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āyasmanto
āyasmant
masc nom sg of āyasmant (noun); masc nom pl of āyasmant (noun); masc voc pl of āyasmant (noun); masc nom sg of āyasmant (adj); …
- sir; venerable; reverend; lit. having age quality
- venerable; respectable; lit. having long life quality
Built from
- ā — prefix · toward, up to
Reverses motion verbs; here affixed to the adjective stem to denote complete or full possession of the quality.
- ayus — root · life, lifespan
Sanskrit āyus, Greek aiōn (age, eternity). Cognate with English 'age'. The root captures vitality and the long life of one worthy of respect.
- mant — ending · having, possessing
Adjectival suffix forming possessive compounds. Common in Pali: dhanāmant 'having wealth', balāmant 'having strength'. Here attached to āyu to form āyusmant 'having life/long-lived', then pluralized.
- o — ending · nom pl masc
Nominative plural masculine ending in Pali, marking the plural form addressed to or speaking of multiple venerable persons.
Etymology. ā + ayus (life, lifespan; Sanskrit āyus, cognate with Greek aiōn 'age, eternity') + -mant (having, possessing). Literally 'having life' or 'endowed with long age', a respectful form of address for elders and monks.