कतम

{ katama }

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

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.]

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

कतम [katama] pron. a.pron. a.  pron. a. [किम्-डतम्] (˚मत् n.) [P.II.1.63.] Who or which of many; अपि ज्ञायते कतमेन दिग्भागेन गतः स जाल्म इति [V.1;] अथ कतमं पुनर्ऋतुमधिकृत्य गास्यामि [Ś.1;] कतमे ते गुणास्तत्र यानुदाहरन्त्यार्यमिश्राः [Māl.1;] [G. L.22;] [Ki.6.4.] (sometimes it is used merely as a strengthened substitute for किम्). When followed by च and preceded by यतम it means 'any whosoever', 'whatsoever'. In negative sentences कतम with चन or अपि means 'not even one', 'none at all'. It also means 'best or excessively goodlooking.'

Shabda-Sagara

कतम  mfn.  ( -मः-मा-मं) Which, (of many.)
    E. किम् and डतमच् aff.

ROOTS:

किम् डतमच्