Where does “މާލެ” come from?
މާލެ (Dhivehi) comes from Dhivehi ލޭ, from Prakrit 𑀮𑁄𑀳𑀺𑀅, from Sanskrit लोहित, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Hráwdʰitas, from Proto-Indo-European h₁rewdʰ- — red.
Ancestry of “މާލެ”, step by step
މާލެ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dhivehi ލޭ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dhivehi | ލޭ | blood |
| 2 | Prakrit | 𑀮𑁄𑀳𑀺𑀅 | red |
| 3 | Sanskrit | लोहित | red, reddish; made of copper; blood |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Hráwdʰitas | red |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁rewdʰ- | red |