Tapas
/ˈtɑːpəs/noun
In Indian religions, heat, austerity, or disciplined spiritual practice; in modern English, often used for a set of Spanish appetizers.
Did you know?In Sanskrit, tapas was thought to generate a powerful inner heat through austerity, and that same root later helped shape words for suffering, burning, and intense discipline across Indo-European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tep-
“to be warm, to heat”
Sanskrit
Skt.
tapas
“heat, warmth; austerity, ascetic exertion”
Vedic Sanskrit
Skt.
tapas
“spiritual heat produced by austerity or meditation”
Modern English
English
tapas
“Spanish appetizers served as small dishes”
Modern English
English
tapas
“borrowed spiritual term in yoga and Indian philosophy”