Where does “natthi” come from?
natthi (Pali) comes from Pali aṭṭhi, from Sanskrit अस्ति, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Hásti, from Sanskrit हस्तिन्, from Sanskrit हस्त, from Proto-Indo-Aryan źʰástas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ȷ́ʰástas, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰés-to- — hand; take, give in exchange.
natthi (Pali): absence; there is not
Ancestry of “natthi”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Pali | aṭṭhi | bone |
| 2 | Sanskrit | अस्ति | to be; to live; to exist, be present |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Hásti | to be |
| 4 | Sanskrit | हस्तिन् | an elephant |
| 5 | Sanskrit | हस्त | the hand; an elephant's trunk; the forearm |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | źʰástas | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ȷ́ʰástas | hand |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰés-to- | hand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰes- | hand; take, give in exchange |