kulaputto

kulaputta

masc nom sg of kulaputta (noun)

son of a good family; respectable young man; young gentleman

Built from

kula — root · family, clan
The sense of a settled, cultivated dwelling-group. Related to Latin colere 'to cultivate, inhabit' (colony, culture).
putta — root · son, boy
From Sanskrit putra; possibly connected with pū- 'to fill', marking paternity as continuance of the line. Common in Pali compounds denoting male descent.

Analysis. kula + putta: 'family' + 'son'; a young man of good birth and standing, a stock term in the canon for a convert or disciple of respectable social status.

Etymology. kula 'family, clan' is cognate with Latin colere 'to cultivate, dwell' (from the sense of a settled household group); putta 'son' comes from Sanskrit putra, possibly connected with the root pū- 'to fill' (he who fills the family line). Together they form a compound denoting social respectability through lineage.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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