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bhiyyo

indeclinable; comparative adverb

1. more (than); greater than (than); better than (than); superior (to)

Built from

• bhī — root · fear, weight
  The root originally meant 'to weigh or bear down', hence 'to press, to be heavy or fearsome'. The sense of 'fear' is the emotional reaction to something weighty or pressing.
• yya — ending · comparative suffix
  An old Indo-European comparative marker that formed gradations of quality. Here it creates an adverbial comparative, turning the root's sense into 'more fearsome' > 'greater, superior'.

Etymology. From the root √bhī (to fear, be afraid), via an old comparative formation *bhīyya-. The sense shifted from 'more fearsome, more weighty' to 'greater, superior' — the comparative marker -ya- originally emphasized degree or intensity. Cognate with Sanskrit bhīru 'fearful, timid' and bhayam 'fear'; related to English 'by' (originally 'near', hence 'beside, beside which') and Latin fors 'chance, accident' (< *bher-, 'to bear, carry, press on').

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

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