Etymograph

English

thali

Thali comes from Hindi थाली ‘plate’, and goes back to Sanskrit स्थाली ‘earthen dish’.

  1. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEस्थाली1sthālī́‘earthen dish’
  2. Sauraseni Prakritmodern𑀣𑀸𑀮𑀻1
  3. Hindic. 1500–presentथाली2thālī‘plate’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1997thali2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Hindi थाली
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English thali
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold: “In front of it was a gold thali filled…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEस्थालीWiktionary, Hindi थालीsthālī́‘earthen dish’
  2. Sauraseni Prakritmodern𑀣𑀸𑀮𑀻Wiktionary, Hindi थाली
  3. Hindic. 1500–presentथालीWiktionary, English thalithālī‘plate’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1997thaliWiktionary, English thali. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold: “In front of it was a gold thali filled…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’

state, system, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, assistant, stadium, assistance, instance, stood, constitution, contest, consistent, stable, assist, instant, stem, establishment, establish, destination, substance, resist, destiny, distant, testimony, stability, static, insist, consist, persistent, stud, prostitution, stationary, prostitute, persist, stool, substitution, stamina, 157 more

Today it means

noun A round metal platter used to serve food in India.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “thali”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Hindi थाली. 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 / Sanskrit स्थाली / thali

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