nullah

Where does the word "nullah" come from? It comes from Sanskrit nadi, passing through Bengali before entering English (1770s).

Nullah’s story begins in Sanskrit: nadi meant “river, stream.” Meant 'river, stream'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Bengali as nala. Narrowed to mean a dry watercourse or ravine. It reached English by 1770s as nullah. British colonials in Bengal and North India adopted the word. Today, nullah means a ravine, gully, or watercourse, typically dry except during monsoon rains, in South and East Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient nadi "river, stream", meant 'river, stream'.
2. Stage 2 · Bengali · medieval nala "a dry riverbed or ravine", narrowed to mean a dry watercourse or ravine.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1770s nullah "a ravine or watercourse, dry except after rain", British colonials in Bengal and North India adopted the word.