syAt ind. (3. sg. Pot. of √ 1. as ) it may be, perhaps, perchance ( esp. used in Jaina works and occurring in 7 formulas, viz. 1. syAd asti , ‘perhaps it is [under certain circumstances]’; 2. syAn nA sti , ‘ perh° it is not, &c.’; 3. syAd asti ca nA sti ca , ‘ perh° it is and is not [under certain circumstances]’; 4. syAd avaktavyaH , ‘ perh° it is not expressible in words’; 5. syAd asti cA vaktavyaH , ‘perhaps it is and is not expressible in words’; 6. syAn nA sti cA vaktavyaH , ‘perhaps it is not and is and is not expressible in words’; 7. syAd asti ca nA sti cA vaktavyaH , Sarvad.
syAt ind. (Strictly 3rd. pers. sing. of the Potential of as ‘to be’) It may be, perhaps, per chance. Comp. — vAdaH an assertion of probability (in phil. ), a form of scepticism. — vAdin m. a sceptic.