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paṇḍitā

paṇḍita

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

1. wise; intelligent; astute; learned; knowledgeable; skilled
2. sage; intelligent person; wise man; smart person

Built from

• paṇḍ — root · shine, be bright
  The concrete imagery of brightness or radiance, transferred to the clarity of understanding and the illumination that learning brings.
• ita — ending · condition/quality (past participle suffix)
  Forms an adjective meaning 'characterized by' or 'endowed with'; here, one in whom brightness (understanding) is present or established.

Etymology. From √paṇḍ 'to shine, be bright', related to Sanskrit paṇḍita 'learned' (one whose knowledge shines forth). The root appears in paṇḍu 'pale, bright' and is cognate with English 'panda' in its original sense of brightness or distinction, though the Sanskrit word itself is of uncertain ultimate origin—possibly connected to the sense of clarity or shining forth that marks the learned person.

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

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