Where does “tulsi” come from?

tulsi (English) comes from Hindi तुलसी, from Sanskrit तुलसी, from Proto-Dravidian *tulacV — holy basil.

tulsi (English): Holy basil, "Ocimum tenuiflorum"

Definitions

  1. Holy basil, "Ocimum tenuiflorum"

Ancestry of “tulsi”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hindiतुलसीholy basil
2Sanskritतुलसीbasil (a sacred plant for Vaishnavas)
3Proto-Dravidian*tulacVholy basil
Every word from Proto-Dravidian *tulacV →Every word from Sanskrit तुलसी →Every word from Hindi तुलसी →