Word Meaning
कोताही
kotāhī
hinoun, feminine
Meaning
Shortness, deficiency, inadequacy, or failure.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'kotāhī' denotes shortness, insufficiency, or a failure to attain full measure. In this couplet by Ghalib, it specifically signifies the limitation or inadequacy of natural growth (kotāhī-e-nashv-o-numā) during spring. It is also commonly used to express shortcomings in passion, effort, or fortune.
Etymology
Persian 'kotāh' (short, deficient) + abstract noun suffix '-ī'.
Usage
Frequently deployed in the ghazal to lament the inadequacy of human reach, the brevity of life, or a lover's failure to fulfill devotion.
Examples
kotāhī-e-dast (shortness of reach, helplessness)
kotāhī-e-umr (brevity of life)
Synonyms
कमीनुक़्सक़ुसूरफ़रोगुज़ाश्त
Related Words
कोताहकोताह-क़दकोताह-दस्ती