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dāsiyā

dāsī

fem instr sg of dāsī (noun); fem dat sg of dāsī (noun); fem abl sg of dāsī (noun); fem gen sg of dāsī (noun); …

1. maid; maidservant; female slave

Built from

• dās — root · serve, enslave
  The root √das- (to serve, enslave), also appearing in Sanskrit dāsa-, reflects the Indo-European *dhas- (to subdue, make subject to one's will).
• ī — ending · feminine singular
  The feminine -ī suffix marks the female form of the noun, distinguishing the female slave or maidservant from the masculine dāsa-.

Etymology. From √das- (to serve, enslave), cognate with Sanskrit dāsa- and distantly with Old English þēow (servant, thrall) and Gothic þius (slave); the feminine -ī suffix marks the female form. The root reflects the Indo-European *dhas- (to subdue, make subject). In Buddhist contexts, often occurs in narratives of social hierarchy and karma, as in the Kisāgotamī Sutta where a dāsī seeks the Buddha's aid.

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

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