rishi

See also: Rishi and rìshí

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛ́ṣi), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *r̥šíš (whence Avestan 𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬴𐬌𐬴 (ərəṣ̌iṣ̌, “seer”)), probably related to अर्षति (árṣati, “to flow, pour”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈrɪʃi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃi

Noun

rishi (plural rishis)

1. A Vedic poet and seer who composed Rigvedic hymns, who alone or with others invokes the deities with poetry of a sacred character.
   • 2006, Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation, Atlantic Books, published 2007, page 25:

     The rishi asked one unfathomable question after another, until both he and his audience were reduced to the silence of unknowing.

2. (post-Vedic) A Hindu sage or saint occupying the same position in India's history as the patriarchs of other countries, constituting a peculiar class of beings in the early mythical system, as distinct from Asuras, Devas and mortal men.
   • 2005, Salman Rushdie, Shalimar the Clown, Vintage, published 2006, page 25:

     In the beginning Max had no idea she was even a film actress, this girl with the skin the colour of scorched earth, the well-concealed body and the demure manner of a disciple walking in the footsteps of a great rishi.

Translations

(post-Vedic) a Hindu sage or saint

• Arabic: رِيشِي m (rīšī)
• Assamese: ঋষি (rixi)
• Bengali: ঋষি (bn) (riśi)
• Burmese: ရသေ့ (my) (ra.se.)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 仙人 (zh) (xiānrén)

• French: rishi (fr) m
• German: Rishi m
• Gujarati: ઋષિ (ŕṣi)
• Hindi: ऋषि (hi) m (ŕṣi)
• Japanese: リシ (rishi)
• Kannada: ಋಷಿ (kn) (ṛṣi)
• Korean: 리쉬 (riswi)
• Lao: ລືສີ (lư̄ sī)
• Malayalam: ഋഷി (ml) (r̥ṣi)
• Marathi: ऋषी (ruṣī)
• Persian: ریشی (fa) (riši)
• Punjabi: ਰਿਸ਼ੀ (riśī)
• Russian: ри́ши (ru) m (ríši)
• Sanskrit: ऋषि (sa) m (ṛṣi)
• Tamil: ரிஷி (ta) (riṣi)
• Telugu: ఋషి (te) (r̥ṣi)
• Thai: ฤๅษี (th) (rʉʉ-sǐi)
• Urdu: رِشی m (riśī)
• Vietnamese: tiên nhân (vi)

See also

• Rishi

Anagrams

• Irish, sirih

Antigua and Barbuda Creole English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

rishi

1. fishy scent

French

Alternative forms

• richi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛ́ṣi), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *r̥šíš.

Noun

rishi m (plural rishis)

1. rishi

Further reading

• “rishi”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Japanese

Romanization

rishi

1. Rōmaji transcription of りし
2. Rōmaji transcription of リシ

Thao

Noun

rishi

1. (anatomy) liver