English
mahā
Mahā comes from Sanskrit महत् ‘great, big, high’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*méǵh₂s‘big, great’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*maȷ́ʰā́‘big, great’reconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEमहत्mahát‘great, big, high’
- Sanskrit, derivedc. 1500–500 BCEमहाmahā́form of महत्
- Englishearliest quotation 1779mahā
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*méǵh₂s‘big, great’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*maȷ́ʰā́‘big, great’reconstructed
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEमहत्mahát‘great, big, high’
- Sanskrit, derivedc. 1500–500 BCEमहाmahā́form of महत्
- Englishearliest quotation 1779mahā
Earliest quotation: 1779, Treaty between the Company and Maha Raja, Bahadoor: “This force shall be employed for the defence of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s ‘big, great’
major, master, mayor, magnitude, magnum, maxim, magnate, magnify, mair, mickle, maggiore, muckle, 15 more
through Proto-Indo-Iranian *maȷ́ʰā́ ‘big, great’
Today it means
adj great, eminent
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s / mahā