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abhidhammakathaṁ

abhidhammakathā

accusative singular feminine noun, contracted form abhidhammakathaṁ

1. exposition of the Abhidhamma
2. Abhidhamma commentary
3. higher doctrine discourse

Built from

• abhi — prefix · toward, over
  Bearing down on or facing something; here denoting superior or higher teaching. Cognate with Latin ob- (observe).
• dhamma — root · doctrine, law
  From √dhrā 'to hold'; Sanskrit dharma. The fundamental term for the Buddha's teaching.
• kathā — root · discourse, speech
  Feminine noun; speech, conversation, or exposition.
• ṁ — ending · accusative singular
  Marks the object of a verbal action; here the direct object of 'to expound' or 'to speak'.

Analysis. abhi- (toward, bearing down on; higher/superior) + dhamma (doctrine, law) + kathā (discourse, speech); the compound term for systematic doctrinal teaching, especially the Abhidhamma Piṭaka and its commentarial traditions.

Etymology. abhi- (from PIE *bhī-, to fear/approach; Latin ob-serve, ob-tain; here: bearing down on, hence 'toward, over') + dhamma (from √dhrā 'to hold, support'; Sanskrit dharma; English 'firm'). The prefix shifts the sense to 'higher doctrine'—the Buddha's most subtle analysis of experience.

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

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