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
- any of the four original castes in Hinduism, or...
Ancestry of “varna”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | वर्ण | outward appearance, exterior, figure, form,... |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | wárnas | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |