Word Meaning
लगाई
lagā'ī
Meaning
Struck, inflicted, or dealt (a blow, stroke, or wound).
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, this feminine past tense verb is frequently used elliptically to describe striking a blow with a sword (tegh) or inflicting a fatal wound. In Ghalib's couplet, it refers to delivering such an absolute stroke of the blade that severed even the sinew or strap of flesh (tasma) linking skin to bone. It emphasizes the devastating precision and lethality of the killer's assault.
Etymology
Inherited from Prakrit lagga-, from Sanskrit lagna (attached, joined).
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, it is often paired with weapons of love like the sword (tegh) or arrow (teer) to dramatize the beloved's cruelty.
Examples
She struck such a blow with the sword that none survived.
Inflicted a deep wound upon the lover's heart.