Āyasmant (adj.) [Sk. āyuṣmant, the P. form showing as- similation of u to a] 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 expld. in Nd by typical formula "piya -- vacanaŋ garu˚, sagārava -- sappaṭissâdhivacanaŋ", e. g. Nd1 140, 445; Nd2 130 on var. Sn loci (e. g. 814, 1032, 1040, 1061, 1096). -- Freq. in all texts, of later passages see SnA 158; PvA 53, 54, 63, 78. -- See also āvuso.