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English word origin

Etymology of Rishi

From Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi, “rishi, sage”), via New Indo-Aryan languages, such as Punjabi ਰਿਸ਼ੀ (riśī). Compare rishi.

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
name

A South Asian male given name from Sanskrit. · A South Asian surname from Sanskrit

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

From Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi, “rishi, sage”), via New Indo-Aryan languages, such as Punjabi ਰਿਸ਼ੀ (riśī). Compare rishi.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sa",
        "3": "ऋषि",
        "4": "",
        "5": "rishi, sage"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi, “rishi, sage”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "inc"
      },
      "expansion": "Indo-Aryan"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pa",
        "2": "ਰਿਸ਼ੀ"
      },
      "expansion": "Punjabi ਰਿਸ਼ੀ (riśī)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ऋषि",
      "ऋषि#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "rishi",
      "rishi#English"
    ],
    [
      "ਰਿਸ਼ੀ",
      "ਰਿਸ਼ੀ#Punjabi"
    ],
    [
      "rishi",
      "rishi#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A South Asian male given name from Sanskrit.",
        "A South Asian surname from Sanskrit"
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "e9eb36cecb783b6e86e804854a9c19e76cb2a0b49a653ab1ecec18f114f6cbf9",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0a1cd45ba56cfecd86046cf34d22f797ba06b434372f67b936d19c94b5160b32",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5499770
    }
  ],
  "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 Rishi →

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-UmlzaGk