Where does “महिला” come from?
महिला (Hindi) comes from Sanskrit महिला, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.
महिला (Hindi): lady, female, woman
Ancestry of “महिला”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | महिला | a woman, female; a woman literally or... |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | maȷ́ʰā́ | big, great |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂s | big, great |