masc acc pl of ayya (noun); masc loc sg of ayya (noun); masc acc pl of ayya (adj); nt acc pl of ayya (adj); …
Etymology. From *ārya- 'noble, of good family', found in Sanskrit ārya and the ethnonym Āryans. The Pali form ayya results from regular sound change (ā > a) and loss of the final -a in the feminine nominative. The sense 'master, gentleman' derives from 'one of noble birth', extending to 'one worthy of respect'; the feminine ayyā, ayye carries the same dignity. Related to Latin ōrō 'pray, beseech' (from the root of honoring), though the Sanskrit cognate is more direct.
Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.
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