Pustaka
/pʊsˈtɑːkə/noun
A book or manuscript, especially in Sanskritic and Southeast Asian cultural contexts.
Did you know?In South and Southeast Asia, pustaka became associated with sacred books and manuscript traditions, including texts written on prepared palm leaves.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
pustaka
“Book, manuscript, or written text”
Early Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
potthaya
“Book or written text; an intermediate form associated with the South Asian manuscript tradition”
Pali
Pali
potthaka
“Book, manuscript, or writing tablet”
Medieval India
Sanskrit
pustaka
“Book or manuscript, including religious and scholarly works”
Medieval–Modern Indonesia
Malay/Indonesian
pustaka
“Book, literature, library, or a collection of texts”
Modern English
English
pustaka
“A book or manuscript, generally used in South Asian or Southeast Asian cultural contexts”