Main Entry:

¹Ary·an

Pronunciation:

\ˈa-rē-ən, ˈer-ē-; ˈär-yən\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Sanskrit ārya noble, belonging to an ancient people of northern India speaking an Indo-European dialect

Date:

1839

1: indo-european2 a: of or relating to a hypothetical ethnic type illustrated by or descended from early speakers of Indo-European languages b: nordic c—used in Nazism to designate a supposed master race of non-Jewish Caucasians usually having Nordic features3: of or relating to Indo-Iranian or its speakers