Where does “avatar” come from?
Avatar derives from Hindi अवतार, from Sanskrit अवतार, combining Sanskrit अव- (off, away) and तॄ (to cross), from Proto-Indo-European terh₂- (to cross or overcome).
avatar (English): the incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu;...
Definitions
- the incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu;...
Ancestry of “avatar”, step by step
avatar traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Hindi अवतार
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hindi | अवतार | an incarnation; incarnation of a deity, descent... |
| 2 | Sanskrit | अवतार | avatar: descent (especially of a deity from heaven), appearance of any deity upon earth (but more particularly the incarnations of Vishnu in ten principal forms, namely Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rāma, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki) |
| 3 | Sanskrit | अव | off, away; down; this |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Háwa | away from, off; down |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew | away from, off; again |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact |
via Hindustani अवतार
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hindustani | अवतार | — |