Etymograph

English

Hindu

Hindu comes from Classical Persian هِنْدُو ‘Indian, Hindu’, from Sanskrit सिन्धु ‘river, stream’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš.

  1. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*síndʰuš‘river’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*síndʰuṣreconstructed
  3. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEसिन्धुsíndhu‘river, stream’
  4. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEhiⁿdu-transliteratedoriginal script hiⁿdu-, a transliteration‘India’
  5. Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CEhndwk'‘Indian’
  6. Classical Persianc. 900–presentهِنْدُوhindū‘Indian, Hindu’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2025Hindu

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*síndʰuš‘river’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*síndʰuṣreconstructed
  3. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEसिन्धुsíndhu‘river, stream’
  4. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEhiⁿdu-transliteratedoriginal script hiⁿdu-, a transliteration‘India’
  5. Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CEhndwk'‘Indian’
  6. Classical Persianc. 900–presentهِنْدُوhindū‘Indian, Hindu’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2025Hindu

Earliest quotation: 2025, Deepa Bharath, California makes Diwali an official statewide holiday: “Hindu American organizations, including the Hindu American Foundation and…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš ‘river’

indigo, indium, 1 more

Today it means

adj Of, or relating to Hinduism, or to Hindus and their culture.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš / Hindu

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