Where does “mā” come from?

mā (Pali) comes from Sanskrit मा, from Proto-Iranian máH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maH, from Proto-Indo-European meh₁ — prohibitive particle.

mā (Pali): do not; mother; moon

Definitions

  1. do not; mother; moon

Ancestry of “mā”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritमाdon't; accusative singular of अहम्; to sound,...
2Proto-IranianmáH—
3Proto-Indo-IranianmaHdo not; prohibitive particle
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₁prohibitive particle

Words derived from “mā”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₁ →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian maH →Every word from Proto-Iranian máH →
mā — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer