Guru
/ˈɡʊə.ruː/noun
A teacher, guide, or expert, especially in spiritual or religious contexts.
Did you know?In Sanskrit tradition, a guru was literally a “heavy” one — not in body, but in wisdom, authority, and sacred influence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷerh₂-
“to praise, invoke, or make heavy (reconstructed root behind Sanskrit and Latin weight-related words)”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
गुरु (guru)
“heavy, weighty; venerable, important; teacher”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
गुरु (guru)
“spiritual preceptor, teacher, respected authority”
19th Century
English
guru
“a Hindu spiritual teacher or religious leader”
20th Century
English
guru
“an expert, mentor, or influential authority in a field”