namaste
/nə.mə.steɪ/
interjection
Origin
Sanskrit
namas — bowing, obeisance, adoration
Overview
Meaning Now
- A respectful greeting or farewell, used primarily in India and Nepal, often accompanied by a slight bow with palms pressed together.
- A gesture of reverence or acknowledgement of the divine within another person.
Literal older meaning
I bow to you
Language path
Sanskrit → Hindi → English
Earliest form
namaste
Earliest period
Vedic period
Journey
The word stems from the Sanskrit 'namas', sharing roots with the Latin 'nemus' and Greek 'nemein'. It has been used in Hindu culture for millennia as a sign of recognition and humility. In Western cultures, it has become synonymous with yoga practice and mindfulness.
Evolution
- Vedic Sanskrit
námas
“bowing, homage”
- Classical Sanskrit
namas te
“bowing to you”
Combination of namas + te (dative of tvam)
- Middle Indo-Aryan
namaste
“greeting”
- Modern Hindi
नमस्ते
“greeting or farewell”
- Modern English
namaste
“respectful greeting”
Loanword adopted in the 19th century
Connections
Word parts
namas
root
bowing
te
ending
to you
Related across languages
Latin
nemus
glade or grove (related by Proto-Indo-European root 'nem-')
German
nehmen
to take (related by root 'nem-')
Explore next
Related to namaste
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.