ɪn pˈoʊstvˈɛdɪk ˈɪndiə, ðə nˈaʊn mˈɪtɹə kˈeɪm təbi ˌʌndɚstˈʊd æz "fɹˈɛnd", wˈʌn ʌvðɪ ˈæspɛkts ʌv bˈɑːndɪŋ ænd ɐlˈaɪəns.
In post-Vedic India, the noun mitra came to be understood as "friend", one of the aspects of bonding and alliance.