lie hantar se maaraa।)
पुराने ज़माने में अंग्रेज़ अफ़सर अक्सर हाथ में हंटर लेकर घूमते थे।
In the old days, British officers often walked around with a whip in hand.
(puraane zamaane men angrez afsar aksar haath men hantar lekar ghoomte the।)
हंटर मत उठाओ, बच्चा डर जाएगा।
Don't pick up the whip, the child will get scared.
(hantar mat uthaao, bachchaa dar jaaegaa।)
अगर उसके पास हंटर होता, तो वह घोड़े को जल्दी काबू कर लेता।
If he had had a whip, he would have controlled the horse quickly.
(agar uske paas hantar hotaa, to vah ghode ko jaldii kaaboo kar letaa।)
संग्रहालय में एक पुराना चमड़े का हंटर रखा गया है।
An old leather whip has been kept in the museum.
(sangrahaalay men ek puraanaa chamde kaa hantar rakhaa gayaa hai।)
शायद उसने वह हंटर किसी पुराने बाज़ार से खरीदा हो।
Perhaps he bought that whip from some old market.
(shaayad usne vah hantar kisii puraane baazaar se khariidaa ho।)
सर्कस में जोकर हंटर लहराते हुए शेर को इशारा कर रहा था।
In the circus, the trainer was gesturing to the lion while waving the whip.
(sarkas men jokar hantar lahraate hue sher ko ishaaraa kar rahaa thaa।)
दीवार पर टंगा हंटर अब सिर्फ़ याद बनकर रह गया है।
The whip hanging on the wall now remains only as a memory.
(diivaar par tangaa hantar ab sirf yaad bankar rah gayaa hai।)
क्या तुम मुझे वह पुराना हंटर दिखा सकते हो जो दादाजी रखते थे?
Can you show me that old whip which grandfather used to keep?
(kyaa tum mujhe vah puraanaa hantar dikhaa sakte ho jo daadaajii rakhte the?)
Sense
2
:
a strict, harsh disciplinarian (figurative use of 'whip')
noun, masculine Used as an epithet for a person, often preceded by a possessive or in apposition, e.g. calling a strict boss or teacher हंटर (hantar).
Synonyms: सख्त अफसर (sakht aphsar, strict officer/boss)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This sense grows directly out of the whip meaning: a person who 'wields the हंटर (hantar)' becomes, by extension, someone feared for their strictness -- much like calling a harsh boss a 'slave-driver' in English.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative use is informal and somewhat dated -- it is heard more from older speakers describing a stern teacher, officer, or boss than in everyday youth slang, so learners should not overuse it in casual conversation expecting it to sound current.
Sample Sentences:
हमारा नया मैनेजर तो पूरा हंटर है।
Our new manager is a total taskmaster.
(hamaaraa nayaa mainejar to pooraa hantar hai।)
स्कूल में हिंदी वाले सर को सब हंटर कहते थे।
In school, everyone called the Hindi teacher a strict disciplinarian.
(skool men hindii vaale sar ko sab hantar kahte the।)
वह क्लास में इतना हंटर बन गया है कि बच्चे उसका नाम सुनकर काँप जाते हैं।
He has become such a taskmaster in class that the kids tremble at the mere mention of his name.
(vah klaas men itnaa hantar ban gayaa hai ki bachche uskaa naam sunkar kaamp jaate hain।)
अगर तू ऐसे ही सबको डाँटता रहेगा, तो लोग तुझे हंटर बुलाने लगेंगे।
If you keep scolding everyone like this, people will start calling you a taskmaster.
(agar too aise hii sabko daanttaa rahegaa, to log tujhe hantar bulaane lagenge।)
कोच इतना हंटर था कि कोई भी प्रैक्टिस मिस करने की हिम्मत नहीं करता था।
The coach was such a taskmaster that no one dared to miss practice.
(koch itnaa hantar thaa ki koii bhii praiktis mis karne kii himmat nahiin kartaa thaa।)
काश हमारा बॉस इतना हंटर न होता, तो ऑफिस में काम करना कुछ आसान होता।
If only our boss weren't such a slave-driver, working in the office would be a bit easier.
(kaash hamaaraa bos itnaa hantar n hotaa, to ophis men kaam karnaa kuchh aasaan hotaa।)
मत बनो इतना हंटर, बच्चों को थोड़ी ढील भी दो।
Don't be such a strict disciplinarian, give the children a little slack too.
(mat bano itnaa hantar, bachchon ko thodii dhiil bhii do।)
हो सकता है कि नई प्रिंसिपल भी उतनी ही हंटर निकले जितनी पुरानी थी।
It's possible the new principal turns out to be just as much of a taskmaster as the old one was.
(ho saktaa hai ki naii prinsipal bhii utnii hii hantar nikle jitnii puraanii thii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
हंटर
(hantar)
(sg.m.oblique):
हंटर
(hantar)
(pl.m.direct):
हंटर
(hantar)
(pl.m.oblique):
हंटरों
(hantron)