From Pali mahāthera, from mahā (“great; grand”) + thera (“senior monk”); perhaps via Old Khmer mahāthera, mhāthera, mathera (“senior bhikkhu: title and rank of the monkhood”); equivalent to Thai มหา (má-hǎa, “great; grand”) + เถร (těen, “priest having been ordained for 10 years or more”). Cognate with Modern Khmer មហាថេរ (mɔɔhaathee, “senior monk, especially one who has at least 10 years of seniority”).
| Orthographic | มหาเถร m h ā e tʰ r | ||
| Phonemic | มะ-หา-เถน m a – h ā – e tʰ n | มะ-หา-เถ-ระ- m a – h ā – e tʰ – r a – | |
| Romanization | Paiboon | má-hǎa-těen | má-hǎa-těe-rá- |
| Royal Institute | ma-ha-then | ma-ha-the-ra- | |
| (standard) IPA(key) | /ma˦˥.haː˩˩˦.tʰeːn˩˩˦/(R) | /ma˦˥.haː˩˩˦.tʰeː˩˩˦.ra˦˥./ | |
มหาเถร • (má-hǎa-těen)
Historian Winai Phongsiphian (วินัย พงศ์ศรีเพียร) made a suggestion that the present term was once used as an ecclesiastical title for a senior priest having been ordained for 15 years at least, as distinguished from เถร (těen), referring to one that has been ordained for 10 years at least.[1]