Kala

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A term that may refer to a traditional musical time cycle or rhythmic pattern in Indian music ; a female given name in some cultures ; an alternate transliteration of words in various languages signifying black, time, or art
2. Used for a specific type of beat or temporal structure in South Asian music ; recognized as a woman’s personal name in several regions ; employed as a phonetic spelling for words meaning darkness, time, or creative expression in certain tongues
3. Identifies an Indian musical rhythm framework ; denotes a feminine first name internationally ; represents a transliteration for foreign words meaning black, duration, or artistic activity

Etymology: The word "kala" in its Hindu surname sense comes from Sanskrit "kalā", which in the classical language meant an art, a skill, or a fine craft. The Sanskrit term also carried a sense of a sixteenth part or a fraction, and it was used in Indian thought to name the arts a cultivated person was expected to master, from music and dance to painting and poetry. A surname drawn from a word for accomplished skill is a fitting origin for a name carried by artisans and scholars. Because the same sound appears across many languages of South Asia, "kala" also turns up in other senses, including the musical and temporal meanings listed in its dictionary entry, as well as its use as a given name for women. Those uses sit on top of the same root but are not separate etymologies in their own right.

Synonyms: black, dark, ebony, jet, charcoal

Antonyms: white, light, pale, fair, blanched