prakriti
ˈprʌkrɪti
noun
Origin
Sanskrit
प्रकृति (prakṛti) — nature; original state; constitution
Overview
Meaning Now
- In Sanskrit and later Indic usage, nature; the original or primary nature of something.
- In Indian philosophical traditions, primordial matter or the underlying material principle of the universe.
- A person's innate temperament or constitution.
Literal older meaning
original nature; primary nature
Language path
Sanskrit → Hindi → English
Earliest form
प्रकृति (prakṛti)
Earliest period
Classical Sanskrit period
Journey
The term is central in several Indian intellectual traditions. In Sāṃkhya philosophy, prakṛti is the primal material nature from which the manifest world develops, often contrasted with puruṣa, consciousness or spirit. In everyday and literary use, it can also mean a person's innate constitution or temperament.
Evolution
- Classical Sanskrit
प्रकृति (prakṛti)
“nature, character, constitution; original state”
A common philosophical and descriptive noun in Sanskrit texts.
- Middle and modern Indo-Aryan traditions
prakriti / prakr̥ti
“nature, temperament, constitution; in philosophy, primordial matter”
Retained in learned usage and in religious-philosophical discourse.
- Modern English
prakriti
“a Sanskrit loanword referring especially to nature or primordial material principle”
Used chiefly in discussions of Indian philosophy, yoga, Ayurveda, and related topics.
Connections
Word parts
pra-
prefix
forth; before; forward; primary
kṛ
root
do, make
-ti
suffix
abstract noun ending
Related across languages
Sanskrit
प्रकृति
nature; constitution
Hindi
प्रकृति
nature
Related words
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Related to prakriti
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.