Hindus
/ˈhɪn.duːz/noun
People who follow Hinduism or identify with Hindu culture and traditions.
Did you know?The term was not originally a Sanskrit name for a religion; Persian speakers formed “Hindu” from Sanskrit Sindhu, the ancient name of the Indus River.
Etymological Timeline
2nd millennium BCE
Sanskrit
sindhu
“River; specifically, the Indus River”
6th Century BCE
Old Persian
Hinduš
“The land and people beyond the Indus River, as recorded in Persian imperial usage”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Greek
Indos
“The Indus River and the region associated with it”
7th Century CE
Arabic/Persian
al-Hind / Hind
“India or the land of the Indus”
13th–16th Century
Persian
Hindū
“An inhabitant of India; later increasingly used in religious and cultural contrasts”
Modern English
English
Hindus
“Plural of Hindu: people who follow Hinduism or identify with Hindu traditions”