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): *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”), which is likely related to पृच् (pṛc) regardless.^[1]

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