Chandan
/ˈtʃʌn.dən/noun
A name or loanword referring to sandalwood, especially sandalwood paste used in South Asian religious and cultural practices.
Did you know?In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, chandan sandalwood paste is applied in ritual marks, devotional ceremonies, and funerary contexts because of its fragrance and cooling symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kand-
“A reconstructed root meaning “to shine” or “to glow,” traditionally connected with the Sanskrit family behind candana.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
candana
“Sandalwood; fragrant wood used for perfume, medicine, ritual, and sacred paste.”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
caṃdana
“Sandalwood, preserving the Sanskrit term in evolving regional forms.”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Hindi
candan
“Sandalwood, especially the fragrant paste used on the forehead or body.”
Modern South Asian English
English
chandan
“A transliterated South Asian term and personal name associated with sandalwood.”