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abhibhusmiṁ

abhibhavati

1st person singular optative (potential) of abhibhavati; or more likely, non-finite form in locative absolute construction, resolved as abhibhūsiṁ (imperfect/past tense)

1. to overcome, subdue, conquer
2. to overpower, suppress

Built from

• abhi — prefix · toward, over
  Bearing down on, facing something directly. Cognate with Latin ob- and the English prefix be-.
• bhav — root · become, be
  Indo-European *bheuh- 'swell, grow'. Cognates: English be, German bin. In this context, 'to be' takes on the sense of 'to come into a state of overpowering'.
• a — ending · 3rd singular present
  Marks the present stem. The form abhibhusmiṁ appears to be a variant spelling or non-standard form of the imperfect/optative construction.

Analysis. abhi + bhavati: 'to bear down on (abhi-) becoming/being (-bhavati)', hence to overcome or master by bearing down upon. May also contain bhū- 'to be/become' with the sense of overwhelming or towering over.

Etymology. abhi- 'toward and over, bearing down' (Latin ob-, English be-) + bhavati 'becomes, is' (Indo-European *bheuh-, English be, German Buße). The prefix carries its concrete spatial sense of approaching and overwhelming into the meaning of mastery and suppression.

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

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