English
Vaishya
Vaishya comes from Sanskrit वैश्य ‘belonging to a Vaishya’, from विश् ‘settlement, house’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wiḱs.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wiḱs‘village, household’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*wíćš‘village’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*wíṭṣreconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEविश्víś‘settlement, house’
- Sanskrit, derivedc. 1500–500 BCEवैश्यvaiśya‘belonging to a Vaishya’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006Vaishya
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wiḱs‘village, household’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*wíćš‘village’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*wíṭṣreconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEविश्víś‘settlement, house’
- Sanskrit, derivedc. 1500–500 BCEवैश्यvaiśya‘belonging to a Vaishya’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006Vaishya
Earliest quotation: 2006, Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation: “To perform successfully in the marketplace, vaishyas had to…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *wiḱs
Today it means
noun The third caste of traditional Indian society, comprising merchants and landowners.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wiḱs / Vaishya