Where does “Mahayana” come from?
Mahayana (Irish) comes from Sanskrit महायान, from Sanskrit यान, from Proto-Indo-Aryan yáHnam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian yáHnam, from Proto-Indo-European yéh₂-nom, from Proto-Indo-European yeh₂- — to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel.
Ancestry of “Mahayana”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | महायान | — |
| 2 | Sanskrit | यान | carriage, vehicle, mode of transport; moving,... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | yáHnam | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | yáHnam | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | yéh₂-nom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | yeh₂- | to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel |