English word origin

Etymology of naja

From Sanskrit नाग (nāga), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nogʷós (“naked”).

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 ↗

noun

A member of the Naja genus of venomous snakes; cobras

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

From Sanskrit नाग (nāga), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nogʷós (“naked”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*negʷ-ine-pro
Derivation mentionनागsa
Derivation mention*nogʷósine-pro · naked

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*negʷ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sa",
        "3": "नाग"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit नाग (nāga)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*nogʷós",
        "t": "naked"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *nogʷós (“naked”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "नाग",
      "नाग#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "*nogʷós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/nogʷós"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A member of the Naja genus of venomous snakes; cobras"
      ],
      "tags": [],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A necklace or pendant made in the shape of the traditional Navajo symbol of a crescent.

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

Borrowed from Navajo [Term?].

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nv"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Navajo [Term?]"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A necklace or pendant made in the shape of the traditional Navajo symbol of a crescent."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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  }
}

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 naja →

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-bmFqYQ