adjective lit. old, i.e. venerable; used, either as adj. or absolute as a respectful appellation of a bhikkhu of some standing (cp. the semantically identical thera). It occurs usually in nom. āyasmā and is expl^d. in Nd by typical formula “piya-vacanaṃ garu˚, sagārava-sappaṭissâdhivacanaṃ”, e.g. Mnd.140, Mnd.445; Cnd.130 on var. Snp loci (e.g. Snp.814, Snp.1032, Snp.1040, Snp.1061, Snp.1096)
■ Freq. in all texts, of later passages see Snp-a.158; Pv-a.53, Pv-a.54, Pv-a.63 Pv-a.78
■ See also āvuso.

Sk. āyuṣmant, the P. form showing assimilation of u to a