摩訶

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (摩訶)		摩	訶
simp. (摩诃)		摩	诃
alternative forms		莫訶／莫诃 摩醯

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit महा (mahā), itself the combining form of महत् (mahat, “great”).

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	摩	訶
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	莫婆切	虎何切
Baxter	ma	xa
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/muɑ/	/hɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/muɑ/	/hɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/muɑ/	/xɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mwa/	/ha/
Li Rong	/muɑ/	/xɑ/
Wang Li	/muɑ/	/xɑ/
Bernard Karlgren	/muɑ/	/xɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mó	hē
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mo4	ho1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): móhē

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˊ ㄏㄜ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mo¹ ho¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: móhē
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˊ ㄏㄜ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: móhe
    • Wade–Giles: mo²-ho¹
    • Yale: mwó-hē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mohe
    • Palladius: мохэ (moxɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ³⁵ xɤ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mo¹ ho¹
    • Yale: mō hō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mo¹ ho¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: mo¹ ho¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔː⁵⁵ hɔː⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: ma xa

Adjective

摩訶

1. (Buddhism, chiefly as a prefix) maha; great

   • 釋門慈憫古來多，正善成功說摩訶。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     释门慈悯古来多，正善成功说摩诃。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE

     Shìmén címǐn gǔlái duō, zhèng shàn chénggōng shuō móhē. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

• 摩訶婆羅多／摩诃婆罗多 (Móhēpóluóduō)
• 摩訶羅／摩诃罗 (móhēluó)
• 摩訶般若波羅蜜多心經／摩诃般若波罗蜜多心经 (Móhē Bōrě Bōluómìduō Xīnjīng)
• 摩訶薩埵／摩诃萨埵 (móhēsàduǒ)
• 摩訶衍／摩诃衍 (Móhēyǎn)

 

Japanese

Kanji in this term
摩	訶
ま Grade: S	か Hyōgai
on'yomi

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 摩訶 (MC ma xa), in turn a borrowing from Sanskrit महा (mahā),^[1][2] itself the combining form of महत् (mahat, “great”).

First cited in Japanese to the 824 Buddhist text 大日経開題 (Dainichikyō Kaidai), a commentary written by 弘法大師 (Kōbō Daishi, also known as Kūkai) on the 大毘盧遮那成仏神変加持経 (Dai Birushana Jōbutsu Jinben Kaji Kyō, “Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) まか [máꜜkà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[3]
• IPA^(key): [ma̠ka̠]

Noun

摩(ま)訶(か) • (maka) 

1. [from 824] (Buddhism) something great, something excellent (used as an epithet with regard to people or things)

Derived terms

• 摩(ま)訶(か)不(ふ)思(し)議(ぎ) (maka fushigi, “mysterious, profound mystery”)

Prefix

摩(ま)訶(か) or 摩訶(マカ) • (maka-) 

1. [from 824] (Buddhism) great, excellent (used as an epithet on the names of people or things)

Derived terms

• 摩(ま)訶(か)般(はん)若(にゃ)波(は)羅(ら)蜜(みっ)多(た)心(しん)経(ぎょう) (Maka Hannya Haramitta Shingyō, “Heart Sutra”)
• 摩(ま)訶(か)毘(び)盧(る)遮(しゃ)那(な) (Makabirushana, “Mahāvairocana”)

References

1. “摩訶”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
2. “摩訶”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
摩	訶

Noun

摩訶 • (maha) (hangeul 마하)

1. hanja form^? of 마하 (“(Buddhism, chiefly as a prefix) greatness”)