Where does “zen” come from?

zen (Indonesian) comes from Japanese 禅, from Japanese 禅那, from Middle Chinese 禪那, from Sanskrit ध्यान, from Sanskrit ध्यै, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeyh₂- — mind, thought.

zen (Indonesian): A denomination of Buddhism

Definitions

  1. A denomination of Buddhism

Ancestry of “zen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese禅"dhyana-samadhi"; the disciplines and doctrine of...
2Japanese禅那Zen meditation practice
3Middle Chinese禪那—
4Sanskritध्यानmeditation, thought, reflection, profound and...
5Sanskritध्यैto contemplate, meditate, think of
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeyh₂-mind, thought
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeyh₂- →Every word from Sanskrit ध्यै →Every word from Sanskrit ध्यान →