दान

Etymology

Sanskrit दान (dāna).

Noun

दान • (dān) m

1. gift, offering, something given

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit दान (dāná).

Noun

दान (dāna) n

1. gift

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *dáHnam, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₃nom (“gift”), from *deh₃- (“to give”) (whence ददाति (dádāti, “to give”)). Cognate with Latin dōnum (“gift”) and Old Irish dán (“poem”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /d̪ɑ́ː.n̪ɐ/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ɑː.n̪ɐ/

Noun

दान • (dā́na) n

1. generosity, giving
2. (Buddhism, Hinduism) the practice of cultivating generosity; dana
   • Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 5.2.3 (c. 700 BC):

     तदेतत्त्रयँ शिक्षेद् दमं दानं दयामिति

     tadetattrayam̐ śikṣed damaṃ dānaṃ dayāmiti

     Learn three cardinal virtues - self restraint, charity and compassion for all life.

Descendants

• Khmer: ទាន (tiənĕəʾ)
• Lao: ທານ (thān)
• Pali: dāna
  • Thai: ทาน (taan)

Further reading

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1898) A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 474/1