Word history
Monier-Williams (1899) records dātṛ with the sense “giver, donor”. Dātṛ is an agent noun associated with giving. The dictionary includes both the act of giving and the noun giver or donor, alongside a sense of liberality. दातार is the later written form retained in the surname. The word’s generous sense is part of its vocabulary, not evidence of anyone’s conduct.
Sources: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword dātṛ, page 474, column 1, entry L91226
Literal dictionary sense
Native-script forms
दातार · Devanagari
Sources and attribution
- Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword dātṛ, page 474, column 1, entry L91226
Dictionary senses and word histories are selected and adapted. Adapted lexical text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Linked Wiktionary entries provide contributor histories. Source register.