namaste

Where does the word "namaste" come from? It comes from Sanskrit namas, passing through Hindi before entering English (1880).

Namaste’s story begins in Sanskrit: namas meant “obeisance, a bow.” Meant 'bowing, obeisance', from a root meaning 'to bend'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as namaste. Combined with 'te' ('to you') as an everyday greeting. It reached English by 1880 as namaste. Sanskrit 'namas', bow, plus 'te', to you. Today, namaste means a respectful South Asian greeting, spoken while pressing the palms together and bowing slightly, widely adopted in yoga practice.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient namas "obeisance, a bow", meant 'bowing, obeisance', from a root meaning 'to bend'.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval namaste "a respectful greeting, 'I bow to you'", combined with 'te' ('to you') as an everyday greeting.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1880 namaste "a respectful greeting with joined palms and a slight bow", Sanskrit 'namas', bow, plus 'te', to you.