Where does “Theravada” come from?
Theravada comes from Pali theravāda, from Sanskrit स्थविरवाद, from Sanskrit वाद meaning doctrine or school.
Theravada (English): A Buddhist of this particular school
Definitions
- A Buddhist of this particular school
Ancestry of “Theravada”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | स्थविरवाद | Theravada, a sect of Buddhism, whose teachings are based on the Buddha's scriptures in the Pali canon, widely practised in Southeast Asia, mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. It tends to be conservative in contrast to the more liberal Mahayana, rejects reliance on celestial be |
| 2 | Sanskrit | स्थविर | elder |
| 3 | Sanskrit | वाद | speaking, saying; making sound, playing an... |
| 4 | Sanskrit | वद् | to speak; API 10 U |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *h₂wedH- | — |