Where does “महाभारत” come from?

महाभारत (Sanskrit) comes from Sanskrit महा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

महाभारत (Sanskrit): Mahabharata

Definitions

Mahabharata

Ancestry of “महाभारत”, step by step

महाभारत traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Sanskrit महा

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Sanskrit	महा	combining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
2	Proto-Indo-Aryan	maźʰā́	—
3	Proto-Indo-Iranian	maȷ́ʰā́	big, great
4	Proto-Indo-European	méǵh₂s	big, great

via Sanskrit भारत

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Sanskrit	भारत	descended from भरत or the Bhāratas; belonging or...
2	Sanskrit	भरत	actor, dancer, tumbler
3	Sanskrit	भृ	to bear, carry, hold
4	Proto-Indo-European	bʰēr-	shiny, light brown

Words derived from “महाभारत”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́ →Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́ →