peepal

Where does the word "peepal" come from? It comes from Sanskrit pippala, passing through Hindi before entering English (1783).

Peepal’s story begins in Sanskrit: pippala meant “the sacred fig tree.” Named the sacred fig tree. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as pipal. The everyday name for the tree, sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism. It reached English by 1783 as peepul. British botanists in India adopted the name. Today, peepal means the sacred fig tree of South Asia, revered in Hinduism and Buddhism as the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient pippala "the sacred fig tree", named the sacred fig tree.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval pipal "the sacred fig tree", the everyday name for the tree, sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1783 peepul "the sacred fig tree, under which the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment", British botanists in India adopted the name.