Sanskrit bhaga (
IAST: ) is a term for "lord, patron", but also for "wealth, prosperity". The cognate term in
Avestan and
Old Persian is , of uncertain meaning but used in a sense in which "lord, patron, sharer/distributor of good fortune" might also apply. The cognate in Slavic languages is the root . The semantics is similar to English
lord (from "bread-warden"), the idea being that it is part of the function of a chieftain or leader to distribute riches or spoils among his followers. The name of the city of
Baghdad derives from Middle Persian
baga-data, "lord-given".
