-एँ Meaning By or Because Of

The Old Ending -एँ

Level 6Sounds Like ēm̐ (karaṇa)

-एँ is an old ending for "by means of" that survives in a few phrases.

How It Works

Older Maithili had an ending -एँ that marked the tool or the cause: the means by which something happened. Today it survives mostly in set phrases.

PhraseMeaning
कारणेँbecause of
अपन हाथेँwith one's own hand
  • कारणेँ follows a noun with -क: बरखाक कारणेँ, रोगक कारणेँ.
  • हाथेँ is used for "personally", as in अपन हाथेँ.
  • The ending has a chandrabindu: -एँ.

For other tools and causes, use सँ: कलम सँ (with a pen), बरखा सँ (from the rain). The -एँ ending is not a rule you can apply to any noun; it only works in the set phrases above. You will read it in formal writing and in older books.

Examples (4)

  1. बरखाक कारणेँ बाट बन्न अछि।

    The road is closed because of the rain.

    कारणेँ follows बरखाक.

  2. रोगक कारणेँ ओ नहि अएलाह।

    He did not come because of illness.

    कारणेँ gives the reason.

  3. ई चिट्ठी हम अपन हाथेँ लिखलहुँ।

    I wrote this letter with my own hand.

    हाथेँ means by one's own hand.

  4. कोन कारणेँ अहाँ देरी सँ अएलहुँ?

    For what reason did you come late?

    कोन कारणेँ asks for the cause.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -एँ to any noun.

    कलमेँ लिखलहुँ।
    कलम सँ लिखलहुँ।

    -एँ lives only in a few set phrases; use सँ for tools.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-एँ Meaning By or Because OfLevel 6The Old Ending -एँ

Learn This First

The old ending -एँ shows by or because of, and it now lives on after a noun with -क.

Words in This Pattern

कारणेँसँ-क