Where does “महाराष्ट्र” come from?

महाराष्ट्र (Sanskrit) comes from Sanskrit महत्, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

Ancestry of “महाराष्ट्र”, step by step

महाराष्ट्र traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Sanskrit महत्

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritमहत्great, large, big, huge, ample, extensive, long,...
2Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
3Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via Sanskrit राष्ट्र

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritराष्ट्रa kingdom, realm, empire, dominion, district, country
2Sanskritधृतराष्ट्रKing of Hastinapura, husband of Gandhari, and the father of the Kauravas

Words derived from “महाराष्ट्र

Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂sEvery word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́Every word from Sanskrit महत्