Back to all words

Thali

3 stages from Sanskrit to English.

Today it means A South Asian meal consisting of small portions of several dishes served together on a round platter.

Where does the word "thali" come from? It comes from Sanskrit sthali, passing through Hindi before entering English (1969).

1
Stage 1 of 3
sthali
Sanskrit · ancient
"a dish, vessel"
meant 'earthen dish, vessel', from a word for 'ground, place'
2
Stage 2 of 3
thali
Hindi · medieval
"a round metal plate for serving food"
became the name of a round metal serving plate
3
Stage 3 of 3
thali
English · 1969
"a meal served as small portions on a round platter"
adopted in English food writing for a full platter meal served on such a plate
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom