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kulaputtā

kulaputta

masc nom pl of kulaputta (noun); masc instr sg of kulaputta (noun); masc abl sg of kulaputta (noun); masc voc sg of kulaputta (noun); …

1. son of a good family; respectable young man; young gentleman

Built from

• kula — root · family, clan
  From a root denoting assembly or dwelling together; cognate with Latin colere (to dwell, cultivate). The concrete sense is of a kinship group assembled in one place.
• putta — root · son, boy
  From PIE *putro-; cognate with Latin putus and Sanskrit putra. Denotes a young male, typically of dependent or junior status within the family.

Analysis. kula (family, clan) + putta (son); often used in the suttas of a young man from a respectable household entering the sangha or practising the Dhamma.

Etymology. kula is from √kul (to live together, be assembled), akin to Latin colere (dwell, cultivate) and English hill (a place where people gather); putta is from Proto-Indo-European *putro- (boy, son), cognate with Latin putus and Sanskrit putra. The compound emphasizes both social status and familial belonging.

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

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