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abhikkhaṇa

masc voc sg of abhikkhaṇa (adj); nt voc sg of abhikkhaṇa (adj); nt voc sg of abhikkhaṇa (noun); imp 2nd sg of abhikkhaṇati (verb); …

1. abhikkhaṇa (adj): constant; frequent; regular
2. abhikkhaṇa (nt): digging; turning up the soil; lit. digging deeper
3. abhikkhaṇati (pr): digs; turns up the soil; lit. digs deeper
4. abhikkhaṇanta (prp): digging; turning up the soil; lit. digging deeper
5. abhikkhaṇi (aor): dug; lit. dug deeper

Built from

• abhi — prefix · toward, over
  Bearing down on; facing toward something with intensity. Cognates: Latin ob-.
• khaṇ — root · dig, excavate
  Root denoting the action of turning up or breaking through soil. Related to Sanskrit khāna- and Greek khanein.
• a — ending · masc./nt. nom./voc.
  Masculine and neuter nominative/vocative singular ending marking the adjective or imperative base form.

Analysis. abhi + khaṇa. The prefix abhi- (toward, bearing down on) combines with the root khaṇ- (dig, excavate), producing the concrete sense of digging repeatedly or digging deeper into something, which extends metaphorically to frequency and constancy.

Etymology. √khaṇ (to dig, excavate) is akin to Sanskrit khāna- and Greek khanein; the prefix abhi- (toward, bearing down) gives the sense of intensive or repeated action pressing into or through something.

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

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