Lalleshwari
/ˌlɑː.lɛʃˈwɑː.ri/noun
Lalleshwari is the Sanskritized name of Lalla Ded, a fourteenth-century Kashmiri mystic, poet, and Shaiva saint.
Did you know?Lalleshwari is also known as Lal Ded, and her mystical poems—called vakhs—helped shape Kashmiri literature across both Hindu and Muslim devotional traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
īśvara
“lord, ruler, sovereign, or supreme deity”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
īśvarī
“female ruler, goddess, or feminine divine power”
14th Century
Kashmiri
Lal Ded / Lal Dyad
“Lalla the grandmother; the affectionate Kashmiri name for the mystic poet”
Medieval Sanskritized tradition
Sanskrit/Kashmiri
Lalleśvarī
“Lalla who is goddess-like, or Lalla the divine lady”
Modern English
English
Lalleshwari
“A conventional English transliteration and spelling of the saint’s Sanskritized name”
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