มหาเถร

Thai

Alternative forms

• มหาเถระ

Etymology

From Pali mahāthera, from mahā (“great; grand”) + thera (“senior monk”); perhaps via Old Khmer mahāthera, mhāthera, mathera (“senior bhikkhu: title and rank of the monkhood”); equivalent to Thai มหา (má-hǎa, “great; grand”) +‎ เถร (těen, “priest having been ordained for 10 years or more”). Cognate with Modern Khmer មហាថេរ (mɔɔhaathee, “senior monk, especially one who has at least 10 years of seniority”).

Pronunciation

Orthographic		มหาเถร m h ā e tʰ r
Phonemic		มะ-หา-เถน m a – h ā – e tʰ n	[bound form] มะ-หา-เถ-ระ- m a – h ā – e tʰ – r a –
Romanization	Paiboon	má-hǎa-těen	má-hǎa-těe-rá-
	Royal Institute	ma-ha-then	ma-ha-the-ra-
(standard) IPA(key)		/ma˦˥.haː˩˩˦.tʰeːn˩˩˦/(R)	/ma˦˥.haː˩˩˦.tʰeː˩˩˦.ra˦˥./

Noun

มหาเถร • (má-hǎa-těen)

1. senior priest.
2. chief priest.

Usage notes

Historian Winai Phongsiphian (วินัย พงศ์ศรีเพียร) made a suggestion that the present term was once used as an ecclesiastical title for a senior priest having been ordained for 15 years at least, as distinguished from เถร (těen), referring to one that has been ordained for 10 years at least.

Derived terms

• มหาเถรสมาคม