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tenāyasmā

tena āyasmā

Instrumental singular masculine of ta (that) + nominative singular masculine of āyasmā (venerable one); used as a formulaic address or reference to a respected monk

1. by that venerable one
2. that venerable one (instrumental for agency)
3. through/by that respected teacher

Built from

• tena — root · that (instrumental)
  Instrumental case of the demonstrative pronoun ta, marking agency or means. Related to English 'that'.
• āyasmā — stem · venerable one
  Honorific noun used to address or refer respectfully to senior monks. A standard form of address in the Pali canon.

Analysis. tenāyasmā is a contraction of tena (instrumental of ta, 'that') + āyasmā (nominative of āyasmā, 'venerable'). The instrumental tena marks the agent performing an action or the means by which something is done; āyasmā is a respectful form of address for senior monks. Together the phrase emphasizes the agency or involvement of a respected person.

Etymology. tena from ta (demonstrative pronoun 'that'), cognate with English 'that' and Latin 'iste'; āyasmā likely from a Sanskrit root meaning 'worthy' or 'venerable', used as an honorific title in Buddhist monastic contexts.

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

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