यक्ष

From the root यक्ष् (yakṣ, “to appear, show oneself”), related to Persian نشان (nešân, “sign, mark”); see there for more on the Indo-Iranian root.

Various other proposals have been suggested, such as an s-extension of यजति (yajati, “to worship; to sacrifice”), or a connection to याशु (yāśu, “sexual effusion, embrace”); these are phonetically and/or semantically unconvincing.

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /jɐk.ʂɐ́/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈjɐk.ʂɐ/

यक्ष • (yakṣá) stem, n

1. (Hinduism, Buddhism) a yaksha; a supernatural being, spiritual apparition, spirit, ghost
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda
   • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda

• यक्षि (yakṣi) (a female yaksha)
• यक्षिणी (yakṣiṇī) (a female yaksha)

यक्ष • (yakṣá) stem, m

1. a class of semi-divine beings (attendants of Kubera, exceptionally also of Vishṇu; described as sons of Pulastya, of Pulaha, of Kaśyapa, of Khasā or Krodhā.)

• → Chinese: 夜叉 (yècha)
  • → Japanese: やしゃ (yasha)
  • → Korean: 야차 (yacha)
  • → Vietnamese: dạ-xoa
• Dardic:
  • Kalasha: ǰ̣ač̣
• → English: yaksha
• → Kannada: ಯಕ್ಷ (yakṣa)
• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀚𑀓𑁆𑀔 (jakkha)
• → Manchu: ᠶᠠᡴᠴᠠ (yakca)
• Paisaci Prakrit:
  • Punjabi: ਜੱਖ (jakkha)
• Pali: yakkha
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀚𑀓𑁆𑀔 (jakkha)
  • Old Gujarati: जाख (jākha)
  • Old Hindi: जाक (jāka)
• → Lü: ᦍᧅ (yak)
• → Old Javanese: yakṣa
  • > Javanese: ꦪꦏ꧀ꦱ (yaksa), ꦪꦼꦏ꧀ꦱ (yeksa) (inherited)
• → Telugu: యక్షుడు (yakṣuḍu)
• → Thai: ยักษ์ (yák)
• → Tocharian B: yākṣe
• → Proto-Turkic: *jAkšɨ (“good”) (perhaps)

• Monier Williams (1899) “यक्ष”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, , new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 838/2.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) “yákar - YAKṢ-”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 391
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) “yā́śu- — yugá-”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 412
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1976) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary]‎ (in German), volume III, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 1
• Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 213-214