Kali
/ˈkɑːli/noun
A Hindu goddess associated with time, death, destruction, and liberation.
Did you know?Kali’s name is traditionally connected to Sanskrit kāla, meaning both “black” and “time,” which is why she’s often read as the force that devours everything the clock touches.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic/Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Kālī
“The feminine form of Kāla, a name meaning “the black one” or “time”; later the fierce goddess”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
kāla
“Black, dark, time, death”
Ancient Indo-Aryan
Sanskrit
kṛṣṇa
“Black, dark; another major Sanskrit color term often used in divine epithets”
Modern English
English
Kali
“The Hindu goddess Kali, especially in religious, mythological, and cultural contexts”
Explore more surprising origins