Where does “కాశి” come from?

కాశి (Telugu) comes from Sanskrit काशि, from Sanskrit काश्, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeḱ- — to see; to look.

Ancestry of “కాశి”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Sanskrit	काशि	‘shining’, the sun; the clenched hand, fist,...
2	Sanskrit	काश्	class 1; to be visible, appear; to shine, be...
3	Proto-Indo-European	kʷeḱ-	to see; to look

కాశి — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer