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ayurveda

A traditional system of medicine native to the Indian subcontinent, focused on balance among body, mind, and spirit.

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Where does the word "ayurveda" come from? It comes from Sanskrit ayus, passing through Sanskrit before entering English (19th-20th c.).

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Where does the word "ayurveda" come from? It comes from Sanskrit ayus, passing through Sanskrit before entering English (19th-20th c.).

Ayurveda’s story begins in Sanskrit: ayus meant “life, longevity.” Meant 'life, vital force, longevity'. Within Sanskrit, it grew into veda by ancient. Meant 'knowledge', from a root meaning 'to know'. It reached English by 19th-20th c. as Ayurveda. First recorded in 1789 in 'Asiatick Researches', the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Today, ayurveda means a traditional system of medicine native to the Indian subcontinent, focused on balance among body, mind, and spirit.

  1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient ayus "life, longevity", meant 'life, vital force, longevity'.
  2. Stage 2 · Sanskrit · ancient veda "knowledge", meant 'knowledge', from a root meaning 'to know'.
  3. Stage 3 · English · 19th-20th c. Ayurveda "a traditional system of medicine based on balance and natural healing", first recorded in 1789 in 'Asiatick Researches', the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

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