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aññataro

aññatara

masc nom sg of aññatara (pron)

1. a certain; a
2. one; either one (of)
3. another; further; next

Built from

• aññā — stem · other
  Indefinite pronoun from PIE *al-yo-, related to Latin alius, English else. The stem undergoes sandhi before the comparative suffix.
• -tara — ending · comparative
  Comparative suffix from PIE *-tero-, marking selection of one from a pair or group. Related to Latin -ter (alter) and English -ther (either, other).

Analysis. aññatara = aññā + tara. aññā is the feminine nominative singular of the indefinite pronoun aña "other, another"; tara is the comparative suffix. The word means "one or the other of two", hence "a certain one".

Etymology. aña descends from the PIE root *al-yo- "other" (cognate with Latin alius, English else, German ander). The comparative suffix -tara (Sanskrit -tara) is from PIE *-tero-, which marks the comparative degree (cognate with Latin -ter in alter "the other of two", English -ther in either, other).

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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