Where does “ahimsa” come from?

Ahimsa derives from Sanskrit अहिंसा, combining the Sanskrit prefix अ- (negation) with a root from Proto-Indo-Iranian a- and ultimately Proto-Indo-European n̥- and ne, expressing the concept of non-harm or non-violence.

ahimsa (English): A doctrine of non-violence, concerned with the...

Definitions

  1. A doctrine of non-violence, concerned with the...

Ancestry of “ahimsa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritअहिंसाnonviolence; harmlessness; security, safety
2Sanskritहिंसाinjury, mischief, wrong, harm, hurt; killing,...
3Sanskritहिंस्to injure, harm, wound, kill, destroy
4Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰeys-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeys- →Every word from Sanskrit हिंस् →Every word from Sanskrit हिंसा →