*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of avi

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háwa Sanskrit अव (ava) Proto-Indo-European *terh₂- Sanskrit तॄ (tṝ) Sanskrit तार (tāra) Sanskrit अवतार (avatāra)der. English avatar Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij-

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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 ↗
noun

Synonym of avatar.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háwa Sanskrit अव (ava) Proto-Indo-European *terh₂- Sanskrit तॄ (tṝ) Sanskrit तार (tāra) Sanskrit अवतार (avatāra)der. English avatar Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English -ie English avi From avatar + -ie.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "avatar",
        "4": "-ie<id:diminutive>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ew\nProto-Indo-Iranian *Háwa\nSanskrit अव (ava)\nProto-Indo-European *terh₂-\nSanskrit तॄ (tṝ)\nSanskrit तार (tāra)\nSanskrit अवतार (avatāra)der.\nEnglish avatar\nProto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij-\nProto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish -ie\nEnglish avi\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"off\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"away\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"away from\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂ew\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-Iranian\", \"term\" : \"*Háwa\", \"lang\" : \"iir-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Sanskrit\", \"term\" : \"अव\", \"lang\" : \"sa\" }, { \"id\" : \"carrying across\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"pass\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"cross over\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*terh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Sanskrit\", \"term\" : \"तॄ\", \"lang\" : \"sa\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Sanskrit\", \"term\" : \"तार\", \"lang\" : \"sa\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Sanskrit\", \"term\" : \"अवतार\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"sa\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"avatar\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-i, *-ī\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-j-, *-ij-\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-j-\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-i\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ie\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"avi\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"avi\">\nFrom avatar + -ie."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "avatar",
        "4": "-ie<id:diminutive>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂ew\nProto-Indo-Iranian *Háwa\nSanskrit अव (ava)\nProto-Indo-European *terh₂-\nSanskrit तॄ (tṝ)\nSanskrit तार (tāra)\nSanskrit अवतार (avatāra)der.\nEnglish avatar\nProto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij-\nProto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish -ie\nEnglish avi\nFrom avatar + -ie."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂ew",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ew#Proto-Indo-European:_away_from"
    ],
    [
      "*Háwa",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/Háwa#Proto-Indo-Iranian:_away"
    ],
    [
      "अव",
      "अव#Sanskrit:_off"
    ],
    [
      "*terh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/terh₂-#Proto-Indo-European:_cross_over"
    ],
    [
      "तॄ",
      "तॄ#Sanskrit:_pass"
    ],
    [
      "तार",
      "तार#Sanskrit:_carrying_across"
    ],
    [
      "अवतार",
      "अवतार#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "avatar",
      "avatar#English"
    ],
    [
      "*-j-, *-ij-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-j-"
    ],
    [
      "*-i, *-ī",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-i"
    ],
    [
      "-iġ",
      "-ig#Old_English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#Middle_English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "-ie",
      "-ie#English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "avatar",
      "avatar#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ie",
      "-ie#English:_diminutive"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of avatar."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet"
      ],
      "recordId": "55f3d857eba4a4ac32752f23997d43e4071c7ce412c1009225b31808a1f24c56",
      "rawRecordSha256": "80bbf53fab2f96c327153f5332f1452e32ca98d06b8e9a79b15bac527e38bd05",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 927609
    }
  ],
  "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 avi →

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-YXZp