Where does “va” come from?
va (Pali) comes from Sanskrit वा, from Proto-Iranian Hwah-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Hwas-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wes- — to dwell, live, reside; to stay, spend the night.
va (Pali): like, as if
Ancestry of “va”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | वा | or; to blow |
| 2 | Proto-Iranian | Hwah- | to dwell, remain |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Hwas- | to dwell, inhabit; to stay |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wes- | to dwell, live, reside; to stay, spend the night |