Etymology

From Sanskrit अहि ‎(ahi, “snake”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ógʷʰis, *h₃égʷʰis ‎(“snake”). Cognates include Ancient Greek ὄφις ‎(óphis), Avestan 𐬀𐬲𐬌 ‎(aži-) and Old Armenian իժ ‎(iž).