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aggapiṇḍanti

aggapiṇḍa

nominative/accusative neuter singular, in the phrase aggapiṇḍanti (aggapiṇḍaṃ + iti, 'best food, namely')

1. best food; (or) alms for the best

Built from

• agga — stem · foremost, best
  The superlative or emphatic form denoting excellence and priority. Related to Sanskrit agrya- and Indo-European roots for sharp/pointed (Latin acies 'edge').
• piṇḍa — stem · alms-food, morsel
  A rice-cake or portion of food offered to monks; the standard word for alms in the Vinaya and suttas. Indigenous to Pali-Sanskrit with disputed ultimate etymology.
• ṃ — ending · nominative/accusative neuter singular
  Marks the noun as the object or subject of an iti clause, identifying or naming it.

Analysis. aggapiṇḍa = agga (foremost, best; neuter form of agga-) + piṇḍa (alms-food, morsel); hence 'the foremost alms' or 'choice food offered'. The -iti marks it as a nominal clause or identifies it as the name/title of something.

Etymology. agga is the superlative of agga- 'first, best', from √aggati or allied to Sanskrit agrya- 'foremost' (agra 'point, edge'), itself cognate with Latin acies 'sharp edge, army in formation' and English edge. piṇḍa 'morsel, alms-cake' is obscure in etymology but appears indigenous to Pali/Sanskrit, possibly connected to √piṇḍ- 'to knead'; used throughout the canon for the bowl of rice-food given by layfolk to monks.

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

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