Mitta (m. nt.) [cp. Vedic mitra, m. & nt., friend; Av. mipro, friend] friend. Usually m., although nt. occurs in meaning "friend," in sg. (Nett 164) & pl. (Sn 185, 187); in meaning "friendship" at J vi.375 (=mittabhāva C.). The half -- scientific, half -- popular etym. of mitta, as given at VbhA 108, is "mettāyantī ti mittā, minantī ti vā m.; sabba -- guyhesu anto pakkhipantī ti attho" (the latter: "they enclose in all that is hidden"). -- Two kinds of friends are distinguished at Nd2 510 (in exegesis of Sn 37 & 75), viz. āgārika˚ (a house -- or lay -- friend) and anāgārika˚ (a homeless -- or clericalfriend). The former is possessed of all ordinary qualities of kindness and love, the latter of special virtues of mind & heart. -- A friend who acts as a sort of Mentor, or spiritual adviser, is called akalyāṇa -- mitta (see under kalyāṇa). -- Mitta is often combd with similar terms, devoting relationship or friendship, e. g. with amaccā colleagues and ñāti -- sālohita˚ blood -- relations, in ster. phrase at Vin ii.126; A i.222; Sn p. 104; PvA 28; cp. ñāti -- mittā relatives & friends Pv i.59; suhada ("dear heart") Diii.187 (four types, cp. m. paṭirūpaka); suhajja one who is dear to one's heart PvA 191; sahāya companion PvA 86. The neut. form occurs for kind things Diii.188; S i.37. -- Opp. sapatta enemy PvA 13; amitta a sham friend or enemy Sn 561 (=paccatthika SnA 455); D iii.185. pāpa -- mitta bad friend PvA 5. -- For refs. see e. g. Sn 58, 255, 296, 338; Dh 78, 375.

 -- âbhirādhin one who pleases his friends J iv.274 (=mittesu adubbhamāno C.) -- ddu [cp. Sk. mitra -- druha] one who injures or betrays his friends Si.225; Sn 244; J iv.260; also in foll. forms: ˚dubbha Pv ii.93 (same passage at J iv.352; v.240; vi.310, 375); ˚dūbha J iv.352; vi.310; ˚dūbhin [cp. Sk. ˚drohin] J iv.257; v.97 (˚kamma); vi.375; DhA ii.23. -- paṭirūpaka a false friend, one pretending to be a friend D iii.185 (four types: añña -- d -- atthu -- hara, vacī -- parama, anuppiyabhāṇin, apāya -- sahāya, i. e. one who takes anything, one who is a great talker, one who flatters, one who is a spendthrift companion.) -- bandhava a relation in friendship, one who is one's relative as a friend Nd2 455 (where Nd1 11 has manta -- bandhava). -- bheda see mithu -- bheda -- vaṇṇa pretence of friendship, a sham friendship Pv iv.86 (=mitta -- rūpa, m. -- paṭirūpatā PvA 268).