Where does “अवतार” come from?

अवतार (Sanskrit) comes from Sanskrit अव, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háwa, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰe — Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact.

अवतार (Sanskrit): avatar: descent (especially of a deity from heaven), appearance of any deity upon earth (but more particularly the incarnations of Vishnu in ten principal forms, namely Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rāma, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki)

Definitions

  1. avatar: descent (especially of a deity from heaven), appearance of any deity upon earth (but more particularly the incarnations of Vishnu in ten principal forms, namely Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rāma, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki)

Ancestry of “अवतार”, step by step

अवतार traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Sanskrit अव

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritअवoff, away; down; this
2Proto-Indo-IranianHáwaaway from, off; down
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ewaway from, off; again
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanǵʰePostpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact

via Sanskrit तरति

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritतरतिto pass across or over, cross over (a river), sail across
2Proto-Indo-IraniantárHatito cross over
3Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₂-to cross over, pass through, overcome

via Sanskrit तार

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritतारcarrying across; crossing; the pupil of the eye
2Sanskritतॄto pass

Words derived from “अवतार”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰe →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háwa →