Where does “कोई” come from?
कोई (Hindi) comes from Prakrit 𑀓𑀇, from Ashokan Prakrit 𑀓𑀘, from Sanskrit किंचिद्, from Sanskrit किम्, from Proto-Indo-Aryan kás, from Proto-Indo-Iranian kás, from Proto-Indo-European kʷós — who.
कोई (Hindi): some; certain; any
Ancestry of “कोई”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Prakrit | 𑀓𑀇 | — |
| 2 | Ashokan Prakrit | 𑀓𑀘 | — |
| 3 | Sanskrit | किंचिद् | anything |
| 4 | Sanskrit | किम् | what; how, why; question marker: whether ..., do... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | kás | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | kás | who |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷós | who |