Etymograph

English

tantra

Tantra comes from Sanskrit तन्त्र ‘a loom’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-1‘to stretch, extend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-tlo-//*tn̥-tlo-1reconstructed
  3. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEतन्त्र1tantra‘a loom’
  4. Englishtodaytantra1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English tantra

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-Wiktionary, English tantra‘to stretch, extend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-tlo-//*tn̥-tlo-Wiktionary, English tantrareconstructed
  3. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEतन्त्रWiktionary, English tantratantra‘a loom’
  4. EnglishtodaytantraWiktionary, English tantra

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’

continue, content, tight, tone, tennis, ton, entertainment, tune, maintenance, obtain, tender, contain, continuous, retain, continent, detention, sustain, retention, tenor, tonic, rein, pristine, tendon, tenant, continuum, abstinence, pertinent, tenacity, tenacious, tenet, detain, abstain, sustenance, incontinence, pertain, tenement, retinue, countenance, tetanus, tenable, 72 more

Today it means

noun A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “tantra”. 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 *ten- / tantra

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