puja

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

Puja’s story begins in Sanskrit: puja meant “worship, reverence.” Meant 'reverence, honor, worship'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Bengali as puja. The everyday word for a Hindu worship ritual. It reached English by 19th-20th c. as puja. Adopted in English writing on Hinduism. Today, puja means a Hindu ritual of worship, typically involving offerings of flowers, food, or light to a deity.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient puja "worship, reverence", meant 'reverence, honor, worship'.
2. Stage 2 · Bengali · medieval puja "a Hindu worship ceremony", the everyday word for a Hindu worship ritual.
3. Stage 3 · English · 19th-20th c. puja "a Hindu ritual of worship involving offerings to a deity", adopted in English writing on Hinduism.