1) question particle for words ending in 'n'. 2) when, whenever. night, at day-break, midnight; (coll) time/ when; when, now; now
nam (naṃ = Pali naṃ, Pkt. ṇaṃ; variously regarded as from Skt. nanu or nūnam), asseverative particle, assuredly, certainly, of course ; recognized by Senart only at Mv i.314.11 (see his note), where it is not wholly certain. Clearer cases: āgatvā ca bhuvaṃ śreṣṭhi(ṃ) naṃ (so several mss. ) dhruvaṃ pratipatsyase, … yaṃ śraddhā taṃ samācara (misunderstood and wrongly em. by Senart ) Mv i.187.5(—6) , and having come, śreṣṭhin, to the spot (where Buddha is), you will assuredly attain security; … (now) do what seems best to you ; na ca śaknoti ārādhayitum, tāye ( mss. yāye) ca naṃ godhā hṛdayaṃ gatā ii.66.11 , and he could not pacify her , (because) of course the (incident of the) lizard had gone to her heart (turned her against him); tāta mā naṃ antarāyaṃ karohi ii.408.10 , father, do not, assuredly, make any obstacle (for the Bodhisattva); Mv i.168.18 ( vs ), see s.v. vairambha .
nam cl. 1. P. na/mati ( Dhātup. xxiii, 12 ), °te (mostly intrans. ; cf. Pāṇ. iii, 1, 89 ; pr. p. Ā. namAna , R. ; pf. P. nAnAma or nanAma , RV. &c.; 2. sg. nemiTa , or nananTa , Vop. ; Subj. nana/mas , RV. ; 3. pl. nemur , Kāv. ; Ā. neme , RV. ; 3. pl. -nanAmire , MBh. ; aor. P. anAn , Kāṭh. ; anaMsIt , Daś. ; Ā. anaMsta Gr. ; 3. pl. anaMsata , Br. ; Subj. naMsE , naMsante , RV. ; fut. naMsyati , Br. ; namizyati , Hariv. ; nantA , Siddh. ; inf. -na/mam , -na/me , RV. ; nantum , namitum , Kāv. ; ind.p. natvA , BhP. ; Kathās. ; -natya , Br. ; -namya , MBh. ) to bend or bow (either trans. or oftener intr. ), to bow to, subject or submit one's self (with gen. dat. or acc. ), RV. &c. &c.; (with hiruk ) to turn away, keep aside, AV. iv, 1, 3 ; to turn towards i.e. to aim at ( gen. ) with ( instr. ), RV. i, 165, 6 ; to yield or give way, keep quiet or be silent, Bālar. vi, 12 ; (in gram. ) to change a dental letter into a cerebral, RPrāt. : Pass. namyate , to be bent or bowed; yield or submit to, TUp. iii, 10, 4 : Caus. nama/yati , RV. &c. &c. ( nAmayati , Up. &c.; nAmyati [!] Mṛcch. i, 30 ; aor. anInamat , RV. ; Pass. nAmyate , °ti , MBh. &c.) to cause to bow or sink, incline, RV. &c. &c.; (with cApam ) to bend a bow, MBh. ; Hariv. &c.; to turn away or ward off, RV. ; to aim at ( gen. ), ix, 97, 15 ; (in gram. ) to change a dental letter into a cerebral, RPrāt. : Desid. ninaMsati , Gr. : Intens. na/nnamIti , RV. ; nannamyate , KātyŚr. (3. sg. na/mnate impf. anamnata , p. na/mamAna , RV. ) to bow or submit one's self to ( dat. ), RV. ; Br.
or; and; when; time nam is also used as a question particle; see example 3
nam 1 P. , sometimes A. ( namati-te , nanAma, anaMsIt, naMsyati, nata ; caus. namayati-te or nAmayati-te , but with a preposition namayati only; desid. ninaMsati ) 1 To bow to, make obeisance to, salute (as a mark of respect) (with acc. or dat. ); iyaM namati vaH sarvAn trilocanavaDUriti Ku. 6. 89 ; Bg. 11. 37 ; Bk. 9. 51 , 10. 31 ; 12. 39 ; Śi. 4. 57. 2 To submit or subject oneself, bow down; aSaktaH saMDimAn namet Kām. 8. 55. 3 To bend, sink; go down; anaMsIdBUrBareRAsya Bk. 15. 25. nemuH sarvadiSaH K. 55 ; unnamati namati varzati…meGaH Mk. 5. 26. 4 To stoop, be inclined. 5 To be bent or curved. 6 To sound. 7 To change a dental to a lingual letter. — Caus. 1 To bend, make curved. 2 To bend (as a bow); Ś. 2. 3. 3 To cause to sink. 4 To prevent, ward off.