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mahā

maha

masc nom pl of maha (adj); fem nom sg of maha (adj); fem nom pl of maha (adj); nt nom pl of maha (adj); …

1. maha (root): (gram) √mah (venerate)
2. maha (adj): great; venerable; honourable; respected
3. maha (masc): festival; ceremony
4. mahanta (adj): big; great; large; grand; vast; extensive
5. mahanta (adj): great; powerful; mighty; eminent; distinguished; noble
6. mahā (adj): great; large; powerful; grand; vast; extensive
7. mahā (adj): great; powerful; mighty; eminent; distinguished; noble
8. mahi (aor): honoured, revered

Built from

• mahā — root · great, vast
  From PIE *meg-, expressing magnitude, power, and reverence. The semantic range (greatness → veneration) reflects how in Indo-European cultures size and strength commanded respect.

Etymology. From Indo-European *meg- 'great, large' (cognates: English much, mighty; Greek megas; Latin magnus; German magd 'maid', originally 'the great one'; Sanskrit mahā-). The root √mah underlying the adjective carries the sense of magnitude and honour, originally 'to grow large' or 'to venerate' (treating someone as great).

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

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