Where does “Gotama” come from?
Gotama (Pali) comes from Sanskrit गौतम, from Sanskrit गोतम, from Sanskrit गो, from Proto-Indo-Iranian gāuš, from Proto-Iranian gā́wš, from Proto-Indo-Iranian gā́wš, from Proto-Indo-European gʷṓws — cattle.
Ancestry of “Gotama”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | गौतम | relating to gotama |
| 2 | Sanskrit | गोतम | name of a sage belonging to the family of Aṅgiras, father of Śatānanda and husband of Ahalyā |
| 3 | Sanskrit | गो | a cow; an ox; cattle, kine, herd of cattle |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | gāuš | — |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | gā́wš | cow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | gā́wš | cow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷṓws | cattle |