Where does “মহাদেশ” come from?

মহাদেশ (Assamese) comes from Assamese মহা, from Sanskrit महा, from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

মহাদেশ (Assamese): continent

Definitions

  1. continent

Ancestry of “মহাদেশ”, step by step

মহাদেশ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Assamese মহা

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Assameseমহাgreat, large
2Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
3Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́—
4Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
5Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via Assamese দেশ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Assameseদেশcountry
2Sanskritदेशpoint, region, spot, place, part, portion;...
3Sanskritदिश्quarter; region; direction; place; part; quarter,...
4Proto-Indo-Iranian*dayć-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maȷ́ʰā́ →Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan maźʰā́ →