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sādhu

masc nom sg of sādhu (adj); fem nom sg of sādhu (adj); nt nom sg of sādhu (adj); masc voc sg of sādhu (adj); …

1. good; pleasant; auspicious
2. well; thoroughly; clearly
3. it is good (for); it would be good (if)
4. well said!; excellent!
5. goodness; virtue; what is good
6. good person; moral man

Built from

• sādhu — root · good, firm
  From PIE *sed- 'sit, settle', the notion of being settled or firm extended to moral solidity and goodness. No prefix; the word is an ancient adjective, used also as an exclamation (well said!, excellent!) and in the sense of virtue or a good person.

Etymology. Sanskrit śādhu, from Proto-Indo-European *sed- 'sit, settle, be firm' (English sit, settle; Latin sedēre). The root sense 'firm, settled' developed into 'good, reliable'. Compare Sanskrit sthita 'standing, firm' and Greek hedra 'seat'.

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

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