Ājāniya (ājānā̆ya) (adjective/noun) [cf. BHS ājāneya and Sanskrit ājāti birth, good birth. Instead of its correct derivation from ā + jan (to be born, i.e. well-born) it is by Buddhaghosa connected with ā + jñā (to learn, i.e. to be trained).* See for these popular etymology e.g. Ja I 181: sārathissa citta-rucitaṃ kāraṇaṃ ājānana-sabhāvo ājañño, and Dhp-a IV 4: yaṃ assadamma-sārathi kāraṇaṃ kāreti tassa khippaṃ jānana {97} samatthā ājāniyā. — The contracted form of the word is ājañña] — of good race or breed; almost exclusively used to denote a thoroughbred horse (cf. assājāniya under assa 3 ). (a) ājāniya (the more common and younger Pāli form): Snp 462, 528, 532; Ja I 178, 194; Dīp IV 26; Dhp-a I 402; III 49; IV 4; Vv-a 78; Pv-a 216. (b) ājānīya: M I 445; A V 323; Dhp 322 = Nidd II §475. (c) ājañña = (mostly in poetry): Snp 300 = 304; Ja I 181; Pv IV 1 54 ; purisājañña "a steed of man", i.e. a man of noble race) S III 91 = Thag 1084 = Snp 544 = Vv-a 9; A V 325. — anājāniya of inferior birth M I 367. -susu the young of a noble horse, a noble foal M I 445 (°ūpamo dhamma-pariyāyo). *[BD]: see SN 5.46.52: "Bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṃ ājānissāmā" ti.]
(adj, adj, from ājāyati) thoroughbred; well bred Construction: ā + √jan > jān + *iya