पूज्

Of unclear origin.

Possibly from an early Prakritic form of the root पृच् (pṛc, “to mix, fill, give lavishly”), via a series of sound changes (illustrated for its derivatives) पृच् (pṛc) > *पृञ्चा (pṛñcā, “presentation of the mixed potion”) > पूजा (pūjā, “worship, respect, reverence”), as well as *पृञ्चन (pṛñcana, “mixing (for a guest of honor)”) > पूजन (pūjana, “honoring, hospitable reception”). This derivation has the advantage of not having to derive पूजन (pūjana) from the later-attested पूजा (pūjā).

Other less likely theories derive the root from Dravidian (unlikely given the root's Vedic presence and high usage frequency), or from an unattested *पूर्या (pūryā), from the root पॄ (pṝ, “to give, grant”).

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /puːd͡ʑ/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /puːd͡ʑ/

पूज् • (pūj)

1. to worship, revere, honor, respect, regard
2. to honor or present with
3. to initiate, consecrate

• Monier Williams (1899) “पूज्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0641/1.
• Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1893) “पूज्”, in A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout, London: Oxford University Press
• William Dwight Whitney, 1885, The Roots, Verb-forms, and Primary Derivatives of the Sanskrit Language, Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, page 099
• Otto Böhtlingk, Richard Schmidt (1879-1928) “पूज्”, in Walter Slaje, Jürgen Hanneder, Paul Molitor, Jörg Ritter, editors, Nachtragswörterbuch des Sanskrit [Dictionary of Sanskrit with supplements] (in German), Halle-Wittenberg: Martin-Luther-Universität, published 2016
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 154