Where does “varna” come from?

Varna comes from Sanskrit वर्ण, derived from Sanskrit वृणोति, which traces to Proto-Indo-European welh₁-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.

varna (English): any of the four original castes in Hinduism, or...

Definitions

  1. any of the four original castes in Hinduism, or...

Ancestry of “varna”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritवर्णoutward appearance, exterior, figure, form,...
2Proto-Indo-Iranianwárnas—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēr- →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian wárnas →