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brāhmaṇagāmo

brāhmaṇagāma

masc nom sg of brāhmaṇagāma (noun)

1. Brahman village

Built from

• brāhmaṇa — stem · Brahman (priest)
  From brahman 'the cosmic absolute' or 'priestly class', derived from √bṛh 'to swell, expand', reflecting the Vedic sense of cosmic growth and priestly authority.
• gāma — stem · village
  From √gṛ 'to gather, assemble'; cognate with Sanskrit grāma, English gather, and Latin grex 'flock'. A village as a place where people congregate.

Analysis. brāhmaṇa (Brahman, member of the priestly class) + gāma (village); a settlement of Brahmans or one associated with Brahmanical learning and ritual.

Etymology. brāhmaṇa derives from brahman (the absolute, or the priestly class that upholds it), ultimately from √bṛh (to grow, expand, swell — the cosmic principle). gāma is cognate with Sanskrit grāma, from √gṛ (to gather, assemble), related to English gather and Latin grex (flock, herd) — a village is where people gather. The compound appears frequently in the suttas as a place-type marking centers of Vedic learning.

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

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