Pati (Sanskrit: पति, 𐬯𐬙) is a title meaning "master" or "lord". The word is in common usage in the Indian subcontinent today. Etymologically, the word derives from theIndo-European language family and finds references in various classicalIndo-Iranian languages, includingSanskrit,Old Persian language andAvestan.[1] In modern-dayHindustani and otherIndo-Aryan languages,pati andpatni have taken on the meanings ofhusband andwife respectively when used as standalone words.[2] The feminine equivalent in Indo-Aryan languages ispatni (literally, "mistress" or "lady"). The termpati is frequently used as a suffix, e.g.lakhpati (meaning, master of alakh rupees).[2]
The termpati is believed to originate from theProto-Indo-European language.[4] Older Persian languages, such as Avestan, use the termpati orpaiti as a title extensively, e.g.dmana-paiti (master of the house, similar to Sanskritdam-pati).[1][4]
In Sanskrit, it is 'pat-' when uncompounded and meaning"husband" instrumental case p/atyā-; dative case p/atye-; genitive case ablative p/atyur-; locative case p/atyau-; But when meaning"lord, master", and in fine compositi or 'at the end of a compound' regularly inflected with exceptions; ) a master, owner, possessor, lord, ruler, sovereign etc. For example, in theVedas, we come across words such as Brhas –pati, Praja – pati, Vachas –pati, Pasu – pati, Apam –pati, Bhu pati, Tridasa – pati and Nr - pati. Here the 'pati’' is suffix translated as “Lord of …………..”
In several Indo-European languages, cognate terms exist in varying forms (often as a suffix), for instance in theEnglish word "despot" from theGreek δεσ-πότης, meaning "master, despot, lord, owner."[1] In Latin, the term changed meaning frommaster toable, and is "an example of a substantive coming to be used as an adjective," resulting in English words such aspotent,potential andpotentate.[5] InLithuanian,pats as a standalone word came to mean husband, himself (patis inOld Lithuanian), as didpati inHindi/Hindustani.[5]
... in Iran ... dmana-paiti, the vis-paiti, the zantu-paiti, and the dahyu-paiti ... Vedic dam-pati- 'master of the house', cognate to Avestan dmana-paiti, Greek preserves δεσ-πότης 'master, despot, lord, owner'; the Avestan vis-paiti finds his etymological counterpart not only in Vedia vis-pati- 'chief of the settlement, lord of the house', but in Lithuanian vies-pats 'lord' ...
... lakh-pati, or lakh-patl, or lakh-pat, sm Owner of a lac (of rupees), a millionaire ...
... 'lord of the house' < Indo-Ir. *dams pati-, PIE *dems potis ...
... in Lithuanian pats (older patis), which means husband or lord and is identical with the Greek, Skt. patis and Latin potis (no longer a substantive) ... The Latin form of this word - potis - gives us an example of a substantive coming to be used as an adjective. In the verb possum, a corruption of potis sum, the original sense 'I am master' has faded into the vaguer 'I am able' ...
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