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abhiniggaṇheyya

abhiniggaṇhāti

opt 3rd sg of abhiniggaṇhāti (verb)

1. firmly grabs hold (of); seizes tightly; forces into submission; forcibly restrains

Built from

• abhi — prefix · toward, bearing down on
  Facing something and bearing down on it; cognate with Latin ob- (observe, obtain).
• ni — prefix · down, into
  Directional prefix indicating motion downward or inward; cognate with English nether, German nieder.
• grah — root · seize, grasp
  The root sense is to grip or take hold; cognate with Latin prehendere and English grab.
• ā — prefix · toward speaker, up to
  Reverses or refocuses motion; here integrated into the stem formation.
• ti — ending · 3rd singular present
  Standard active voice ending; in the optative (expressed as -eyya above), marks potential or conditional mood.

Analysis. abhi- (toward, bearing down) + ni- (down, into) + √grah (seize, grasp): 'seize down upon', hence forcibly restrain or compel.

Etymology. The root √grah (seize) is cognate with Latin prehendere (grasp, seize) and English grab. The prefix abhi- (toward, bearing down on) combines with ni- (down, into) to intensify the sense of forceful subjugation: what is grasped is brought under control, downward into submission.

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

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