Where does “হাতি” come from?
হাতি (Bengali) comes from Middle Bengali হাথি, from Maharastri Prakrit 𑀳𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀺, from Sanskrit हस्तिन्, from Sanskrit हस्त, from Proto-Indo-Aryan źʰástas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ȷ́ʰástas, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰés-to-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰes- — hand; take, give in exchange.
হাতি (Bengali): elephant
Ancestry of “হাতি”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Bengali | হাথি | — |
| 2 | Maharastri Prakrit | 𑀳𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀺 | elephant |
| 3 | Sanskrit | हस्तिन् | an elephant |
| 4 | Sanskrit | हस्त | the hand; an elephant's trunk; the forearm |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | źʰástas | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ȷ́ʰástas | hand |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰés-to- | hand |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰes- | hand; take, give in exchange |