English
kantha
Kantha comes from Hindi कान्था ‘kantha embroidery’, from Bengali খেত ‘field, cultivated land’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-1‘to cultivate’uncertain
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*ćšáytram1‘land, region’uncertain
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEक्षेत्र॑1kṣétrauncertain
- Prakritmodern𑀔𑁂𑀢𑁆𑀢1khĕttauncertain
- Bengalimodernখেত2‘field, cultivated land’uncertain
- Hindic. 1500–presentकान्था3kānthā‘kantha embroidery’
- Englishtodaykantha3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Bengali খেত
- 2 Wiktionary, Hindi कान्था
- 3 Wiktionary, English kantha
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-Wiktionary, Bengali খেত‘to cultivate’uncertain
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*ćšáytramWiktionary, Bengali খেত‘land, region’uncertain
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEक्षेत्र॑Wiktionary, Bengali খেতkṣétrauncertain
- Prakritmodern𑀔𑁂𑀢𑁆𑀢Wiktionary, Bengali খেতkhĕttauncertain
- BengalimodernখেতWiktionary, Hindi कान्था‘field, cultivated land’uncertain
- Hindic. 1500–presentकान्थाWiktionary, English kanthakānthā‘kantha embroidery’
- EnglishtodaykanthaWiktionary, English kantha
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to cultivate’
post, site, position, situation, positive, purpose, suppose, homeless, compound, opponent, propose, expose, impose, consolation, dispose, compose, repository, hamlet, bohemian, proponent, homely, posit, exponent, expound, situate, pone, situs, hame, 68 more
Today it means
noun A form of embroidery in parts of South Asia, used to make cushions and quilts.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “kantha”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Bengali খেত, Hindi कान्था. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- / kantha