Thera
/ˈtɛərə/noun
In Theravada Buddhism, a thera is a senior or elder monk, traditionally one who has completed at least ten years of monastic training.
Did you know?The title Thera is preserved in the name Theravada, usually translated as “the Teaching of the Elders,” referring to the early Buddhist monastic lineage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steh₂-
“To stand or remain firm; the reconstructed root behind later words for stability and position.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
sthavira
“Old, ancient, venerable, or senior.”
Ancient Pali
Pali
thera
“An elder or senior Buddhist monk; a shortened development of Sanskrit sthavira.”
3rd Century BCE onward
Pali
Theravāda
“The doctrine or teaching of the elders, a name for a Buddhist tradition.”
19th–20th Century
English
thera
“A senior monk in Theravada Buddhism; an English loanword from Pali.”