Apsara
/ˈæp.sə.rə/noun
Apsara is a beautiful female celestial spirit or dancer in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
Did you know?In Vedic tradition, apsaras were associated with the Gandharvas and celestial waters; later mythology portrays them as heavenly dancers sent to test or distract ascetics.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ep-
“Water; a proposed ancient root connected with the Sanskrit water-word ap.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
ap
“Water or waters, especially in sacred and poetic usage.”
Rigvedic period
Vedic Sanskrit
apsaras
“A supernatural female being associated with waters and the celestial realm.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
apsarā
“A heavenly nymph or divine female dancer; traditionally analyzed as one who moves in or among waters.”
19th Century
English
apsara
“A Sanskrit-derived term used in English writing about Hindu and Buddhist mythology.”
Modern English
English
apsara
“A celestial nymph, especially one depicted as a divine dancer in South Asian mythology.”