Brahmanism
/ˈbrɑː.mə.nɪ.zəm/noun
The religious and social system associated with Brahmins and traditional Vedic Hindu practices.
Did you know?The term entered English through colonial-era scholarship to describe the ritual and priestly tradition centered on Brahmins, whose authority was historically tied to the power of Vedic recitation and sacred knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰerǵʰ-
“to be high, elevated”
Sanskrit
Skt
brahman
“sacred utterance, prayer, holy power”
Sanskrit
Skt
brāhmaṇa
“belonging to a Brahmin; priestly, sacred”
19th Century
English
Brahmanism
“the religious system and practices associated with Brahmins”
Modern English
English
Brahmanism
“the traditional priestly and ritual system associated with Brahmins in Hinduism”