masc instr sg of brāhmaṇa (noun)
Etymology. From Sanskrit brāhmaṇa, ultimately from brahman (neuter) 'the absolute divine power' or 'prayer; sacred utterance' (√brih 'to grow, swell'), itself from Indo-European *bherǵh- 'high, eminence'. In the Vedic tradition, brāhmaṇa denoted a Brahman priest (one versed in brahman), later a caste. In Buddhist usage, the term was radically redefined: an arahant is 'the true brāhmaṇa' because they have transcended caste and ritual, making it a title of spiritual attainment rather than birth—a conscious appropriation and inversion of Brahmanical values.
Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.
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