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mā

ma

masc nom pl of ma (letter); masc instr sg of ma (letter); masc abl sg of ma (letter); masc voc sg of ma (letter); …

1. ma (ve): (gram) ma; verbal ending of the present tense 1st person plural
2. ma (letter): (gram) letter m; 31st letter of the alphabet; nasal consonant
3. mā (ind): do not; may one not; don't let
4. mā (ind): enough (of)!; stop (with)!
5. mā (fem): moon
6. mā (root): (gram) √mā (measure)

Etymology. √mā "to measure, mark out" (Latin mēnsūra "measure", Greek metron "measure", English "meter"); the prohibitive sense arises from the imperative of √mā used as a negating command, literally "mark out (the boundary) — don't go beyond it". Cognate with Sanskrit mā (prohibitive particle) and the same Indo-European root *me- "to measure".

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

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