Where does “dhamma” come from?
dhamma (English) comes from Pali dhamma, from Sanskrit धर्म, from Proto-Indo-Iranian dʰármas, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
dhamma (English): The teachings of Buddha
Ancestry of “dhamma”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Pali | dhamma | truth, righteousness; doctrine, teachings;... |
| 2 | Sanskrit | धर्म | morality, virtue, moral code, good deed, good... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | dʰármas | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |