English word origin

Etymology of Lila

Variant of Leila or Lilah, depending on pronunciation; also associated with Spanish lila (“lilac”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A female given name from Arabic.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of Leila or Lilah, depending on pronunciation; also associated with Spanish lila (“lilac”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionlilaes

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "es",
        "3": "lila",
        "4": "",
        "5": "lilac"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish lila (“lilac”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Leila",
      "Leila#English"
    ],
    [
      "Lilah",
      "Lilah#English"
    ],
    [
      "lila",
      "lila#Spanish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A female given name from Arabic."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "4708cdadb2f29b34b71561b970c02f22d666bc46acf610b882d8544438527783",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4778bdfbb4f601c70efe9aec4e7c56c063fc62e17740a1a5bf45ba9c2a1ae8a0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2079877
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A female given name from Sanskrit used in India.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Sanskrit लीला (līlā, “play, charm”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionलीलाsa

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sa",
        "3": "लीला",
        "4": "",
        "5": "play, charm"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit लीला (līlā, “play, charm”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "लीला",
      "लीला#Sanskrit"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A female given name from Sanskrit used in India."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "76fdd6afff63116a092204bd28c8b20edab14db8102ef05c06cb74765eebcd7e",
      "rawRecordSha256": "106a1cda5a9f0716533e321517d6b8960d79ed2355f21de6b232029f809b0aeb",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2079878
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Lila →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-TGlsYQ