Where does “Vayu” come from?
Vayu comes from Sanskrit वायु, which derives from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁yu-, ultimately from the root h₂weh₁-.
Ancestry of “Vayu”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | वायु | wind; air; the wind of the body, a vital air |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | HwaHyúṣ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | HwaHyúš | wind, air |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂weh₁yu- | wind, air |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂weh₁- | to blow |