Where does “punjabi” come from?
punjabi (English) comes from Classical Persian پنجابی, from Classical Persian پنجاب, from Classical Persian آب, from Middle Persian ʾp̄, from Old Persian 𐎠𐎱𐎡𐎹𐎠, from Proto-Iranian Hā́fš, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Hā́ps, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ep- — water, body of water.
Ancestry of “punjabi”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Classical Persian | پنجابی | — |
| 2 | Classical Persian | پنجاب | — |
| 3 | Classical Persian | آب | water |
| 4 | Middle Persian | ʾp̄ | water |
| 5 | Old Persian | 𐎠𐎱𐎡𐎹𐎠 | into the water |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | Hā́fš | water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Hā́ps | water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ep- | water, body of water |