Where does “ভাই” come from?
ভাই (Bengali) comes from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀸𑀇, from Sanskrit भ्रातृ, from Proto-Indo-Aryan bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-Iranian bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr — brother.
ভাই (Bengali): brother
Ancestry of “ভাই”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sauraseni Prakrit | 𑀪𑀸𑀇 | — |
| 2 | Sanskrit | भ्रातृ | brother; kinsman, relative; friend |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | bʰráHtā | brother |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | bʰráHtā | brother |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₂tēr | brother |