Kavi
/ˈkɑːvi/
noun
Origin
Sanskrit
kavi — poet, wise man, seer
Overview
Meaning Now
- A classical literary language of Java, Indonesia, based on Old Javanese and heavily influenced by Sanskrit.
- A poet or wise person in Sanskrit tradition.
Literal older meaning
poet, sage, or wise one
Language path
Sanskrit → Old Javanese → English
Earliest form
kavi
Earliest period
8th century
Journey
Kavi (often spelled Kawi) refers to the literary language of Java used between the 9th and 16th centuries. It is the language of the Old Javanese version of the Ramayana and is written in an archaic form of the Javanese script known as the Kawi script, which descended from the Pallava script of Southern India.
Evolution
- Vedic Sanskrit
kaví-
“seer, sage, poet”
Denoting one who has foresight.
- Old Javanese
kawi
“poetic language; classical Javanese”
Adapted into Javanese to describe the language of ancient epics.
- Modern English
Kavi
“The Kawi script or literary language of Java”
Often used in linguistic contexts to refer to the script or the Old Javanese literature.
Connections
Word parts
kavi
root
poet/wise
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Related to Kavi
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.