Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Shiva” come from?

Shiva derives from Sanskrit शिव, which is related to Sanskrit शी and ultimately traces to Proto-Indo-European ḱey-, though the precise semantic connection remains unclear.

Ancestry of “Shiva”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritशिवauspicious, favourable; happy, fortunate; m...
2Sanskritशीto lie down
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

Words derived from “Shiva”

  • Shiv
  • Shivaism
  • Shivaist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- →