एक (Hindi)
Where does "एक" come from?
The Hindi word 'एक' (eka) traces its origins back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁óynos, which referred to the concept of 'one' or 'single.' It evolved through thousands of years, moving from Proto-Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-Aryan into Sanskrit, before passing through various stages of Prakrit and Apabhramsa to reach modern Hindi. Throughout this long journey, the word has maintained its core meaning, consistently serving as the fundamental term for 'one.'
Full etymology tree
- एक (eka) (Hindi), 'one; 1'
- inherited एक (eka) (Old Hindi), 'one'
- derived एक्क (ekka) (Apabhramsa), 'one'
- inherited 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka) (Prakrit), 'one'
- inherited 𑀏𑀓 (eka) (Ashokan Prakrit), 'one'
- inherited एक (eka) (Sanskrit), 'one'
- inherited *Háykas (Proto-Indo-Aryan), 'one'
- derived *Háykas (Proto-Indo-Iranian), 'one'
- inherited *Hóykos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *Háykas (Proto-Indo-Iranian), 'one'
- inherited *Háykas (Proto-Indo-Aryan), 'one'
- inherited एक (eka) (Sanskrit), 'one'
- inherited 𑀏𑀓 (eka) (Ashokan Prakrit), 'one'
- inherited 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (ĕkka) (Prakrit), 'one'
- derived एक्क (ekka) (Apabhramsa), 'one'
- inherited एक (eka) (Old Hindi), 'one'
Ancestors
- एक (Old Hindi)
- एक्क (Apabhramsa)
- 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 (Prakrit)
- एक (Sanskrit)
Updated July 2026
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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris