Tantra
/ˈtæn.trə/noun
A system of Hindu or Buddhist teachings and practices, especially those involving ritual, meditation, mantra, and visualization.
Did you know?Tantra is related to the Sanskrit root tan, “to stretch” or “extend,” and its earliest sense could refer to a loom, warp, or structured system of teaching.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“To stretch, extend, or spread out”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
tan
“To stretch, extend, or produce”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
tantra
“A loom, warp, framework, doctrine, or systematic treatise”
Early Medieval India
Sanskrit
Tantra
“A category of esoteric Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and ritual systems”
19th Century
English
tantra
“A term adopted by English-language scholars for South Asian esoteric traditions”
Modern English
English
tantra
“A spiritual tradition or practice, often popularly associated with sacred sexuality”