'Devi' originates from 'Sanskrit', specifically the word 'devī', where 'dev' (from 'deva') meant 'god' or 'divine (being)'.

'Devi' changed from the Sanskrit word 'devī' (feminine of 'deva') which itself traces to the Proto-Indo-European root '*deiw-' (related to brightness/sky) and is cognate with Latin 'deus' and Greek 'Zeus'.

Initially, it meant 'female god' or 'goddess' in Sanskrit; over time the term retained that religious meaning but also became widely used as a personal name and honorific, broadening its cultural usage.