कुल्व
kulva/kul.ʋɐ/
The Sanskrit word for "bald" is कुल्व (kulva). Wiktionary also lists खार्वाटक (khārvāṭaka) and ऋक्ष (ṛkṣa).
Meaning: having little or no hair (adj)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| कुल्व | kulva | /kul.ʋɐ/ (Vedic) /kul̪.ʋɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
| खार्वाटक | khārvāṭaka | |
| ऋक्ष | ṛkṣa | /r̩k.ʂɐ́/ (Vedic) /r̩k.ʂɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
The term is used to describe someone or something that is having little or no hair.
Which one should you use?
कुल्व is the default form. खार्वाटक and ऋक्ष are alternative ways to express the same meaning of being bald.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of kulva is /kul.ʋɐ/.
Did you know?
- The word ऋक्ष is not just a description of a bald person, but is also the Sanskrit word for a 'bear'.
- Ancient Indian medical texts like the 'Sushruta Samhita' discuss baldness not just as a physical trait but as a result of specific imbalances in the body's 'doshas'.
- The word ऋक्ष is a cognate of the Ancient Greek 'árktos' and the Latin 'ursus'.
Example sentences for Sanskrit are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Ananya and Vivaan are talking about a man in a painting.
- अनन्या Ananyaपश्य, सः कुल्वः अस्ति।paśya, saḥ kulvaḥ asti.Look, he is bald.
- विवान Vivaanआम्, तस्य केशाः न सन्ति।ām, tasya keśāḥ na santi.Yes, he has no hair.
- अनन्या Ananyaकिं त्वम् अपि कुल्वः भविष्यसि?kiṃ tvam api kulvaḥ bhaviṣyasi?Will you also become bald?
- विवान Vivaanन, अहं कुल्वः न भविष्यामि।na, ahaṃ kulvaḥ na bhaviṣyāmi.No, I will not become bald.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bald” translations and entries कुल्व, ऋक्ष, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ऋक्ष, कुल्व, CC BY-SA 4.0.
