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abhijjhaṁ

abhijjha

accusative singular of abhijjha (feminine noun)

1. covetousness
2. greedy desire
3. longing for what belongs to another

Built from

• abhi — prefix · toward, over
  Conveys bearing down on, reaching aggressively toward. Cognate with Latin ob- (observe, obtain).
• ijjha — root · desire, wish
  Related to Sanskrit icchā. The concrete sense is yearning or reaching for something external.

Analysis. abhi- (toward, bearing down) + ijjha (desire); the prefix conveys intensity and aggressive reaching-out. A doctrinal term for one of the unwholesome mental states.

Etymology. The root is related to Sanskrit icchā 'wish, desire'; abhi- intensifies the reaching-out quality. No close European cognate, but the prefix abhi- is cognate with Latin ob- (observe, obtain), showing the sense of 'bearing down on' or 'grasping toward'.

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

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