noun
Arya
noun
1
A member of the historical Indo-Iranian peoples who spoke early Indo-European languages; used in a strictly linguistic/historical sense.
"Scholars use "Arya" to describe the ancient peoples who brought Indo-Iranian languages to South Asia."
How to Use Arya
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA historical/linguistic term for ancient Indo-Iranian peoples; also a popular given name in South Asia.
Common mistake
Historically this word was badly misused by 19th- and 20th-century race theorists (see "Aryan"); in modern, careful usage it refers narrowly to language history, not race.
Word Forms
Aryas plural
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Scholars use "_____" to describe the ancient peoples who brought Indo-Iranian languages to South Asia.
Etymology
From Sanskrit ā́rya, meaning "noble" or "respectable" — originally a term the Indo-Iranian peoples used for themselves.