Word Meaning
नीम-कुश्ता
neem-kushta
hiadjective
Meaning
Half-slain, half-killed, or mortally wounded.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian compound literally meaning 'half-killed' or 'half-dead', traditionally describing a lover felled by the beloved's cruel glance but clinging to lingering breaths. In this couplet, it functions as a noun for the mortally wounded lover who, despite dying, showed tremendous courage and endurance to reach the beloved.
Etymology
Persian: 'nīm' (half) + 'kushta' (past participle of 'kushtan', to kill).
Usage
In classical ghazal, it is a frequent motif depicting the lover suspended between agonized life and death under the beloved's cruelty.
Examples
the half-slain prey writhing in the dust
breath lingering in the half-killed lover
Synonyms
अधमरानीम-जाँमजरूह
Related Words
कुश्ताज़ख़्मीबिस्मिल