Where does “pita” come from?
pita (Pali) comes from Sanskrit पिता, from Indo-Iranian *pHtā́, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
Ancestry of “pita”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | पिता | masculine nominative singular of पितृ |
| 2 | Indo-Iranian | *pHtā́ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |