कलेजा

See also: कलेजी and कालिज

Hindi

Etymology

From Sanskrit कालेय (kāleya). Compare Bhojpuri 𑂍𑂩𑂵𑂔𑂰 (karejā), Magahi 𑂍𑂩𑂵𑂔 (karej), Marathi काळीज (kāḷīj), Bengali কলিজা (kolija).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /kə.leː.d͡ʒɑː/, [kɐ.leː.d͡ʒäː]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

कलेजा • (kalejā) m (feminine कलेजी, Urdu spelling کلیجا)

1. (anatomy) liver

   Synonyms: यकृत (yakŕt), जिगर (jigar)

2. (metaphorically) heart

   उसके पास पत्थर का कलेजा है।

   uske pās patthar kā kalejā hai.

   He has a heart of stone.

   तुम मेरे कलेजे का टुकड़े हो।

   tum mere kaleje kā ṭukṛe ho.

   You are very dear to my heart.

   (literally, “You are a piece of my heart.”)

Usage notes

• While कलेजा (kalejā) technically refers to the liver organ (see यकृत् (yakŕt)), it has various other meanings (heart, mind, courage, etc.) when commonly used.
• कलेजा (kalejā) is usually applied to the liver of a human being; the feminine form कलेजी (kalejī) being used for the liver of an animal.

Declension

Declension of कलेजा (masc ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	कलेजा kalejā	कलेजे kaleje
oblique	कलेजे kaleje	कलेजों kalejõ
vocative	कलेजे kaleje	कलेजो kalejo

Synonyms

• जिगर (jigar)

Derived terms

• कलेजा टूटना (kalejā ṭūṭnā, “to be heartbroken”)
• कलेजा कांपना (kalejā kāmpnā, “to be struck with terror”)
• कलेजा कड़ा करना (kalejā kaṛā karnā, “to steel one's heart; to prepare for a shock/hardship”)
• कलेजा पत्थर का करना (kalejā patthar kā karnā, “to become stone-hearted”)
• कलेजा निकाल कर रख देना (kalejā nikāl kar rakh denā, “to express oneself without reservation”)

Related terms

• कलेजी (kalejī)

Descendants

• → Burmese: ကလီစာ (ka.lica)
• → Gujarati: કલેજું (kalejũ)

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “कलेजा”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.