1
Stage 1 of 3
namas
Sanskrit · ancient
"obeisance, a bow"
meant 'bowing, obeisance', from a root meaning 'to bend'
2
Stage 2 of 3
namaste
Hindi · medieval
"a respectful greeting, 'I bow to you'"
combined with 'te' ('to you') as an everyday greeting
3
Stage 3 of 3
namaste
English · 1880
"a respectful greeting with joined palms and a slight bow"
adopted into English as a greeting and, later, a yoga-class closing
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom