English
mantra
Mantra comes from Sanskrit मन्त्र ‘a prayer or song of praise (RV. AV. TS.)’, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mántras ‘meditation, chanting’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*mántras‘meditation, chanting’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*mántrasreconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEमन्त्रmantra‘a prayer or song of praise (RV. AV. TS.)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1999mantra
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*mántras‘meditation, chanting’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Aryanprehistoric (reconstructed)*mántrasreconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEमन्त्रmantra‘a prayer or song of praise (RV. AV. TS.)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1999mantra
Earliest quotation: 1999, Ryûichi Abé, Columbia University Press: “However, the five-syllable mantra is unique, for according to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
money, music, mind, amount, mouth, museum, comment, mental, remain, mountain, mention, monster, auto, min, monitor, mount, monetary, permanent, monk, demonstration, monument, mentor, monastery, amnesty, mint, muse, mosaic, maya, dementia, summon, menace, ming, prominence, imminent, monte, muster, eminent, amnesia, monstrous, eminence, 126 more
through Sanskrit मन्त्र ‘a prayer or song of praise (RV. AV. TS.)’
Today it means
noun The hymn portions of the Vedas; any passage of these used as a prayer.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / mantra