I know conventional thinking is it is one or another, but this leads to ambiguity and inconsistency. For example, Mahādeva is conventionally taken as maha+deva, but Mahāsura is taken as maha+asura.
Is it possible this ambiguity is deliberate and meant to convey greatness in both e.g. Ketu is called Mahāsura because he was an Asura then a Sura and was great as both. Does anyone have a reference that definitely shows one etymology over the others?
(reference for adeva being used for asuras) https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/20/23/
https://www.devshoppe.com/blogs/articles/shri-ketu-kavacham-with-meaning
