Where does “Mahabharata” come from?

Mahabharata comes from Sanskrit महाभारत, composed of महत् meaning "great" and भारत, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- meaning "to bear or carry."

Mahabharata (English): An ancient Sanskrit epic concerning some text of the Bhagavad Gita, including elaborations on theology and morality

Definitions

  1. An ancient Sanskrit epic concerning some text of the Bhagavad Gita, including elaborations on theology and morality

Ancestry of “Mahabharata”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SanskritमहाभारतMahabharata
2Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
3Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́—
4Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
5Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́ →Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́ →
Mahabharata — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer