Vedic

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or contained in the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism written in Sanskrit, or to the ancient Indian civilization and religious traditions they represent
2. Connected to the Vedas, the ancient sacred scriptures of Hinduism, or to the religious and cultural practices from ancient India as described in those texts
3. Associated with the earliest Hindu scriptures composed in Sanskrit, reflecting the spiritual and ritual traditions in early Indian civilization

Etymology: "Vedic" is a formal adjective built from "Veda" plus the suffix "-ic," meaning "relating to" or "characteristic of." The base word comes from Sanskrit "véda," meaning "knowledge" or "sacred knowledge," and it names the ancient collection of hymns, rituals and sacred texts composed in early India. English took the Sanskrit noun as "Veda," and added the adjective ending to describe anything connected with those texts, their language, or the culture that produced them. The suffix has a longer journey than the base word. "-ic" descends from Latin "-icus," which was itself borrowed from Greek "-ikos," and it passed through Old French "-ique" before reaching Middle English as "-ik." English then settled on the spelling "-ic," so "Vedic" is a Sanskrit noun wrapped in a suffix that travelled from ancient Greece through Rome and medieval France before reaching English.