कतम mfn. mfn (°अत्). (superlative of
2.क; declined as a
pronom. , Gram. 236), who or which of many? (
e.g. कतमेन पथा यातास् ते, by which road have they gone?)
क it is often a mere strengthened substitute for , the superlative affix imparting emphasis
तयोः कतमस्मै hence it may occasionally be used for ‘who or which of two?’ (
e.g. , to which of these two?)
कतमः कठः it may optionally be compounded with the word to which it refers (
e.g. , or
कतम-कठः, which
कठ out of many?)
च when followed by and preceded
यतम an indefinite expression is formed equivalent to ‘any whosoever’, ‘any whatsoever’, &c. (
e.g. यतमद् एव कतमच् च विद्यात् he may know anything whatsoever). In negative sentences
कतम with
चन or
कतम with
अपि = not even one, none at all (
e.g. न कतमच्चना-हः, not even on a single day, on no day at all)
कतम in addition to the above uses is said to mean ‘best’, ‘excessively good-looking’ (
cf. 3.क),
[RV. &c.]