Examples of word relationships with the root “ved/vid/vod” across Indo-European languages:
Sanskrit:
- véda (वेद) – knowledge, sacred texts
- vidyá (विद्या) – knowledge, learning
- vindati (विन्दति) – to find, discover
- viveka (विवेक) – discernment, wisdom
Vidya (विद्या) – knowledge, learning, science.
Vidyarthi (विद्यार्थी) – student (literally: one who seeks knowledge).
Vidyalaya (विद्यालय) – school (lit. abode of knowledge).
Vidyavan (विद्यावान्) – learned, knowledgeable person.
Avidya (अविद्या) – ignorance, lack of knowledge.
Vedanta (वेदान्त) – ‘end of the Veda’, philosophical conclusion of Vedic texts.
Vedi (वेदी) – altar (originally, a place of Vedic rituals).
Vedika (वेदिका) – platform, stage (also from ritual Vedic context).
Vaidya (वैद्य) – physician (knower of the science of life, Ayurveda).
Vaidehi (वैदेही) – derived form, a title of Sita (daughter of King Videha).
Vidyut (विद्युत्) – lightning, electricity (metaphorically: flashing knowledge).
Pravid (प्रविद्) – to know thoroughly, to understand deeply.
Vedaṅga (वेदाङ्ग) – ‘limbs of the Veda’, auxiliary disciplines to understand the Vedas (e.g., phonetics, grammar).
Vedavit (वेदवित्) – knower of the Veda.
Vedanā (वेदना) – sensation or feeling (knowing through experience).
Ancient Greek:
- oida (οἶδα) – I know
- idein (ἰδεῖν) – to see
- eidos (εἶδος) – form, idea (the origin of the word “idea”)
- historia (ἱστορία) – inquiry, knowledge (originally meant “to learn”)
Latin:
- videre – to see
- visio – vision, sight
- visus – sight
- providere – to foresee (the origin of “providence”)
English:
- wit – intelligence, cleverness
- wise – knowledgeable, sage
- wisdom – knowledge, insight
- vision – sight, foresight
- guide – to lead (related to “vid”)
German:
- wissen – to know
- Weisheit – wisdom
- bewusst – conscious
Russian:
- ведать (vedat’) – to know
- видеть (videt’) – to see
- ведьма (ved’ma) – witch (one who “knows”)
Czech:
- vědět – to know
- vidět – to see
- vědomí – consciousness
- věštec – seer, prophet
Slovak:
- dovednosť – skill
- medveď – bear (knows where honey is)
- nevedomosť – darkness, ignorance
- odpoved – answer
- odvededný – be escorted
- podvedomie – subconsciousness
- povedať – to tell
- povedomie – cognisance
- prevedenie – 1. accomplishment; 2. transfer
- predpoved – prediction
- predvedenie – performance, execution
- svedomie – conscience
- usvedčenie – conviction
- uvedomiť si – realise
- veda – 1. knowledge (same as in Sanskrit); 2. science
- vedec – scientist
- vedenie – 1. leadership; 2. knowledge
- vedieť – to know
- vedľajší – irrelevant
- vedma – oracle
- vedno – together
- vedomý – wise
- vedomie – consciousness
- vedúci – 1. leader; 2. that one who knows
- vidieť – to see
- viesť – lead (somebody somewhere)
- zavedený – established
- zvedavosť – curiousness
- rozvedený – divorced
These examples demonstrate how this fundamental Indo-European root related to knowing, knowledge, and seeing has persisted in various forms across languages from India to Europe, confirming their common linguistic origin.