Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Vishnu” come from?

Vishnu comes from Sanskrit विष्णु, related to Sanskrit विवेष्टि, though the original meaning remains uncertain.

Ancestry of “Vishnu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritविष्णुVishnu; name of the month चैत्र; name of the...
2Sanskritविषpoison, venom, bane; poisonous; servant,...
3Proto-Indo-Aryanwiṣás—
4Proto-Indo-Iranianwišáspoison, venom
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwisósfluidity, slime, poison; poison; poison; slime;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wisós →