Word Meaning
काहे
kaahe
Meaning
Why, wherefore, or for what reason.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'काहे' is an archaic interrogative adverb or pronoun meaning 'why' or 'for what reason', frequently paired with the postposition 'को' as 'काहे को'. In this couplet by Mir, it conveys rhetorical impossibility, asking why or how a neighbor could ever sleep amidst such unrelenting lamentation. Its presence reflects early Rekhta's rich blend of native Braj and Hindustani vernacular idiom.
Etymology
From Sanskrit 'कस्य' (kasya) through Prakrit into Old Hindi and Braj Bhasha, widely retained in early Hindustani/Rekhta.
Usage
Widely used in early Rekhta poetry (notably by Mir and Sauda) before late classical standard Urdu favored 'क्यों'.
Examples
Why should anyone's slumber be disrupted in vain?
For what reason does the heart remain so restless?