Nila
/ˈniːlə/noun
A blue dye or indigo plant, chiefly recorded as a variant or historical term for indigo.
Did you know?The Sanskrit root nīla, meaning “dark blue,” appears in the epithet Nīlakaṇṭha—“Blue-Throated”—for the Hindu god Shiva.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
nīla
“Blue, dark blue, or dark-colored”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
nīla
“Blue or indigo-colored”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Hindi
nīlā
“Blue; indigo dye or the indigo plant”
16th Century
Portuguese
anil
“Indigo, borrowed through South Asian trade terminology”
19th Century
English
nila
“A name for indigo or an indigo-producing plant”
Modern English
English
Nila
“A rare or historical term for indigo; also used as a personal name”