मयूर
mayūra/mɐ.júː.ɾɐ/masculine
The Sanskrit word for peacock is मयूर (mayūra). Wiktionary also lists मयूरी (mayūrī).
Meaning: pheasant of one of the genera Pavo and Afropavo (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| मयूर | mayūra | /mɐ.júː.ɾɐ/ (Vedic) /mɐ.juː.ɾɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| मयूरी | mayūrī | /mɐ.juː.ɾíː/ (Vedic) /mɐ.juː.ɾiː/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
feminine |
The terms refer to pheasants of the genera Pavo and Afropavo.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form मयूर refers to the male peacock, while the feminine form मयूरी refers to the female peahen.
How does it change in a sentence?
मयूरी is the feminine form used to denote a peahen.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /mɐ.júː.ɾɐ/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- Some Buddhist texts use the मयूर as a symbol of transformation, as the bird was believed to be able to eat poisonous snakes and convert the poison into the brilliance of its feathers.
- The Sanskrit word मयूर is actually a loanword from Dravidian languages, meaning it was adopted into Sanskrit from the native tongues of Southern India.
- In Hindu mythology, the god Kartikeya, the god of war, is often depicted riding a मयूर, which symbolizes the victory of spirituality over pride.
Examples in context
- मयूरः अस्ति ।mayūraḥ asti.There is a peacock.
- मयूरः नीलवर्णः अस्ति ।mayūraḥ nīlavarṇaḥ asti.The peacock is blue.
- मयूरः नृत्यति ।mayūraḥ nṛtyati.The peacock is dancing.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are walking in a forest garden.
- आर्यन Aryanपश्य, तत्र मयूरः अस्ति ।paśya, tatra mayūraḥ asti.Look, there is a peacock.
- अनन्या Ananyaआम्, सः सुन्दरः मयूरः अस्ति ।ām, saḥ sundaraḥ mayūraḥ asti.Yes, he is a beautiful peacock.
- आर्यन Aryanमयूरः कथं नृत्यति?mayūraḥ kathaṃ nṛtyati?How does the peacock dance?
- अनन्या Ananyaमयूरः अति मनोहरं नृत्यति ।mayūraḥ ati manoharaṃ nṛtyati.The peacock dances very charmingly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peacock” translations and entries मयूर, मयूरी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries मयूर, मयूरी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
