Where does “sepoy” come from?

sepoy (Dutch) comes from English sepoy, from Portuguese sipae, from Urdu سپاہی, from Classical Persian سپاهی, from Persian سپاه, from Proto-Iranian *cwáHdah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćwáHdʰaH, from Proto-Indo-European ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁.

sepoy (Dutch): A sepoy, native soldier in the East Indies

Definitions

  1. A sepoy, native soldier in the East Indies

Ancestry of “sepoy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsepoyA native soldier of the East Indies, employed in...
2PortuguesesipaeObsolete form of sipaio
3Urduسپاہیsoldier
4Classical Persianسپاهی—
5Persianسپاهarmy
6Proto-Iranian*cwáHdaharmy
7Proto-Indo-Iranian*ćwáHdʰaH—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁ →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćwáHdʰaH →Every word from Proto-Iranian *cwáHdah →