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balavā

balavant

masc nom sg of balavant (adj); masc nom pl of balavant (adj); masc voc sg of balavant (adj)

1. strong; powerful; lit. having strength quality
2. intense; powerful; lit. having strength quality

Built from

• bala — root · strength
  From IE *bhel- 'swell, be strong'. The sense of power derives from the physical image of a swollen, vigorous body.
• -vant — ending · having, possessing
  Adjectival suffix meaning 'endowed with' or 'full of'. Marks the nominative singular masculine, nominative plural masculine, or vocative singular masculine form in this context.

Etymology. From bala 'strength' (from Indo-European *bhel- 'to swell, be strong', cognate with English belly, Latin follis 'bellows') + -vant suffix (having the quality of). Bala itself appears in Sanskrit balá- and is related to the root of Latin flos 'flower' and English full, all built on the image of swelling with vitality.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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