mahantā

adjective great, extensive, big important, venerable
■ nom. mahā Snp.1008; Mhvs.22, Mhvs.27. Shortened to maha in cpd. pitāmaha (following a-decl.) (paternal) grandfather Pv-a.41; & mātāmaha (maternal) grandfather (q.v.)
■ instr. mahatā Snp.1027-pl. nom. mahantā Snp.578 (opp. daharā)
■ loc mahati Mil.254
■ f. mahī 1 one of the 5 great rivers (Np.) 2 the earth. See separately
■ nt mahantaṃ used as adv., meaning “very much, greatly Ja.v.170; Dhp-a.iv.232. Also in cpd. mahantabhāva greatness, loftiness, sublimity Dhs-a.44
■ Compar mahantatara Dhp-a.ii.63, and with dimin. suffix -ka Ja.iii.237
■ The regular paraphrase of mahā in the Niddesa is “agga, seṭṭha, visiṭṭha, pāmokkha, uttama pavara,” see Cnd.502.

Note on mahā & cpds

1. In certain compounds the combⁿ with mahā (mah˚) has become so established & customary (often through politeness in using mahā for the simple term), that the cpd. is felt as an inseparable unity and a sort of “antique” word, in which the 2^nd part either does not occur any more by itself or only very rarely, as mah’ aṇṇava, which is more freq. than aṇṇava; mah’ ābhisakka, where abhisakka does not occur by itself; cp. mahānubhāva, mahiddhika mahaggha; or is obscured in its derivation through constant use with mahā, like mahesī [mah + esī, or īsī] mahesakkha [mah + esakkha]; mahallaka [mah + *ariyaka]; mahāmatta. Cp. E. great-coat, Gr. ἀρξ˚ in ἀρξ ιατρός = Ger. arzt. Only a limited selection of cpd. words is given, consisting of more frequent or idiomatic terms. Practically any word may be enlarged & emphasized in meaning by prefixing; mahā. Sometimes a mahā˚ lends to special events a standard (historical) significance, so changing the common word into a noun proper, e.g. Mahâbhinikkhammana, Mahāpavāraṇa.
2. Mahā occurs in compounds in
   1. an elided form mah before a & i;
   2. shortened to maha˚; before g, d p, b with doubling of these consonants.
   3. in the regular form mahā˚: usually before consonants, sometimes before vowels. This form is contracted with foll. i to e and foll. u to o. In the foll. list of compounds we have arranged the material according to these bases.