Where does “हिंदू” come from?
हिंदू (Hindi) comes from Persian هندو, from Middle Persian hndwk', from Middle Persian hnd, from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 — India; people living beyond the Indus.
हिंदू (Hindi): A Hindu; Hindu
Ancestry of “हिंदू”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Persian | هندو | a Hindu, a practitioner of India's indigenous... |
| 2 | Middle Persian | hndwk' | an Indian |
| 3 | Middle Persian | hnd | India |
| 4 | Old Persian | 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 | India; people living beyond the Indus |