Where does “दंतकथा” come from?

दंतकथा (Hindi) comes from Hindi कथा, from Sanskrit कथा, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kátʰaH.

दंतकथा (Hindi): legend, tall tale

Definitions

  1. legend, tall tale

Ancestry of “दंतकथा”, step by step

दंतकथा traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hindi कथा

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hindiकथाstory, narrative
2Sanskritकथाstory
3Proto-Indo-Iranian*kátʰaH—

via Hindi दंत

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hindiदंतcombining form of दाँत; tooth
Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kátʰaH →Every word from Sanskrit कथा →Every word from Hindi कथा →