Where does “mahābodhi” come from?
mahābodhi (Pali) comes from Pali mahā, from Pali latā, from Sanskrit लता, from Proto-Indo-European lenteh₂, from Proto-Indo-European lent- — tree with supple branches; supple; bendsome,...
mahābodhi (Pali): the Bo Tree, i.e. the specific fig tree under which the Buddha sat when he attained enlightenment; the descendant of that tree on the same spot at Bodh Gaya
Definitions
- the Bo Tree, i.e. the specific fig tree under which the Buddha sat when he attained enlightenment; the descendant of that tree on the same spot at Bodh Gaya
Ancestry of “mahābodhi”, step by step
mahābodhi traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Pali mahā
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pali | mahā | ablative singular of maha; nominative/vocative... |
| 2 | Pali | latā | creeper |
| 3 | Sanskrit | लता | a creeper, any creeping or winding plant or... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | lenteh₂ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lent- | tree with supple branches; supple; bendsome,... |
via Pali bodhi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pali | bodhi | supreme knowledge |
| 2 | Sanskrit | बोधि | (also feminine gender) bodhi: perfect knowledge or wisdom (by which a man becomes a buddha or jina), the illuminated or enlightened intellect (of a Buddha or jina) |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | bawdʰíṣ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | bawdʰíš | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewdʰ- | to be awake, be aware |