Mahisa, Mahīsa, Mahiṃsa

a buffalo. mahisa: DN.i.6 (˚yuddha b. fight), DN.i.9; Ja.iii.26 (vana wild b.); Mhvs.25, Mhvs.36 (T. māhisaṃ)
■ mahīsa Ja.vi.110- mahiṃsa Vism.191, & in Np.; mahiṃsaka-maṇḍala the Andhra country Ja.i.356, cp. Mahiṃsaka-raṭṭha Vb-a.4; as Mahisa-maṇḍala at Mhvs.12, Mhvs.29
■ Note. The P. pop. etym. is propounded by Bdhgh as “mahiyaṃ setī ti mahiso” (he lies on the ground, that is why he is a buffalo) Dhs-a.62.

cp. Vedic mahiṣa, an enlarged form of mahā; the P. etym. evidently to be connected with mahā + īś, because of mahīsa → mahiṃsa