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māyā

māya

masc nom pl of māya (adj); fem nom sg of māya (adj); fem nom pl of māya (adj); nt nom pl of māya (adj); …

1. māya (adj): deceitful; dishonest
2. māyā (fem): fraud; deceit; hypocrisy; lit. illusion
3. māyā (fem): magic; illusion; conjurer's trick
4. māyā (fem): magic; sorcery; spell
5. māyā (fem): name of the Buddha's mother; lit. illusion

Etymology. Root uncertain; possibly related to √mā 'to measure, mete out' (hence 'that which is measured out, appearance') or to a root meaning 'to deceive'. No clear Indo-European cognates. The word appears in Sanskrit as māyā with the same senses (illusion, magic, deception), and is attested in Vedic texts; its ultimate origin remains disputed among scholars.

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

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