शेळी
śeḷī/ɕe.ɭ̆i/
The Marathi word for goat is शेळी (śeḷī). Wiktionary also lists बकरी (bakrī).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Marathi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| शेळी | śeḷī | /ɕe.ɭ̆i/ | |
| बकरी | bakrī | feminine |
The term is used to refer to the animal known as a goat.
Which one should you use?
While शेळी and बकरी are both used to mean goat, the form बकरी is grammatically feminine. If you wish to specifically refer to a male goat, the masculine form is बकरा.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form बकरी is grammatically feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of शेळी is śeḷī. It has two syllables. The sound /e/ is like the 'ay' in the Scottish word m[ay], the sound /ɭ̆/ is similar to the 'll' in be[ll] and the sound /i/ is like the 'y' in happ[y].
Did you know?
- The word शेळी is derived from the Sanskrit word chagalá, which shares a distant root with the English word 'goat'.
- The word बकरा for a male goat is also used as a slang term to describe someone who has been tricked or made a scapegoat.
- In Maharashtra, goats are sometimes referred to as 'the poor man's cow' because they provide essential milk and meat with minimal investment.
Examples in context
- बकरी ही गरिबाची गाय होती.The goat was the poor man's cow.This sentence is useful for seeing बकरी used in a sentence.Tatoeba #6817279 by sabretou, translation #3924523 by Josh
- यान्नीच्या बकरीला लाथ मारायला आवडते.Yanni's goat likes to kick.Tatoeba #13390359 by sabretou, translation #9699373 by Amastan
Example conversation
Rohan and Sayali are visiting a village farm.
- रोहन Rohanसायली, ती शेळी बघ!Sayali, ti sheli bagh!Sayali, look at that goat!
- सायली Sayaliहो, ती किती गोंडस आहे.Ho, ti kiti gondas aahe.Yes, it is so cute.
- रोहन Rohanमला शेळी पाळायला आवडेल.Mala sheli palayla avadel.I would like to keep a goat.
- सायली Sayaliपण त्याची काळजी घ्यावी लागेल.Pan tyachi kalji ghyavi lagel.But you will have to take care of it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goat” translations and entries शेळी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries शेळी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
