Where does “maya” come from?
Maya comes from Sanskrit माया (māyā), meaning illusion or magic, ultimately from Sanskrit म (m), a root element of uncertain origin.
maya (English): Magic; supernatural power as held by the gods;...
Definitions
- Magic; supernatural power as held by the gods;...
Ancestry of “maya”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | माया | art, wisdom, inhuman or supernatural power;... |
| 2 | Sanskrit | मा | don't; accusative singular of अहम्; to sound,... |
| 3 | Proto-Iranian | máH | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | maH | do not; prohibitive particle |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₁ | prohibitive particle |