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abrahmacariyaṁ

abrāhmacāriya

accusative singular neuter of abrāhmacāriya (adjective or abstract noun); or nominative singular neuter in some contexts

1. unchastity
2. sexual misconduct
3. breaking of celibacy

Built from

• a- — prefix · not, without
  Plain negation. Cognates: English un-, Greek a(n)-.
• brāhma — stem · Brahmin, brahmin-like
  From Sanskrit brāhman-, the priest-caste. Refers here to the ideal of sacred, elevated conduct.
• -cāriya — ending · conduct, way of life
  Nominalizing suffix from √car (go, walk). Marks the abstract noun meaning 'practice, behaviour, or course of life'.

Analysis. a- (not, without) + brāhmacāriya (celibate conduct, Brahmin-like life); the compound negates the ideal of celibate monastic life.

Etymology. Sanskrit brāhmacarya < brāhman- (Brahmin, priest) + cāri (conduct, way of life); the prefix a- negates it. The root is √car (go, walk, conduct oneself). Cognates: English 'career', Latin 'currō' (run, course of life).

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

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