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aṅgaṇanti

aṅgaṇa

nominative singular neuter; aṅgaṇanti is nominative singular with quotative particle iti

1. spot; blemish; stain; lit. smearing
2. (of mind) defilement; impurity; depravity; lit. smearing
3. courtyard; lit. walking

Built from

• aṅg — root · smear, soil
  To coat or mark a surface; the concrete imagery of physical soiling becomes metaphorical defilement of the mind.
• aṇa — ending · instrument, result
  Nominalizing suffix forming nouns denoting the result or instrument of the action; here, what is smeared or the state of being smeared.

Analysis. aṅgaṇaṃ + iti: the noun in nominative (or accusative) with the quotative particle iti ('thus', 'saying that'), used to introduce or emphasize a word or concept in discourse.

Etymology. From √aṅg- (to smear, soil, anoint) + suffix -aṇa (instrument or result of action). The root aṅg- is cognate with Sanskrit aṅj- (to anoint, smear) and possibly related to Latin unguo (to anoint, smear), English ointment. The concrete sense of physical smearing extends to moral and mental staining (defilement). The courtyard sense derives from the floor as a place for walking and moving (aṅgaṇa as 'walking-place').

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

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